Surviving Death: The Evidence

Wisdom from Beyond the Veil

This week I am talking to Annie Mattingley about her book ‘The After Death Chronicles: True Stories of Comfort, Guidance, and Wisdom from Beyond the Veil’. This is a book about ordinary people--plumbers, artists and accountants, bakers and beauticians, teachers and lawyers--who have been able to receive communication from loved ones who have died. Included here are accounts from over 80 people across the country who have had contact with the dead through the diaphanous veil that separates them from the living. The book begins with the story of Annie's deceased daughter speaking to her in the early morning hours. The communication was so transformative that she began to share her experience. Much to her surprise, she discovered that after-death communication is much more common than is normally assumed, and she began to connect with other folks across the country who had similar experiences. Each of the ten chapters is organized around a specific kind of after-death communication. Included here are chapters on dreams, verbatim conversations, and synchronicity through nature and various other physical manifestations, descriptions of the results of these occurrences, and advice on how to open up to after-death communication. This book inspires in the reader reassurance, courage, healing, and a sense of wonder. From the author: "The time is ripe for people to recognize the blessing of how frequently our dead beloveds return . . . to confirm the reality that consciousness continues beyond the grave and to remind us that there is much more to death than the physical cessation of breath and pulse. It is time to break the silence, time to stop keeping these powerful healing experiences to ourselves. It is time to allow the experiences themselves, and the positive effect they have on the living." https://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B075837PY5 [https://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B075837PY5] https://anniemattingley.com/ [https://anniemattingley.com/] My Book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Interplanetary Past Lives

In this episode I am talking to Dr. Linda Backman about her book 'Souls on Earth: Exploring Interplanetary Past Lives'. In this "groundbreaking" book, a past-life regression therapist "offers credible evidence of evolved interplanetary souls incarnate in human bodies" (Larry Dossey, MD, author of One Mind). In her work as a regression hypnotherapist, Dr. Linda Backman frequently meets with individuals who have had past lives on planets and realms beyond Earth. These individuals—called interplanetary souls—have agreed to come to Earth to help support the evolution of the planet as well as to develop themselves and learn lessons for spiritual advancement.  In Souls on Earth, Dr. Backman shares her fascinating work with interplanetary souls. This book explores the characteristics of interplanetary souls so that if you are one, you will be able to understand more about your life purpose and cope with the special challenges that come with an incarnation on Earth. Learn how to identify IP souls and discover how they can assist humanity's evolution. Explore ways to support yourself or loved ones who may be IP souls. For many people struggling with difficult lessons or trying to find meaning, this book opens the door to new understandings and the potential for peace. Bio Dr. Linda Backman, licensed psychologist and regression therapist, has been in private practice for 47 years. Since 1993, Dr. Backman has guided innumerable individuals in regression hypnotherapy to access their past and between lives/higher self. In this way, she assists people to more fully recognize their Soul Essence Psychology, combining our current life experiences with who we are as a soul throughout our many lifetimes and as an immortal soul. Regression hypnotherapy allows the client to understand their Soul Design of past lives, soul origin, soul and life mission, soul progress, soul relationships, and more. Dr. Backman’s work, includes guiding soul regressions, speaking and writing, as well as training others in soul regression hypnotherapy both in the US and abroad. Dr. Backman has a profound commitment to deepening and heightening individual spiritual progress, as well as fostering a more universal understanding and awareness of the path of soul development, leading to greater wisdom and acceptance among all people and cultures worldwide. Linda studied and co-taught with Dr. Michael Newton, author of the seminal books on Life Between Lives regression therapy, and was a co-creative, founding member of the Society for Spiritual Regression Board (now The Newton Institute). In 1997, Dr. Backman and her husband, Dr. Earl Backman, established The Ravenheart Center (www.RavenHeartCenter.com), a Mystery School in Boulder, Colorado, dedicated to guiding individuals to discover their soul path. Dr. Backman is the author of Bringing Your Soul to Light: Healing Through Past Lives and the Time Between, published by Llewellyn Worldwide (2009); The Evolving Soul: Spiritual Healing Through Past Life Exploration (Llewellyn 2014); Souls on Earth: Exploring Interplanetary Past Lives (Llewellyn 2018); Soul Design: A Regressionist's Guide to Past Lives, Origins, and Purpose (Llewellyn 2025); and a frequent guest on numerous programs, such as Coast to Coast, Gaia TV, James Van Praagh and others. Linda has earned academic degrees from the University of Oregon, University of North Carolina, and Northern Arizona University. https://www.ravenheartcenter.com/ [https://www.ravenheartcenter.com/] https://www.amazon.com/Souls-Earth-Exploring-Interplanetary-Lives-ebook/dp/B075W1S6FC [https://www.amazon.com/Souls-Earth-Exploring-Interplanetary-Lives-ebook/dp/B075W1S6FC] My Book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Afterlife and an Out-of-Body Explorer

