Theme/Topic Session – Page 2 – IANDS Groups and Events

OPEN Spirituality Group

This is a safe space for respectful open discussion of whatever Spirituality means to you. Open Spirituality has zero dogma or doctrine. It’s about a personal relationship with the Divine with zero requirements other than your intent to connect with like-minded people for stimulating conversation. Open Spirituality is a “non-religion.” It’s a place to share spiritual experiences and beliefs without a religious context. Religious contexts like churches, synagogues, mosques, and such are often the only place where people feel comfortable discussing spiritual concepts, but those places often feel artificially constrained once one has had an NDE or an STE. This group is for people who consider themselves spiritual but who may not be comfortable with traditional religions and religious beliefs and practices.

Open Spirituality Sharing Group
4th Sundays at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT

The Open Spirituality group is an open gathering space for those who are looking for a place to share personal spiritual perspectives without dogma or doctrine, where everyone respects differing beliefs and perspectives.

The conversation will include our usual open discussion of everything spiritual where nothing is off-limits.

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What does spirituality mean to you? How has your understanding of spirituality evolved? How has spirituality challenged you in this life? This monthly group is a safe space for respectful open discussion of whatever Spirituality means to you.

Open Spirituality has NO dogma or doctrine. It’s about having a personal relationship with the Divine with zero requirements other than your intent to connect with like-minded people for stimulating spiritual conversation.

Open Spirituality is a “non-religion.” It’s a place to share spiritual experiences and beliefs without a religious context. Religious contexts like churches, synagogues, mosques, and such are often the only place where people feel comfortable discussing spiritual concepts but those places often feel artificially constrained once one has had an NDE or an STE. This group is for people who consider themselves spiritual but who may not be comfortable with traditional religions and religious beliefs and practices.

“Open Spirituality” is perhaps best defined by these quotes:

- - “Kindness is my religion.” – Dalai Lama
  - “Religion is an external practice. Spirituality is a state of mind.”
  - “Religion is about beliefs. Spirituality is about being.”
  - “The best religion is the one that brings you closest to God.”
  - “Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing,
    there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” – Rumi

——————

If you want to convert the time of this meeting to your own time zone anywhere in the world, you can use this link:
https://dateful.com/time-zone-converter?&tz2=new-york

——————

Let go of any preconceived ideas of spirituality! We explore the subject of spirituality from every conceivable perspective. This group combines open discussion with presentations and occasional guest interviews all centered around the broadest definitions of spirituality.

This group:

- - Respects and values all perspectives;
  - Is inclusive of all perspectives,
  - Welcomes all that seek to explore and investigate the mysteries of life;
  - Seeks to find the common ground that ties everything together;
  - Feels that science and spirituality are 2 sides of the same whole;
  - Sends love and understanding to all beings.

If you like subjects that are “out there” with a spiritual, philosophical, and/or theological perspective, this group is for you!

Religions generally come from an exclusive perspective that can be very limiting. Open spirituality is inclusive and it respects and values the vast diversity of perspectives we each represent.

This group is for you if ANY of the following statements resonate:

- - You feel constrained by societal boundaries/definitions of spirituality and/or religion;
  - You consider yourself ‘spiritual’ but not religious (SBNR);
  - you love your religious community, but feel there is more to spirituality;
  - You believe in the Oneness of all that is;
  - You believe in the equality of all beings;
  - You love the mystery of life/existence and you would like to explore it in more depth;
  - You love God/Source/Creator, but feel that those terms are too limiting;

The Open Spirituality group will explore and discuss the most inspiring spiritual aspects of all religious traditions, philosophies, theologies, cosmologies, and *experiences* like STEs, NDEs, OBEs, alien encounters, psychic phenomena, mediumship, the healing arts, and such.

Open Spirituality welcomes people from all faith traditions. It does not promote any particular belief or theology other than the belief that we are all spiritual beings.

Proponents are self-proclaimed and all are welcome and supported as long as they are open, inclusive, and supportive of the beliefs of others. Open Spirituality welcomes atheists and agnostics as well since the belief in the existence of a deity is a matter of personal opinion.

“Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of the opinions of others drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs

Lastly, the following excerpt from Wikipedia seems appropriate:
“Spiritual but not religious” (SBNR), also known as “spiritual but not affiliated” (SBNA), or the “Nones” are some of the phrases used to self-identify a life stance of spirituality that does not regard organized religion as the sole or most valuable means of furthering spiritual growth.

For these groups, IANDS uses the Zoom video conferencing system. After registering for the event, it’s as simple as clicking the link provided in your email (prior to the event).

