Our speaker for July 22nd is Peter Anthony.  As his career in Hollywood was reaching its peak – working alongside the likes of Dan Rather, Diane Sawyer, Leslie Stahl, and Greer Garson — Peter Anthony’s life completely changed course when he lay in a hospital bed as an 89-pound man unable to see, walk, or speak.

On November 11,1987 Peter Michael Anthony was rushed to the emergency room due to a perforated viscous, the swelling and fusion of platelets. Unfortunately, during the late 1980’s in the height of the AIDS epidemic, medical staff were cautious in assisting any patient that was brought in with brown lesions, coughing and uncontrollable bleeding.  Peter crossed over at 11:11pm on 11-11- 87 on the operating room table due to medical complications.  His return to life after his NDE is remarkable. The road to recovery was paved with countless health obstacles made psychologically worse by disbelief and denunciation by family members, co-workers, friends and experts in the medical and religious community.  But Peter’s will to survive and thrive became paramount due to what he experienced on the other side. “In life, second chances can occur…even for those of us who die,” says Anthony. “NDErs have been given a second chance for a reason.”

Peter Anthony is the author of Key Master and The Accidental Prophet. His book Key Master was inspired by his NDE and currently is under development for a film. 

Peter’s near-death experience added an array of inexplicable gifts to Peter’s capabilities. As word spread through Hollywood about Peter’s gifts and Peter began booking private sessions for celebrities and their families, friends and colleagues. In 1995, Peter’s NDE- related abilities landed him on Fox’s hit show Sightings and several other popular television shows. He recently was selected into the Hall of Spiritualists and Writers.  

Peter, who is wonderfully honest, engaging and entertaining, will share his near-death experience and his amazing spiritual journey with us.

The July 22nd IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC.   We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December.  Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

We are pleased to announce that our speaker for Friday, June 24th is Janet Peters. Before the term near-death experience was coined, Janet as a young girl was living with abuse and neglect in her Los Angeles home. One evening as her heart was despairing, the spirits of her grandmother and aunt came and swept her up from her bed and took young Janet through a long tunnel to a place of order and light where they pleaded for their young relative to remain with them. Although she was ultimately told to return, she brought back important lessons, some of which she will share with us.

Janet’s eBook, Divine Interventions, spans her life from 17 months of age to when her husband passed away. She wrote the book so that we can realize that we are never alone when experiencing fear, abuse, depression, illness, death and grief, as our Lord, angels and even loved ones who have passed are cognizant of our suffering and many times, intervene on our behalf.

Janet is an artist and English teacher. She will bring prints of some of her paintings to our meeting.

The June 24th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC. We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December. Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

The speaker for Friday May 27, 2016 will be T.J. Owen. The publishing of her experience and her public speaking on her NDE at a time when NDE’s were not commonly acknowledged should make for a very interesting presentation. Her experience has been published by several NDE researchers as well as in her book,”Time to Believe” (available on Amazon).

T. J. Owen was born in Los Angeles, California in 1947. She grew up in California but as an adult traveled with her work in the Aerospace Industry to many states as well as with her husband’s work in the Middle East. There she volunteered to take on the assignment to help other women and their family members to overcome the culture shock of living and working in a foreign culture.

In her 40 year career in Aerospace some of the projects she worked on include the Apollo Space Program, the Space Shuttle program, research and development for computer and medical laser technology, military and commercial aircraft. She retired after 9/11 while working as a Lead Electrical Manufacturing Engineer at the Boeing Company in Washington State. She now lives with her husband of 50 years in Utah.

In 1969 she experienced an unusual Near-Death Experience that was first published, online, at NDERF.org (Near-Death Experience Research Foundation) during the website’s beginning in 1997.

Dr. Jeffrey Long, and founder of the NDERF.org read T.J’s NDE account and encourage her to publisher her book which she did in 2013. Her NDE still remains a favorite on Dr. Long’s NDERF.org web site. Dr. Long wrote a foreword to T.J. book as well using quotes from her NDE account in his book, Evidence Of The Afterlife: The Science Of Near-Death which was published in 2010.

Roy L. Hill, Psy.D., also found T.J’s. NDE fascinating and her account inspired him to write an entire chapter, “The Better Angels of Our Nature”, using T.J.’s quotes from her book. Dr. Hill’s book, Psychology and the Near-Death Experience, Searching For God, was publish in 2015.

T.J. Owen has volunteered at many hospitals visiting the sick and dying, Home care and Hospice volunteer, grief counselor, a member of the QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Program, National Alliance on Mental Illness Education Program as a Certified teacher and public speaker.