This week I'm talking to Cyrus Kirkpatrick about his book 'The Afterlife and Beyond: An Examination of Life After Death by an Out-of-Body Explorer'. If the afterlife is real, what does that mean for our lives? For society? In a second feature book by afterlife and supernatural writer Cyrus Kirkpatrick, these questions are poised as the consequences of an afterlife are explored in relation to subjects from cryogenics to artificial intelligence and the origins of life. In addition, objective evidence for the afterlife is scrutinized, with detailed out-of-body experiences and trips through other realms reported, including helpful information about how we can connect ourselves to other dimensions and reunite with loved ones. Bio Cyrus Kirkpatrick released Understanding Life After Death in 2015 followed by The Afterlife and Beyond in 2018. Both of these books investigated realities of the Spiritualism movement, scientific investigations into survival of consciousness. During this time, Cyrus has appeared as a speaker for the Afterlife Research Education Institute, and numerous media appearances. This also included the founding of the Afterlife Topics and Metaphysics YouTube and Facebook communities. Cyrus’s focus shifted primarily into direct, clairaudient communications with “worlds beyond Earth”, including verifiable or cross corresponding telepathic sessions that relate to often “grand sagas” that exist beyond our one planet, and how many subjects link together, including life after death often misidentified as a spirit world but is actually a higher reality, magical cosmos that is both physical and endlessly ancient. This discovery led to the forthcoming release of the book The Cosmic Shift of Mankind which documents many communications with important characters from Nikola Tesla to forces of the higher multiverse continuously spreading a message about a ‘5th density or ‘5d Shift’ that will bring Planet Earth into the realities beyond our own. That includes entire worlds which we would deem as our afterlife realities that are ‘extraordinary’ versions of our planet and culture. https://www.amazon.com/Afterlife-Beyond-Examination-Out-Body-ebook/dp/B07FRKJ78R [https://www.amazon.com/Afterlife-Beyond-Examination-Out-Body-ebook/dp/B07FRKJ78R] My Book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After Death Communication

