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Tuesday 23 December 2014

Evidence of an Afterlife?

For me, this is the big one: the question at the top of my list. It addresses my greatest fears and contains my greatest doubts. In short, I'm obsessed.

I was about to launch into a catalogue of evidence but, of course, others have gone before me and done a great job, so why re-invent the wheel. I'll link to those pages and I'll add a few extras - I do hope that you will find the time to follow up on some of these stories, if you have not done so already.

Important: Additional material is coming in ...


Dave Haith has supplied additional material which can be found below (scroll down). This includes videos and links to the Scole Experiments and other evidence. Please take a look - it is really worthwhile.

Nick West has also contributed some text and video links concerning the famous case of the Enfield Poltergeist which is well documented and well worth your attention. See below.

Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife


Greg Taylor of The Daily Grail has written an excellent book on the subject which serves as both a primer and a reminder that the evidence is out there, no matter how many attempts are made to dismiss and debunk it.



There is an excerpt here which is also a tidy little summary:


So, to take Greg's lead and follow his list, here are some extra links and videos that should have you pondering. Some of these will not be new to everyone who reads this but I'll include them for those who have not seen them.

NDE

For those interested and willing to examine the scientific evidence and arguments, Chris Carter's book Science and the Near Death Experience is invaluable. Buy it, borrow it, steal it (no!) - just read it.

The BBC did an uncharacteristically unbiased job of reporting the Pam Reynolds case. Unfortunately, reverting to type, they later refused to re-broadcast it and withdrew the DVD from sale. 


The Day I Died - NDE - Consciousness Documentary by spiritsandbeyond

The following is a 6 part series containing some good testimonials (watch on YouTube for the other 5 parts):




Peak-in-Darien Experiences

Michael Prescott has a long running blog that discusses all that we discuss at our meetings and more. This particular article discusses Peak-in-Darien:



Mediumship

I doubt I can improve on Greg's summary of mediumship. Most readers will have heard of or visited a medium and may or may not have been impressed. But, around the turn of the 20th. century, the public interest in all things spiritual was at its peak. Respected scientists were all too willing to investigate - mostly with the aim of debunking but some came away convinced in the opposite direction. Greg mentions Leonora Piper and here is another book dealing with her case:

Resurrecting Leonora Piper: How Science Discovered the Afterlife

Here is another famous case you might have heard about:

Eileen Garrett & The R101 and Michael Prescott on the R101


Death Bed Phenomena


Again complimenting Greg's summary, a few links to more information.

Paranormalia Blog (Robert McLuhan): Deathbed Visions 

Peter Fenwick is mentioned by both Greg and Robert and here he is at TEDX talking about this subject:






Additional Material supplied by Dave Haith


THE AFTERLIFE INVESTIGATIONS - THE SCOLE EXPERIMENT


NOT TO BE MISSED documentary. Breakthrough scientific evidence for the afterlife. The Scole Experiments. For five years a group of mediums and scientists witnessed more phenomena than in any other experiment in the history of the paranormal, including recorded conversations with the dead, written messages on sealed film, video of spirit faces and even spirit forms materializing. These experiments may finally convince you there is life after death. The scientific team in change of overseeing these experiments include world renowned Cambridge Scientist - Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, Dr. David Fontana and Researcher Montague Keen who died during the filming of the documentary





CALLING EARTH


An excellent free web documentary on EVP and ITC  (Electronic Voice Phenomenon and Instrumental Transcommunication) and general life after death shot and directed by Dan Drasin (click "Watch on Vimeo" if it doesn't play here).


Calling Earth (July 2014 Version) from Daniel Drasin on Vimeo.


EVP and ITC are alleged electronic sound or vision communication with the dead. A dedicated website is here: http://www.worlditc.org/

Dan has recently added one more new sequence to his film (included in the updated version, above) which involves controversial Dutch psychic Robbert van den Broeke who claims to be able to capture images of deceased people – and much more besides - on digital cameras.

In the sequence Dan sets up an experiment in which he provides the cameras and memory cards as he films Robbert in action capturing an image of EVP  dead pioneer Frederick Jurgenson.





VISITORS FROM THE OTHER SIDE


My friend Tom Harrison - who died a few years ago - is featured in this home shot video telling the story of his home spirit circle.




Tom was a great character and I helped a little in writing the beginning of his book Life After Death - Living Proof.

Over many years Tom claimed hundreds of physical materialisations at his home family circle.
The group also experienced many apports - physical objects teleported into the seance room.
As you will see from the film there were several witnesses to these extraordinary happenings some photos and a few recordings. I realise this is all too much for many of you to even consider is possible but do watch Tom's accounts and wonder....



THE SCOLE EXPERIMENT:

Witness Testimony from Emeritus Professor Ivor Grattan-Guinness

Some years ago I attended a study day in London organised by the Society for Psychical Research and was impressed by the testimony of this professor. In this sequence he tells of his amazing encounter with 'spirit lights' ...


Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Ivor Gratton-Guinness, attended The Scole Experiment sessions. His witness testimony, to 'The Scole Experiment' author, Grant Solomon - at The Scole Debate in London - confirms that he had grabbed several pea-sized flying orbs of light in his cupped hands in an effort to prove to himself that they were not attached to fibre-optic cords or part of some other magician's device. He confirms that, to his utter amazement, the glowing orbs were NOT attached to anything. In fact, they proceeded to buzz about inside his cupped hands as if alive. When the professor released them, the orbs flew off around the room again.

These and many more incredible events are recorded in the updated 2006 edition of The Scole Experiment, published by Campion Books.  'The Scole Experiment: Scientific Evidence for Life After Death' is a book covering the whole five-year experiment and, for further recommended reading, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/beyondthescoleexperiment

... and

http://www.thescoleexperiment.com



Rupert Sheldrake

Finally for those who love Rupert Sheldrake, here is the man talking about his experience at the Scole Experiment - slightly disjointed because they took segments of this for The Afterlife Investigations film featured above. But this is well worth watching - about half an hour ...






Nick West: The Enfield Poltergeist


With a discussion on life after death coming up I feel that no such discussion would be complete without mention of 'The Enfield Poltergeist'. A series of paranormal happenings in an ordinary council house in North London that lasted 14 months from the end of August 1977. I expect that this is familiar to most of you, however even those who have come across this story will I am sure, like myself, enjoy the re-visit. 

From telekinesis through levitation to channelling everything is here. The second video I found interesting owing to the 'resident sceptic's' reaction. Not even a witness to any of the events she condescended to trot out the same old same old delusion and fraud arguments; "we  can all misinterpret what we think we can see and believe what we want to". This doesn't, of course explain how several people in a room, one of whom was a policewoman who made a full report, can all experience a chair levitating  and moving 3 to 4 feet. And the experience be delusion or fraud, especially as a thorough check for the latter was made following the event.

The third I found interesting because it is from the late Maurice Grosse himself,
and contains some home footage of an ordinary credible man.