COMMENTARY: EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS
AND EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE It used to be said by skeptics that those who claim that the paranormal and the afterlife are real are making 'extraordinary claims' and therefore need to produce extraordinary evidence.
Well, that 'extraordinary evidence' has been produced; it's just that few people know about it. Dr. Edwin May, (pictured left) and his associates, combined the results of all the 26,000 trials on 154 experiments with psychic phenomena done at Stanford Research Institute from 1973 to 1988. They found that psychic phenomena had been shown to exist with odds against chance of more than a billion billion to one. (Radin 1997:101).
Similarly, evidence for the afterlife has been documented, case by case, over the last 170 years (Zammit, 2013). Every culture in the world has accepted that the paranormal and the afterlife exist. This has not been based on wish fulfillment. Rather, it was based on repeated observations over millennia, of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, near-death experiences, deathbed visions, and after-death communications.
When we take this into account, along with the experimental evidence, the existence of the paranormal and the afterlife are not at all 'extraordinary claims'. Far more extraordinary is the claim, made without ANY evidence whatsoever and in opposition to the lived experience of every culture in the world, that there is no afterlife, no paranormal, and that matter can produce consciousness.
SURVIVAL OF CONSCIOUSNESS BICS CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM 2023 In 2020, aerospace entrepreneur Robert T. Bigelow founded the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies (BICS). Following a successful competition in 2021 for essays providing the best evidence for SOHC, BICS is now looking to the future. In this presentation, (to be live-streamed on Youtube) Robert Bigelow and Colm Kelleher will reveal the details, including the application process and important dates, for BICS's new grants program for 2023, called “The Challenge.” It promises to significantly impact the future of research in the field of SOHC. Anyone may attend virtually by live-streaming the event free of charge, whether or not they are registered for the IONS conference. Date: Thursday, September 1/Friday September 2nd in Australia. Time: 10:30 Pacific / 11:30 Mountain / 12:30 Central / 1:30 Eastern/ See time in your city.
THE KONSTANTIN RAUDIVE PHONE CALLS In 1994 afterlife researcher George Meek received a phone call from ITC researcher Konstantin Raudive (pictured) who had died 20 years earlier in 1974. Raudive claimed he had George's deceased wife, Jeanette, beside him. Fortunately, George had an answerphone attached to the line and was able to hit the record button. Four other ITC researchers, Mark Macy, Sarah Estep, Dr. Walter Uphoff, and Hans Heckmann (a close friend and colleague of George Meek) received similar phone calls from Konstantin Raudive during the same period. In each case, the phone call mentioned the previous phone calls. Listen to George Meek's phone call from Konstantin Raudive in the spirit world (1 min 24 secs).
A FORMER ATHEIST DOCTOR DESCRIBES HER STUNNING NDE Former atheist, neurologist, and hospice physician, Dr. Bettina Peyton, shares her transformational near-death experience and offers valuable insights. [See article in EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing on the case]. Then Dr. Marjorie Woollacott, a neuroscience professor, discusses the transformations caused by near-death experiences and mystical experiences, along with their relationship to consciousness, love, and joy.
ONE HUNDRED CASES OF SURVIVAL AFTER DEATH For those who like specific evidential cases we strongly recommend White Crow Books' reprint of a Spiritualist classic, A. T. Baird's OneHundred Cases for Survival After Death.'These are cases taken from the archives of The Society For Psychical Research and include cases of dreams, apparitions, trance phenomena, materialization, and direct voice phenomena. The author claimed that he could have chosen a thousand equally good cases from the files. Read more.
THE BESSIE MANNING CASE
(Case 91 in A. T. Baird's book above at p.195). "I am Bessy Manning and I want you to send a message to my mother." This request was made to Maurice Barbanell at a direct-voice sitting held on February 10, 1933, at which Estelle Roberts was the medium. Then the voice added the mother's address: "14 Canterbury Street, Blackburn." "My name is Bessy Manning," she repeated, "and I died with tuberculosis last Easter. I have brought my brother who was killed by a motor. . .Tell Mother I still have my long plaits. I am twenty-two and I have blue eyes. Tell her to come, could you bring her here?"