These sharing groups are free to everyone!

We are a non-profit. Donations provide the funding to support the technology that runs these groups. If you are able to make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. We thank you in advance for your kind and generous donations.

Donation

About the host, Daniel Endy:

Daniel has been on the spiritual path ever since he was a youngster. He was brought up in the Catholic religious tradition and attended Catholic schools. As with many people, Daniel was comfortable with spirituality but he had trouble with religious dogma and he sought deeper truths. As a teen, Daniel left Catholicism and became what he calls a “spiritual independent.” He searched and researched extensively finding “tidbits” of wisdom here and there at first. Over time he found his way to more and more spiritual teachings that resonated as truth for him. He believes that each person’s journey and “truth” is unique and that it evolves as each person does.

Daniel often thought of how he wanted an open community of people who were spiritual but non-dogmatic. He envisioned a group that would be welcoming and inclusive for all without limits. Open Spirituality is that dream manifested. All are welcome. All perspectives are respected. We don’t need to invalidate beliefs that we disagree with. We can all co-exist in peace.

Interfaith Clergy Group

A free sharing group for clergy of all faiths to share about their experiences regarding near-death and related experiences and counseling those who have had such experiences.

Interfaith Clergy Group-Private Group for Clergy
Exploring the Harmony of all Faiths with Clergy and lay leaders.

Second Monday of every month:
1 pm ET US – 12 pm CT – 11 am MT – 10 am PT – 7 am Hawaii
6 pm London – 7 pm Central Africa – 8 pm Jerusalem
9:30 pm Iran – 10:30 pm India

Interfaith Clergy Group gathers leaders of any religious tradition to raise awareness of the importance of NDEs and other STEs, and to understand their role in more deeply knowing the Divine. We do this through sharing with each other, both pastorally, theologically, and significantly including experientially.

It is important to know:

- No one will know you attended, except those in your group. Your privacy is protected.
- These meetings are never recorded.
- Trained IANDS volunteers facilitate the group to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.
- You do not have to share. You can listen with your video off for as long as you wish to do so. You are welcome to share when you are ready, even if that takes months or years to achieve.

These sharing groups are free to everyone!

IANDS Groups and Events rely on charitable contributions to maintain staffing and administrative support. To continue to bring you a wonderful group experience, we thank you in advance for your kind donations.

Donation

We follow the philosophy of Open Spirituality which respects all beliefs and religions.

Military/Veteran Experiences Group

Join this EXCLUSIVE IANDS online sharing event for active or veteran military service members. Facilitated by Venus-Val Hammack. Second Sundays Monthly, 1 pm Pacific/4 pm Eastern.

This specific group is for currently active or veteran military service personnel as well as their family and friends. Thank you for respecting this RSVP restriction. Please join and share, or just listen, in a small online group environment that emphasizes confidentiality and privacy.

Our Mission
Our Military and Veteran Near-Death Experience Sharing Group is a safe place to discuss your near-death experience (NDE) and or spiritual transformative experience (STE) with other service members, while offering unconditional acceptance, validation, education and support for your experience.

“There is nothing more satisfying than when someone is able to end years of isolation having had no-one previously receptive to hear them talk about their experience(s).”

It is important to know:

- No one will know you attended, except those in your group. Your privacy is protected.
- These meetings are never recorded.
- Trained IANDS volunteers facilitate the group to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.
- You do not have to share. You can listen with your video off for as long as you wish to do so. You are welcome to share when you are ready, even if that takes months or years to achieve.

These sharing groups are free to everyone!

IANDS groups rely on charitable contributions to maintain staffing and administrative support. To continue to bring you a wonderful group experience, we thank you in advance for your kind donations.

Donation

Learn More
Watch this free training video on Military/Veteran’s experiences or read the brochure:
Understanding Veterans’ Near-Death Experiences (36:37)

Military Near-Death Experiences Brochure 2020 12-1-20

Col. Diane Corcoran Veteran’s Fund – Monies raised from this fund will develop and deliver NDE educational outreach programs to veteran and military hospitals. Includes promoting the Veterans Video for veterans and veteran caregivers, Understanding Veterans’ Near-Death Experiences. For more information, click here.

Facilitator: Venus-Val Tower

Venus-Val Tower is a retired US ARMY solider, and was a trained combat EMT, Laboratory Tech and Paralegal. After her discharge she worked as a national lobbyist to advocate on post deployment illness of veterans in Washington D.C. Currently in training to work as a Death Doula. She is a widow of 30-year relationship. She enjoys being a mother of five children and three grandchildren.