This week I am talking to the medium Traci Bray. Bio Traci Bray was born and raised in Clinton, Iowa.  She was 5 years old when the first known deceased person appeared to her. Although recognition of life beyond a physical existence was real for Traci, it wasn’t until the mid-1990's that she began offering public readings at the urging of friends. Via word-of-mouth, accolades of her skills widened. Her clientele has expanded across the US, and to all continents save the poles! Traci's professional background and enhanced communications skills lend themselves to her readings. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Family Services and a Master's in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. For over two decades prior to reading publicly she assisted individuals, families and systems toward change for improvement in the fields of domestic violence, sexual assault, corrections and public transportation. She served as a curriculum writer and trainer for two state-level law enforcement agencies in the Midwest. It is a natural that in addition to families, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have requested and received her confidential input. In late 2022, Traci published an oracle card deck, "The Soul Lives On - Life-Affirming Channeled Messages from Spirit", and an accompanying Journaling Workbook, both with Stacy A. Macy, JD. More recently, a number of thoughts and quotes of Traci's appear in Dr. Julie Beischel's oracle card deck, "Guidance for Grief: Wisdom to Help You Stay Connected to Your Loved One After Loss", and her book From the Mouths of Mediums, which provides interviews with other Windbridge Certified Research Mediums which Beischel directs. In 2000, Traci was filmed by the BBC for a documentary, produced by Justine Picardie, on mediums. That experience later materializes in Picardie’s book, If the Spirit Moves You: Love and Life Beyond Death. Additionally she appears in the book Truth About Medium, by Dr. Gary Schwartz, former Director of the University of Arizona’s coveted VERITAS program, where she served as a “Research Medium”. Other research mediums with VERITAS have included John Edward, George Anderson and Allison DuBois, the latter on whom the NBC series "Medium" is based. Windbridge Certified Research Mediums include Laura Lynne Jackson, Debra Martin and Kim Russo.  Key media pieces include:    Kansas City NBC affiliate KSHB produced a feature story on Traci's work;    Quoted in CNN online article    Contributor to Dr. Julie Beischel's (Director of Research, Windbridge) award winning essay for the (Robert) Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies    Contributor to e.books published by Windbridge including  Among Mediums: a Scientists Quest for Answers    Presenter, The Compassionate Friends regional conference    Presenter, The Vail Symposium  (see photo at left of Traci, Dr. Julie Beischel, and Eliza Rey, another WCRM    Guest on "Kansas City Live"    Feature article in the "Kansas City Star"      Numerous articles about her work have materialized in a number of newspapers and magazines across the Midwest including the "Kearney Press," "Kansas City Wellness," and "Evolving." Today Traci is a Level #5 Certified Research Medium with The Windbridge Research Center (see http://windbridge.org) in Tucson, AZ. Previously she served as a Certified Medium with the Forever Family Foundation in New York.   Traci is a relaxed, dynamic, and engaging public speaker and reader. She can be hilarious! A passion for writing finds her working on several projects from her home which is on the National Historic Register in Kansas City, Missouri. Traci's readings come from Spirit in the 'spirit-of' personal enlightenment.  To some recipients, they also provide entertainment and certainly, enjoyment.  Every beneficiary of a reading has free will to choose as they see fit for their own life.  Individuals are responsible for their interpretation of the reading as well as how or if they incorporate it into their own life via thought, word and deed. https://tracibray.com/ [https://tracibray.com/] My Book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions

This week I am talking to Dr Gregory Shushan about his book 'Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions'. Near-death experiences are known around the world and throughout human history. They are sometimes reported by individuals who have revived from a period of clinical death or near-death and they typically feature sensations of leaving the body, entering and emerging from darkness, meeting deceased friends and relatives, encountering beings of light, judgment of one's earthly life, feelings of oneness, and reaching barriers, only to return to the body. Those who have NDEs almost invariably understand them as having profound spiritual or religious significance. In this book, Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between near-death experiences, shamanism, and beliefs about the afterlife in traditional indigenous societies in Africa, North America, and Oceania. Drawing on historical accounts of the earliest encounters with explorers, missionaries, and ethnologists, this study addresses questions such as: Do ideas about the afterlife commonly originate in NDEs? What role does culture play in how people experience and interpret NDEs? How can we account for cross-cultural similarities and differences between afterlife beliefs? Though NDEs are universal, Shushan shows that how they are actually experienced and interpreted varies by region and culture. As the historical documents reveal, in North America, they were commonly valorized, and attempts were made to replicate them through shamanic rituals. In Africa, however, they were largely considered aberrational events with links to possession or sorcery. In Oceania, Micronesia corresponded more to the African model, while Australia had a greater focus on afterlife journey shamanism. Polynesia and Melanesia showed an almost casual acceptance of the phenomenon as reflected in numerous myths, legends, and historical accounts. This study examines the continuum of similarities and differences between NDEs, shamanism, and afterlife beliefs in dozens of cultures throughout these regions. In the process, it makes a valuable contribution to our knowledge about the origins of afterlife beliefs around the world and the significance of related experiences in human history. Gregory Shushan explores the relationship between NDEs and beliefs about the afterlife in traditional indigenous societies. Bio He was Grawemeyer Award-nominated for his book Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Religious Experience Research Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and was previously Perrott-Warrick Researcher at University of Oxford's Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion; and Scholar-in Residence at the Centro Incontri Umani (The Cross Cultural Centre), Ascona, Switzerland. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0197685439 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0197685439] My Book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.