"Maurice Barbanell sent off a telegram of invitation to
Bessy's mother in Blackburn—and it found her!
On February 20, Mr. Barbanell met Mrs. Manning at the station and escorted her to Teddington, London, where the seance was held. A few days after the seance she wrote a letter of thanks saying "I heard my own daughter speaking, in the same old loving way and the self-same peculiarities of speech. She spoke of incidents that I know for a positive fact no other person could know.
I am her mother and am the best judge."
TERMINAL LUCIDITY - EXAMPLES FROM JEFFREY MISHLOVE In a 2009 article in The Journal of Near-Death Studies, German biologist Michael Nahm drew attention to an end-of-life phenomenon that had been recorded for millennia. He described it as "The (re-)emergence of normal or unusually enhanced mental abilities in dull, unconscious, or mentally ill patients shortly before death, including considerable elevation of mood and spiritual affectation, or the ability to speak in a previously unusual spiritualized and elated manner". Read more.
A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN?
Michael Tymn writes: "In her book, Beauty Without Cruelty, which dealt with the prevention of cruelty to animals, the Rt. Hon. Muriel, the Lady Dowding, who was married to Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, the World War II hero who masterminded the epic Battle of Britain, tells of receiving the news that her first husband, Jack Maxwell Whiting, was missing in action and presumed dead in 1944, during World War II. She decided to consult a medium to see if anything more definitive could be known about the fate of
"Max," as he was called. 'Presumed is a cruelly lingering word in such a context,' she explains her decision to consult a medium".
Read the fascinating outcome - pdf file.
MUCH LOVED ENGLISH MEDIUM MAVIS PITILLA IS CELEBRATED BY MANY
PRE-BIRTH PLANNING: ROB SCHWARTZ INTERVIEWED BY EVA OCHEL Rob Schwartz says his mission is to make empowering, healing information about pre-birth planning available to as many people as possible. He is making copies of two of his books, 'Your Soul's Plan' and 'Your Soul's Gift', available for donation to inmates and prison libraries. If you can help to arrange such a donation, write to him.
IANDS ZOOM GROUPS The International Association for Near-Death Studies has set up several online Zoom groups. Experiencers can now share and gain knowledge in the comfort of their home with like-minded people. IANDS Sharing Groups Online (ISGO) are open to anyone with a sincere interest in understanding and communicating about various topics, including near-death and related experiences. They run general sessions, theme/topic-driven sessions, courses (a fixed number of sessions), and webinars. There is a small charge to cover costs. See the list of current ISGO zoom meetings.
DR. JAN VANDERSANDE'S EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL MEDIUMSHIP Professor Jan Vandersande had wonderful experiences with physical mediumship in South Africa and Los Angeles and was brave enough to go public with them. His book "Life After Death: Some of the Best Evidence" is highly recommended.
Spiritist Literature: Directed Study with Ana Castro.
Every Saturday. A free Zoom group about Spiritism, Kardec, and Chico Xavier.
See videos of previous meetings.
Times:
Pacific and Phoenix time 1 p.m. Saturday
Mountain daylight time 2 p.m. Saturday
Central time 3 p.m. Saturday
Eastern time 4 p.m. Saturday
London 9 p.m. Saturday
Rome 10 p.m. Saturday
Sydney/Melbourne 6 a.m. Sunday
New Zealand 8 a.m. Sunday Check time in your city
Co-ordinator: Ana Castro
Just click this link to join.
Sunday August 28th 2022 / Monday August 29th Australia
SUSAN BARNES' POPULAR MEDIUMSHIP DEVELOPMENT GROUP IS BACK AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK !!!!!!!!!!
Mediumship Development with
Dr. Susan Barnes. Developing the skills of mental mediumship and blending with spirit.