The Military Sharing group occurs monthly on the second Sunday at:
4 pm ET
1 pm PT
10 am Hawaii
9 pm London

This group was started by Diane:
Diane Corcoran is an Army nurse who has been there – from Vietnam to Desert Storm. Dr. Corcoran served as a nurse from the Vietnam War to Desert Storm. In 1969, she cared for a 19 yr. old wounded
Vietnam combat soldier who wanted to share his NDE on the battlefield, but was extremely worried that no one would believe him. Instinctively, Diane listened to his account with care and compassion. Though the term NDE was not yet coined, she knew that his extremely emotional experience had a profound life-changing impact on him. She dedicated her life to educating the international medical community about NDE and provided validation, education and support for active military and veteran experiencers. Dr. Corcoran served as a former President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and as a Board Director. In addition, she is the founder of Corcoran Consulting and The Vet NDE Project.

How do sharing groups work?

Everyone with a sincere interest in near-death and related experiences is welcome. You are invited to share, learn, or just listen in one of our over 13 sharing groups per month. These are safe spaces. You can leave your camera off and sit silently until you are ready to join the group. Each sharing group is free to attend, with donations requested to cover the cost of the services provided.

Each group is led by a trained facilitator. The facilitator maintains the IANDS Sharing Group guidelines that are created from decades of experience providing sharing groups in the clinical setting. It is the facilitator’s role to provide an opportunity for each person, who wishes to do so, to share. It is also the facilitator’s goal to keep the group space safe while maintaining neutrality. These groups do not provide counseling. They are peer-to-peer sharing groups. These groups last 90 minutes. There is no guest speaker. Each attendee is given the same privileges to speak as all other attendees, as long as the guidelines are followed. The size of groups is limited. The group access closes 10 minutes after start time to maintain the feeling of safety, security, and privacy. Even though these groups are free to all, donations are requested so that we can continue to provide them free of charge to all who wish to attend.

You are required to create an account with IANDS Sharing Groups Online to participate in these groups. A link will be sent to you in your confirmation email or you can return to the reservation page on the date of the event and use the Join Event button that will be on that page.

Distressing Experiences Group

The “Distressing NDE Sharing Group” is for those who may have had a dark, hellish, or otherwise uncomfortable NDE. This group is a safe place to openly talk about distressing NDEs. It is a safe place to share and listen. We attempt to further contemplate how these experiences might provide insight, meaning, and guidance to our Earthly lives.

Have you, or someone you know, had an NDE or spiritual experience with distressing aspects? You’re not the only one. Find community here. This “Distressing NDE Sharing Group” is for those who may have had a dark, hellish, or otherwise uncomfortable element of their NDE.

This is a safe place to share with and listen to people who understand and have had similar experiences. In this group, we strive to understand how these experiences might provide insight, meaning, and guidance for our earthly lives and beyond.

This group meets every 2nd Thursday at 8 pm ET, 7 pm CT, 6 pm MT, and 5 pm PT. For international attendees, you can use this link to check your local time:
https://dateful.com/time-zone-converter?&tz2=new-york

It is important to know:

- No one will know you attended, except those in your group. Your privacy is protected.
- These meetings are never recorded.
- Trained IANDS volunteers facilitate the group to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.
- You do not have to share. You can listen with your video off for as long as you wish to do so. You are welcome to share when you are ready, even if that takes months or years to achieve.

These sharing groups are free to everyone!

That said, ISGO Sharing Groups rely on charitable contributions to maintain staffing and administrative support. To continue to bring you a wonderful group experience, we thank you in advance for your kind donations.

Donation

About the facilitators

M.K. “Kathy” McDaniel – Facilitator

Kathy is the author of “Misfit in Hell to Heaven Expat: Lessons from a Dark Near-Death Experience and How to Avoid Hell in the Afterlife.”

