Last weekend I presented a keynote lecture at the 15th Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society, Transpersonal Section in Scarborough. The Transpersonal Psychology Section was founded by Professor David Fontana (who was fondly remembered by all at the conference), Ingrid Slack and Martin Treacy in 1995.
My lecture was about my hospital research into NDEs and how much we can learn from people who have had a NDE. The talk was recorded and will be available to listen to from the website of the Transpersonal Psychology website soon.
The whole conference was very interesting and I learned a great deal from all of the papers that I attended and from all of the people I met. It was an honour to present at the conference and to share in the knowledge of others.
Other keynote speakers were Dr Larry Culliford, Dr Arlene Audergon and Dr Michael Daniels.
I’m looking forward to next years conference.
Dr Penny Sartori 
Hi Penny, Congratulations on your speech before the conference. I downloaded it and have listened to it twice. I’m struck by similarities between my NDE and some of the one’s you discussed. Will have more to say, perhaps, at a later time.
Hi Ken,
Thank you so much. It was a pleasure to attend the conference, I learned a great deal from all of the people I met and all of the lectures I listened to.
If you get chance to expand on the similarities between yours and the NDEs that I mentioned I’d be interested to read what you have to say.
Hi Penny.
The first story you give in your speech has several similarities to my NDE. Most of what I feel as familiar in the man’s story I feel in translingual levels. But when the man speaks of meeting his grandmother: she is much like the being I met, Brigid. Dressed in white, outstretched arms that transmit comfort, a hug that encompasses all facets of affection and love.
In the story about the woman who is a runner, the voice that she hears and heeds seems to be a related phenomenon to my own giggling whisper, which I hear/feel at the top of my brainstem. Also, the fact that she had the NDE due to a bicycle accident, as did I. Very interesting stuff!
HI Ken, thanks for sharing those apsects for the blog.
Yes, I think although each NDE is unique its as if people ‘tune into’ one universal state of consciousness and then interpret the imagery and feelings in accordance with their culture. Carl Jung talks of archetypes and the collective unconscious and it seems plausible that during a NDE this collective unconscious is accessed.
Whereas you interpreted the ‘being’ in your NDE as Brigid, the man interpreted the being as his grandmother and similarly with the differing interpretations of the voice.
There are also variations between cultures which are very interesting.
Hi,Penny,
Please could you give a link to your talk, I would love to hear it, Thanks very much, Tim
Hi Tim,
It’s on the following website but at The Transpersonal Section, if you go to the conferences and click on the 2011 then you’ll be able to hear the lecture
http://www.transpersonalpsychology.org.uk/
Just listened to your talk, Penny. I really enjoyed it and I must say you are a natural communicator, so easy to listen to. Your professional nursing status etc gives it so much credibility. No wonder sceptics have very little to say about your study, rather I suspect they prefer to ignore it…for what can they say when they are given evidence like the stunning case of patient 10 etc and others.
Thanks again.
Thanks for your kind comments Tim. It is a big challenge for me to speak at conferences because I am shy but I feel so passionately about my work that I’ve had no option over the years but to get up there and speak. I think there is so much that we can learn from NDEs and I really would like more people to take notice of these really important experiences.
That’s great, Penny, Thanks.
I’ll be checking it out tomorrow.
I really enjoyed listening to your lecture, the first example experience you mentioned before you got into your research, had me in tears, it was extremely beautiful. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that I have also had – what I think people call – a ‘Spiritually Transformative Experience’, around the same age as my ‘telepathic’ OBE (11 y/o), can’t recall which experience came first.
I thought the Arts Therapist who posed a question at the end of your lecture had an interesting NDE, apparently meeting one of the nursing staff’s ancestors (rather than her own) and talking welsh both during and after the experience… I think you need to follow that one up!
Thank you Max, I’m glad you enjoyed the lecture. I feel very privileged that so many people have shared their experiences with me and to be able to convey some of what they experienced so that others can have a greater understanding of NDEs.
I would love to hear more about your spiritually transformative experience – you can email me at drpennysartori@yahoo.co.uk if you prefer to keep it private. Steve Taylor also presented a short paper at the conference just after my talk. I was able to listen to his talk before leaving to get my train home. His talk was really interesting and I bought his new book ‘Out of the Darkness: From Turmoil to Transformation’ which I read in a day – I couldn’t put it down. It was a really interesting book about spiritual transformation.
Yes, the Arts Therapist’s experience was amazing. I spoke to her a lot more after my talk and we are going to keep in touch by email so hopefully I’ll have another interesting case to present in the future.