Meetings: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday
Times:
Pacific Daylight Time 10 a.m. Sunday
Phoenix time 10 a.m. Sunday
Mountain Daylight Time 11 a.m. Sunday
Central Daylight Time 12 noon Sunday
Eastern Daylight Time (New York) 1 p.m. Sunday
London 6 p.m. Sunday
Sydney/Melbourne 3 a.m. Monday
New Zealand 5 a.m. Monday Check time in your city
Coordinator: Dr. Susan B. Barnes, CSNU susanbbarnes@gmail.com
Online in Zoom https://zoom.us/j/8738817733
Sunday August 28th 2022 / Monday August 29th Australia
Global Gathering Guest: Sally Taylor:Journey Through Grief. A story of spiritual exploration and growth after the suicide transition of her 17-year-old son.
Sally will share the story of how her son's unexpected passing led her on a path of first survival, and ultimately of exploration, healing, surrender, connection, and awe at the wonder of our mind-body-spirit existence. Sally Taylor is a professional artist and art educator, intuition educator, reiki and holographic sound healer, and psychic medium.
Times:
Pacific Daylight Time 2 p.m. Sunday
Phoenix 2 p.m. Sunday
Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) 3 p.m. Sunday
Central Daylight time 4 p.m. Sunday
Eastern Daylight time 5 p.m. Sunday
London 10 p.m. Sunday
Amsterdam 11 p.m. Sunday
Sydney/Melbourne 7 a.m. Monday
New Zealand 9 a.m. Monday Check the time for your city
Co-ordinators: karynjarvie@ozemail.com.au and wendyzammit@gmail.com https://zoom.us/j/7595442928
Monday August 29th 2022 /Tuesday August 30th Australia
GOSH: Gatherings over Strange Happenings When: Every two weeks on Mondays (UK EUROPE and USA) and Tuesday 7 a.m. (Sydney). Next meeting Monday 29th/Tuesday 30th August
A small group that meets to share and explore the meaning of strange experiences like missing time, seeing scenes from another time, interacting with a person who suddenly wasn't there, bi-location etc. If it's something you cannot share easily with others, bring it to this group to get validation and speculate on its cause. See short video about GOSH
Times
Pacific Daylight Time 2 p.m. Monday
Phoenix 2 p.m. Monday
Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) 3 p.m. Monday
Central Daylight Time 4 p.m. Monday
Eastern Daylight Time 5 p.m. Monday
London 10 p.m. Monday
Rome 11 p.m. Monday
Sydney/Melbourne 7 a.m. Tuesday
New Zealand 9 a.m. Tuesday Check the time in your city.
Email: Kim at kmrainbow57@yahoo.com https://zoom.us/j/7595442928 Tuesday August 30th 2022 / Wednesday August 31st Australia
Army 4 Love Every Tuesday/ Wednesday People share what is happening in our world, how we are dealing with issues, holding each other’s hands, bringing in laughter and love. To bring in laughter each week one person shares a joke. This person then receives a few messages from a loved one they choose to connect with on the Other Side. Debra Martin always ends the gathering with a mini healing meditation. Join Zoom Meeting @ https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87968366796
EMAIL: Via a form on her website to avoid spam:https://www.goldenmiracles.com/contact.php
Times:NOTE 1 hour earlier starting time
Pacific Daylight time 3 p.m. Tuesday
Phoenix 3 p.m. Tuesday
Mountain daylight time (Denver) 4 p.m.
Central time 5 p.m. Tuesday
Eastern time 6 p.m. Tuesday
London 11p.m. Tuesday
Melbourne/Sydney 8 a.m. Wednesday
New Zealand 10 a.m. Wednesday Check time in your city
Join Zoom Meeting @ https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87968366796
Wednesday August 31st 2022/ Thursday September 1st Australia
Physical mediumship development group Every Wednesday with Rob Blackburn and Craig Hogan. Participants sit in a darkened space in their own homes; the group has been going for some time and members are experiencing phenomena. This is a long-term commitment.