Time To Believe: A Life and A Near-Death Experience is her first book. T. J. is eager to respond to readers on her Face Book page, Tegan Jane Owen.

The May 27th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC. We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December. Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

This coming Friday we will review a BBC NDE documentary dealing with the mind, the brain and near-death experiences. Individual experiences will be highlighted that have a strong message about the reality of NDEs. What does it mean when a woman who is blind from birth sees in her NDE? What can we learn when another whose body is placed in a state of suspended animation by drastically lowering her body temperature and stopping the flow of blood to her brain sees the unusual instruments used and procedures and individuals in the operating room. A question and answer session will follow with members of the local IANDS board.

The April 22th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC. We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December. Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

We are pleased to announce our speaker for our March 25th IANDS meeting will be Suzanne Freeman.  Suzanne Freeman is the mother of 13 children which she considers to be her greatest accomplishment. She is also the author of five books.  In 1999 during emergency surgery, Suzanne’s spirit left her body and she was taken to heaven.

Suzanne works for a home hospice company and has the sacred work of helping the dying transition through the dying process. Her hope is that she can help others who are close to death understand that heaven is wonderful!  She loves the opportunity to share the love that Jesus has for us and the peace of heaven.

The March 25th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC.   We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December.  Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

Our speakers for this coming Friday will be Greg Owens and Shawn White.
Greg worked as a paramedic in a hospital that admitted an atheist Texas Ranger who had a cardiac arrest, had an NDE and was surprised to find that he had an existence outside his mortal body.   The ranger lectured hospital staff about his trip to the other side and left a lasting impression with Greg.  Greg will relay a short story of some of the compelling evidence shared of the ranger’s brief encounter with the reality of life after life.
Shawn, on the other hand had, an extraordinarily in-depth experience.  He was an abused child who suffered from sleep apnea who prayed daily to leave this painful world.  In his sleep one night he quit breathing and died.  He was escorted through the streets of heaven and into a large building where he experienced a life review and met several biblical characters, including Moses, Abraham and Jesus – his advocate, as well as other divine beings, all of whom showed a genuine concern for his welfare.  He was given the choice to stay in heaven or return.  What he was shown of his future led him to risk everything to return.  Shawn will share what keeps him here and what may help you through your troubled times as well.
He shared some details at a previous IANDS meeting.  You will learn more about what Jesus taught him regarding suicide, his reason for living and his motivation for his work today and more details of what awaits us.
The February 26th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC.   We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December.  Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

We are pleased to announce our speaker for our January 22nd IANDS meeting will be Erica McKenzie.  In 2002, Erica McKenzie had her NDE. She was 31 years old. Ridiculed as a pre-teen for her appearance, Erica turned to bulimia and diet pills as a means to fit in with the other girls. All she wanted was to be liked and accepted by her classmates. College was worse and she turned to the Class IV narcotic, Phentermine. While the pills gave her the endurance to be everything to everyone, Erica barely slept or ate. She kept her diet pill secret from her family, but the drug took its toll on her health. Her nine year addiction was killing her. Her heart palpitations and difficulty breathing ended one day in the middle of a conversation when she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

Erica experienced two life reviews, as if on a movie screen. In the first, she saw the things she had thought were significant. In the second, she saw the things that God thought were significant.  The difference was a huge surprise and liberation.

Toward the end of her NDE God said, “Child, you are not staying. Your mission is on earth. Remember, you work for me now.” She did not want to go, but had to obey. She returned with the ability to deliver messages from God to help people embrace their uniqueness and aid in their healing.

The January 22nd IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC.   We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December.  Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

We are pleased to announce our speaker for our November 27th IANDS meeting will be Ted Whiting. In 1981 Ted Whiting had exploratory surgery on his back due to complication from a motorcycle accident he was in. The operation was at St. Mark’s Hospital. It was scheduled for two hours, but due to the complexity, it took five hours and Ted died on the operating table.

Ted didn’t go through tunnel. He saw his father who he had only seen a few times in his life. His father had drowned many years earlier. The setting where Ted saw his father was beautiful. It was perfect. Ted will describe it in detail when he speaks. Ted spoke with his father who told him he shouldn’t be there. They took a walk and had a conversation about many things. Ted’s father told Ted he had to go back He told Ted he was going to have two sons. He said, “They are great boys, I’ve met them.” Ted was not yet married and didn’t even have a girl friend at the time, so this was somewhat of a surprise.

