International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)

Founded in 1981 with a membership of medical, academic, and health care professionals, as well as laypersons and those who had undergone near-death experiences (phenomena occurring in individuals who are very close to death or who pass into a temporary state of clinical death ). The first president of the association was Kenneth Ring, a modern pioneer in the study of the subject.

The goals of the association are to encourage, promote, and support the scientific study of near-death experiences; to inspire the exchange and communication of ideas among persons who have conducted or are conducting research on such experiences; to collect information for educational material to be dispersed in the public and popular media; and to relate knowledge emerging from research to appropriate settings, including hospitals and nursing homes.

The association serves as a fraternal organization for those who have had near-death experiences. It maintains a collection of tapes describing these experiences and holds seminars, workshops, and symposia. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter, Vital Signs, and the Journal of Near-Death Studies. Address: P.O. Box 502, East Windsor Hill, CT 06028-0502. Website: http://www.iands.org/.

(See also Death ; Shanti Nilaya ; Thanatology )

Sources:

Ring, Kenneth. Heading Toward Omega: In Search of the Meaning of the Near-Death Experience. New York: William Morrow, 1984.