Times:
Pacific and Arizona time 6 p.m. Wednesday
Mountain Daylight time 7 p.m. Wednesday
Central Daylight time 8 p.m. Wednesday
New York time 9 p.m. Wednesday
Sydney/Melbourne 11 a.m. Thursday
New Zealand 1 p.m. Thursday Check time in your city
Contact Rob Blackburn (rkblack@mtco.com) or Craig Hogan (r.craig.hogan@afterlifeinstitute.org) before joining the group.
https://zoom.us/j/4381898190
Thursday September 1st 2022/ Friday September 2nd Australia
Afterlife Book Club
1st Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. California time. Book Club led by Gary Langley on Zoom Next Meeting Thursday 1st September 2022
Book of the month: Here and Hereafter by Anthony Borgia.
DR. STEPHEN GREER ON HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR INTUITION AND DO REMOTE VIEWING
WE GROW THROUGH KINDNESS "The spirit grows through kindness, tolerance, sympathy, love, service and doing of good works. Character evolves only when you allow the divine spirit to be made manifest in your daily lives. If you harbor unkind thoughts, thoughts of hatred or malice, of vengeance, of selfishness, you yourself will be the victim and you yourself must pay the price in a warped, distorted and thwarted character." Silver Birch Anthology Chapter 1.
DID YOU HAVE AN ALIEN CONNECTION DURING OR AFTER AN NDE?
PMH Atwater is about to start a research project on Aliens and NDEs. She writes:
"At 3:53 am this morning (8-18-22), The Voice from my third near-death experience spoke to me once more. A special request. I argued for over an hour about this but finally accepted the request as reasonable and doable. Thus, I will be doing one more research project as concerns near-death experiences.
I have already researched this type of encounter in my book "THE NEW CHILDREN AND NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES", Chapter Nine, “Alien Existences.” The material in that chapter was totally new in near-death research and included some incredible experiences from two boys in South America. We do not have this type of research with adults. I include myself in this new work – adults and children – alien encounters.
Although I am still working on my memoir, this will be my next book after the memoir is done, and it is okay to begin collecting those stories now. I am not asking for a “book of stories” or lengthy renderings of “what happened.” I am no one’s judge, only a friendly researcher who is curious about what we do not discuss: alien encounters. Read details of how to submit experiences.
SIGNS FROM SPIRIT LOVED ONES Expert guidance on opening direct communication with your loved ones in spirit. Saturday August 27th 10 a.m. Pacific time (Check time in your city). Includes messages!
As a globally respected research medium, Susanne Wilson will share helpful, hopeful, and healing techniques for INVITING, RECOGNIZING, AND RECEIVING signs from Spirit. AGENDA All times are approximate: - Lecture, guided imagery & exercise (70 minutes) - Break (10 minutes) - Q&A on our topic (20 minutes)
- Messages for some attendees randomly (50 mins)
Learn more and book.
INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC: "WHEN YOU BELIEVE" This is one of the most evocative and beautiful songs ever recorded by the great Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. "When You Believe" is one of the soundtrack songs of "The Prince of Egypt"- this version has had a stunning 396 million hits.
Lyrics
Many nights we prayed With no proof, anyone could hear In our hearts a hopeful song We barely understood Now, we are not afraid Although we know there's much to fear We were moving mountains Long before we knew we could, whoa, yes
There can be miracles When you believe Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill Who knows what miracles you can achieve? When you believe, somehow you will You will when you believe
Oh-oh-oh Mmm, yeah
In this time of fear When prayer so often proves in vain Hope seems like the summer bird Too swiftly flown away Yet now I'm standing here My heart's so full, I can't explain Seeking faith and speakin' words I never thought I'd say
There can be miracles When you believe (When you believe) Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill (Mmm) Who knows what miracles you can achieve? (You can achieve) When you believe, somehow you will You will when you believe
They don't always happen when you ask And it's easy to give in to your fears But when you're blinded by your pain Can't see the way, get through the rain A small but still, resilient voice Says, help is very near, oh (Oh)
There can be miracles (Miracles) When you believe (Boy, when you believe, yeah) Though hope is frail It's hard to kill (Hard to kill, oh, yeah) Who knows what miracles You can achieve (You can achieve, oh) When you believe somehow you will (Somehow, somehow, somehow)
Now, you will (I know, I know, know) You will when you (When you) Believe You will when you (You will when you) Believe Just believe (Believe) Just believe You will when you Believe
Whilst we encourage and we publish many papers and reports by afterlife researchers, we are not in a position to guarantee the accuracy of all claims. ALL WORK IS COPYRIGHT BY THE CONDITIONS SET AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE ON COPYRIGHT.