Ted’s father pushed him back towards this life and Ted ended up in his body, in great pain. Ted spent five days in ICU, but due to his low blood pressure, could have no medication for the severe pain. When Ted told the doctor and nurses, he knew I had died, they looked sheepishly at him as if they knew it too

Eight years later, in 1989 Ted had an industrial accident. He was a diesel mechanic at a place called Overnight Transportation, which was later bought out by UPS. Ted was on top of a truck fixing an air-horn. He slipped and fell off the tall truck, landing on the cement floor. He was knocked out for a while. The accident seriously damaged Ted’s sinuses, which would not drain properly and Ted developed a serious sinus infection.

While Ted was attending Salt Lake Community College the pain from his sinus infection increased to the point he could hardly stand it. He called his brother who took Ted to the emergency center at St. Mark’s Hospital. Ted was wheeled in on a stretcher. The pain was so severe Ted finally gave up and died. Again, he didn’t see a tunnel or a light. On the other side, Ted saw many people who knew him. His aunt told him, “You’re not supposed to be here. You have to go back. You have things to do you haven’t done yet.”

Ted remembers vividly the setting, weather and details of the surroundings where he talked to his aunt. Ted told her the pain was unbearable and he didn’t want to go back. Like with his father, Ted’s aunt pushed him back and Ted woke up in his body.

Ted learned from his experiences there is nothing to fear from dying. There are people who are waiting for us. It seems like a short time for those on the other side. Here is seems like a long time. Ted learned other insights he will share with us.

The November 27th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC. We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December. Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

We are pleased to announce our speaker for our October 23rd IANDS meeting will be Audy Wayman. A knock on the bathroom door by an invisible visitor may have saved 3 year old Audy’s life. She was nearer to death than anyone expected because during her crisis she left our world and visited a beautiful place she never would have imagined existed. When she returned to her little body and jumped up from the tub she blocked the experience from her memory. After many years of struggle she suddenly remembered the entire event that had sent her spiraling down into the depths ultimately learning that it was the most beautiful thing to happen to her because through darkness she had seen the Love and light that exists in all of us.

The October 23rd IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC. We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December. Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.

We are pleased to announce our speaker for our September 25th IANDS meeting will be David Herard. David Herard had a difficult childhood, which left him more intense, harsh and angry than most. David often took out his frustrations and anger during his two tours of duty in Vietnam. As a soldier, anger and intensity were valued.
David was injured in his first tour of duty when three hand-grenades exploded in his group of Marines. Two others were killed. David was seriously injured and was evacuated to a hospital in Okinawa, Japan. David wanted to return to Vietnam, so he waived his rights for a one-year tour of duty in the states.
David arrived back in Vietnam in February 1968, just after the beginning of the Tet offensive a month earlier. Fire fights were frequent and intense. During the Ted offensive, American units were suffering 50-60% casualties.
In the last week of June 1968, David was on Hill 881-North, near Khe Sanh, as part of a 250 man unit, which had lost 30% of their men. Just before Hill 881-North was over-run by the North Vietnam Army, on July 6th they were evacuated to Hill 681, about five miles away. That same night, they came under heavy fire. It turned into face-to-face fighting. In the morning, everyone who survived was running low on ammo. Everyone said it was time to stock up on more ammo, but being so tired from the intense all night fighting, no one wanted to go to the ammo dump.
David got angry at this and decided to get the ammo himself. He ran nine or ten trips to the ammo dump, each time bringing back as much ammo as he could carry. On David’s last trip, an enemy 122mm rocket landed about 20 feet behind him. When it exploded, the intense force threw David into the air and down the hill a considerable distance. Despite massive injuries, somehow David got up and ran back to his fellow-soldiers and cover. He had severe wounds in both feet, both legs, both cheeks, both arms, both hands, the back of his neck and small of his back. The medic didn’t give him morphine because he said “it would just leak out.”
Hearing the medic describe his wounds, David was sure he was going to die because he had seen many soldiers with fewer wounds not survive. Then David started to feel so very tired, sleepy, and completely exhausted.
He saw a light, distant and small at first, but continually brighter until it was seemed blinding in its intensity, but it didn’t hurt his eyes. Drawn into the light, David saw a beautiful river, and on the other side a number of people dressed in exquisite robes, waiving at him, gesturing David to come across the river to join them. Just as he decided to cross over, David felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a voice say, “No, it’s not your time, go back!”
David felt great love during his near-death experience, which changed the very essence of who he was from harsh and intense to caring and loving.
Especially in times of difficulty, David looks back on his near-death experience to put the difficulties of life in perspective and help him make decisions. His oldest daughter’s husband served in Iraq. David’s near death experience helped him reassure her in times of worry.
The September 25th IANDS meeting will begin at 7PM in the Salt Lake County Commission hearing Room in the north building of the County Government Center located at 2001 South State, SLC. We meet the fourth Friday of each month except December. Bring a friend as meetings are free of charge.