Placed on a ventilator for lung failure in 1999, M.K. McDaniel fought for her life in a drug-induced coma for three weeks. Misfit In Hell To Heaven Expat is a memoir of M.K.’s experiences before, during, and after a Dark Near-Death Experience. Her family waited and prayed, totally unaware of the horrors M.K. was bravely facing and miserably enduring in a seemingly eternal hell, culminating in her eventual glimpse of heaven and chat with her deceased fiancé. But M.K. still had work to do on Earth. During her lengthy recovery, as M.K. reflected on the purpose of her experiences in the Afterlife, she recalled the tribulations of her family ancestors and their courage to survive. If they could overcome their overwhelming obstacles, then so could she. As memories of former earthly hellish traumas surfaced and seemed to parallel her actual hell experiences, M.K. sought out others with the same story. She eventually found solace, hope, and understanding at the International Association of Near-Death Studies meetings in Seattle. IANDS offered insights, camaraderie, and joy she had nearly forgotten to be possible in this life. Uplifting, humorous, chilling, and engrossing, Misfit In Hell To Heaven Expat takes the reader by the hand to safely explore our human and otherworldly selves. Its gentle message will help the reader find their way along the bumpy, earthly road to eternity.

https://www.amazon.com/Misfit-Hell-Heaven-Expat-Near-Death/dp/1952146127

Daniel Endy – C0-facilitator

Daniel has been a spiritual seeker and researcher for over 50 years. In his early teens, he decided that the religious dogma he had been taught made no sense and he became what he calls a spiritual independent. Daniel felt that if there truly was a Creator and a spiritual reality beyond the physical world, it had to make rational sense. His studies have covered a very wide range of teachings, experiences, and publications.

Daniel has a particular interest in spirituality and all transformative experiences including NDEs, the works of Emmanuel Swedenborg, and distressing spiritual experiences. He is a member of the IANDS board of directors and is very active with the IANDS Sharing Groups and Events.

Christian Clergy Group (private)

A group for Christian clergy and Christian chaplains, certified by their professional association, who are interested in near-death and other mystical experiences. This meeting will not be recorded. It will be 90-minutes of pastoral conversation.

IANDS Christian Clergy Sharing Group

1st Monday of each month

at 1 pm ET, 12 pm CT, 11 am MT, and 10 am PT

This is a group for Christian clergy and Christian chaplains, certified by their professional association, who have had or are interested in, near-death and other mystical experiences. We will explore the message and works of Jesus in light of these experiences. How do we integrate them into our spiritual journeys? How do we help our congregations integrate them? How do they enhance our call as Christians and as clergy? How do they help our congregations? Was Jesus perhaps trying to help us see a greater reality to which these experiences point?

These experiences are very common… you likely have many sitting in your pews who’ve had them, yet are hesitant to share. It’s important that clergy be experts in pastorally assisting the integration of the ultimate.

This meeting will not be recorded. It will be 90 minutes of pastoral conversation.

To receive an invitation to join this group please contact us here:

Christian Clergy Contact Form – IANDS Sharing Groups Online

Facilitator: Rev. David Maginley

For 25 years, Rev. David Maginley, MDiv, CSPC, provided spiritual counselling in the cancer, palliative and intensive care units of the QEII Health Sciences Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Now in private practice, he is the author of Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey.

David’s book: https://www.davidmaginley.com/beyond-surviving-cancer-and-your-spiritual-journey/

Website: https://www.davidmaginley.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmaginley/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmaginley/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RevMaginley

Canadian Association for Spiritual Care: https://www.davidmaginley.com/beyond-surviving-cancer-and-your-spiritual-journey/

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada: https://elcic.ca/

Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology: https://www.capo.ca/

Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association: https://www.chpca.ca/

Atlantic Therapeutic Touch Network: https://www.atlanticttn.com/

International Association for Near-Death Studies: https://iands.org/home.html

Feel free to share and invite any interested open-minded Christian clergy.

It is important to know:

- No one will know you attended, except those in your group. Your privacy is protected.
- These meetings are never recorded.
- Trained IANDS volunteers facilitate the group to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.

These sharing groups are free to everyone!

IANDS groups rely on charitable contributions to maintain staffing and administrative support. To continue to bring you a wonderful group experience, we thank you in advance for your kind donations.

Jewish Experience Group

Are you Jewish and wonder how or if your NDE or other Spiritually Transformative Experience aligns with your faith? Are you struggling to integrate your experience? Come explore these questions with others having similar concerns. While this Sharing Session contains Jewish content, it is open to all who have a desire to join us.

The 1st Sunday of every month at 4 pm ET.

The “Jewish Experience Sharing Group” is a sharing group for those in, or from, a Jewish community who have had, or are interested in near-death or similar experiences. Non-Jewish people are also welcome to join us as well to learn about Jewish perspectives.

For some experiencers, it’s helpful to consider issues of having a Jewish background when discussing their NDE/STE. This group allows a safe place for those types of discussions. There will be time to share your experiences, challenges, joys, and dreams.

We understand attendees of this group may come from many different Jewish traditions, other faith traditions, or none at all. We commit to respecting all who attend this group, knowing each person holds their own personal perspectives and beliefs.