FRIDAY
AFTERLIFE REPORT 
CLAIMS
AND EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE It used to be said by skeptics that those who claim that the paranormal and the afterlife are real are making 'extraordinary claims' and therefore need to produce extraordinary evidence. 
Well, that 'extraordinary evidence' has been produced; it's just that few people know about it. Dr. Edwin May, (pictured left) and his associates, combined the results of all the 26,000 trials on 154 experiments with psychic phenomena done at Stanford Research Institute from 1973 to 1988. They found that psychic phenomena had been shown to exist with odds against chance of more than a billion billion to one. 
In 2020, aerospace entrepreneur Robert T. Bigelow founded the 
In 1994 afterlife researcher George Meek received a phone call from ITC researcher Konstantin Raudive (pictured) who had died 20 years earlier in 1974. Raudive claimed he had George's deceased wife, Jeanette, beside him. Fortunately, George had an answerphone attached to the line and was able to hit the record button. Four other ITC researchers, Mark Macy, Sarah Estep, Dr. Walter Uphoff, and Hans Heckmann (a close friend and colleague of George Meek) received similar phone calls from Konstantin Raudive during the same period. In each case, the phone call mentioned the previous phone calls. 
strongly recommend White Crow Books' reprint of a Spiritualist classic, A. T. Baird's 
"I am Bessy Manning and I want you to send a message to my mother." This request was made to Maurice Barbanell at a direct-voice sitting held on February 10, 1933, at which Estelle Roberts was the medium. Then the voice added the mother's address: "14 Canterbury Street, Blackburn." "My name is Bessy Manning," she repeated, "and I died with tuberculosis last Easter. I have brought my brother who was killed by a motor. . .Tell Mother I still have my long plaits. I am twenty-two and I have blue eyes. Tell her to come, could you bring her here?" 
"In her book,
The 
Spiritist Literature: Directed Study with Ana Castro.
Mediumship Development with 
A story of spiritual exploration and growth after the suicide transition of her 17-year-old son.
Sally will share the story of how her son's unexpected passing led her on a path of first survival, and ultimately of exploration, healing, surrender, connection, and awe at the wonder of our mind-body-spirit existence. Sally Taylor is a professional artist and art educator, intuition educator, reiki and holographic sound healer, and psychic medium.
When: Every two weeks on Mondays (UK EUROPE and USA) and Tuesday 7 a.m. (Sydney). Next meeting Monday 29th/Tuesday 30th August
People share what is happening in our world, how we are dealing with issues, holding each other’s hands, bringing in laughter and love. To bring in laughter each week one person shares a joke. This person then receives a few messages from a loved one they choose to connect with on the Other Side. 
Every Wednesday with Rob Blackburn and Craig Hogan. Participants sit in a darkened space in their own homes; the group has been going for some time and members are experiencing phenomena. This is a long-term commitment.
spirit grows through kindness, tolerance, sympathy, love, service and doing of good works. Character evolves only when you allow the divine spirit to be made manifest in your daily lives. If you harbor unkind thoughts, thoughts of hatred or malice, of vengeance, of selfishness, you yourself will be the victim and you yourself must pay the price in a warped, distorted and thwarted character." 
PMH Atwater is about to start a research project on Aliens and NDEs. She writes:
Includes messages! 