This is a safe place of non-judgment. There is also no proselytizing. The group will explore the meaning and purpose of NDEs and how to integrate them by understanding the Jewish values implicit in the experience. Each person’s NDE or spiritually transformative experience is unique, and Rabbi Steve will help you find the hidden core of your soul’s purpose contained in the experience of the NDE.

Kabbalah, contemporary psychology, and brain science will provide a deeper understanding of the role of your physical being in this world and how leaving this world is not death, but transformation into another stage of living. Together we will support each other as we move to greater insights and application of the wisdom which will be revealed to all of us in these sessions

It is important to know:

- No one will know you attended, except those in your group. Your privacy is protected.
- These meetings are never recorded.
- Trained IANDS volunteers facilitate the group to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.
- You do not have to share. You can listen with your video off for as long as you wish to do so. You are welcome to share when you are ready, even if that takes months or years to achieve.

These sharing groups are free to everyone! We are a non-profit. Donations provide the funding to support the technology that runs these groups. If you are able to make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. We thank you in advance for your kind and generous donations.

About the facilitator

Rabbi Stephen Robbins, Psy.D., D.D., co-founder, and co-Rabbi with his wife, Rabbi/Cantor Eva Robbins of N’vay Shalom, co-founder for the AJRCA (Academy for Jewish Religion, California), first Transdenominational seminary on the West Coast, also a Kabbalist and practitioner of Kabbalistic healing. He is a Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in the Psychoneuroimmunology of trauma and brain development. He integrates science and mysticism into a unified system of human development. This system is particularly applied to those with NDEs. Rabbi Robbins has had 8 NDEs as well as 13 surgeries and multiple STEs. His work focuses on the positive messages he has received from his spiritual guides through his 8 NDEs. Many Jews who have had transformative experiences do not know how to deal with them. He works to provide, through his insights, support, and guidance for others to find the deeper meanings through the uniquely Jewish concepts of eternal living, both in this world and the worlds to come.

OPEN Spirituality Group

Open Spirituality Sharing Group
4th Sundays at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT

The conversation will include our usual open discussion of everything spiritual where nothing is off-limits.

—————

“Open Spirituality” is perhaps best defined by these quotes:

- - “Kindness is my religion.” – Dalai Lama
  - “Religion is an external practice. Spirituality is a state of mind.”
  - “Religion is about beliefs. Spirituality is about being.”
  - “The best religion is the one that brings you closest to God.”
  - “Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing,
    there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” – Rumi

——————

If you want to convert the time of this meeting to your own time zone anywhere in the world, you can use this link:
https://dateful.com/time-zone-converter?&tz2=new-york

——————

This group:

- - Respects and values all perspectives;
  - Is inclusive of all perspectives,
  - Welcomes all that seek to explore and investigate the mysteries of life;
  - Seeks to find the common ground that ties everything together;
  - Feels that science and spirituality are 2 sides of the same whole;
  - Sends love and understanding to all beings.

If you like subjects that are “out there” with a spiritual, philosophical, and/or theological perspective, this group is for you!

Religions generally come from an exclusive perspective that can be very limiting. Open spirituality is inclusive and it respects and values the vast diversity of perspectives we each represent.

This group is for you if ANY of the following statements resonate:

- - You feel constrained by societal boundaries/definitions of spirituality and/or religion;
  - You consider yourself ‘spiritual’ but not religious (SBNR);
  - you love your religious community, but feel there is more to spirituality;
  - You believe in the Oneness of all that is;
  - You believe in the equality of all beings;
  - You love the mystery of life/existence and you would like to explore it in more depth;
  - You love God/Source/Creator, but feel that those terms are too limiting;

Open Spirituality welcomes people from all faith traditions. It does not promote any particular belief or theology other than the belief that we are all spiritual beings.

For these groups, IANDS uses the Zoom video conferencing system. After registering for the event, it’s as simple as clicking the link provided in your email (prior to the event).

These sharing groups are free to everyone!

Donation

About the host, Daniel Endy:

Event Type: Theme/Topic Session

OPEN Spirituality Group

Interfaith Clergy Group

Military/Veteran Experiences Group

How do sharing groups work?

Distressing Experiences Group

About the facilitators

Christian Clergy Group (private)

Jewish Experience Group

OPEN Spirituality Group

Upcoming Events

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OPEN Spirituality Group

Jewish Experience Group

Christian Clergy Group (private)

Distressing Experiences Group

Military/Veteran Experiences Group

Interfaith Clergy Group

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