Welcome to
The Afterlife Advocate
 A Conversation about Conscious Dying, Conscious Grieving
and the Journey of the Soul

Issue # 16 - April 2016


Published by The Afterlife Education Foundation,
producer of the Original Afterlife Conference 
Save the Dates



with Terri Daniel
March 31
 Los Angeles 

Santa Barbara, CA.



June 4 - 11
Edgar Cayce's A.R.E.
Virginia Beach, Virginia 


Conscious Grieving Workshops in Europe
Grief in the Body 
We had planned to dedicate this issue of The
Afterlife Advocate to bereavement, and to offer a discount on readings by our friend Freddie Rivera, a highly-recommended medium.

But something very strange happened. Freddie died earlier this month, quite unexpectedly, and surprised us all. He loved this newsletter (he always read every word, and he was great at finding typos). Freddie, we send you our love and many blessings for your journey!

When working with death and the afterlife, the experience of grief and mourning cannot be ignored. This is why our newsletter offers a variety of content that covers everything from end-of-life-care and physical death to afterlife studies and bereavement.  

We know that grief, if not processed consciously, can get stuck in our bodies and cause illness, depression, addiction and more. One thing that addresses this is Grief Yoga, which opens the heart chakra, and will be taught by Paul Denniston (pictured above) at this year's afterlife conference. It is a perfect compliment to the mystical and ritual practices we are learning and teaching for navigating the grief journey.
 
Terri Daniel, CT
Founder, The Death Awareness Institute
and The Afterlife Conference
JUST ADDED TO THE AFTERLIFE CONFERENCE!
An intimate VIP reception for our honored keynote speaker
Bishop John Shelby Spong 
Saturday May 13, 4-6 pm 
 

For those of you unfamiliar with Bishop Spong, he is known worldwide as a radical truth-teller when it comes to the history and mythology of the Judeo Christian tradition. For the past 50 years he has tirelessly promoted an inclusive spirituality that rejects Biblical literalism. He is also noted for opening the door to ordination in the Episcopal church for women and for openly gay priests. 

His presentation at the conference will focus on how the church created the concept of "hell" and other fear-based notions of the afterlife.

In order to allow all attendees an opportunity to meet and chat with Bishop Spong, there are only 30 tickets available for the reception,
so reserve now!

Click HERE 
for details.
How Do We Define Death?   
The article excerpted below is an extraordinarily accurate look
at the conflict between science, spirituality and culture
when it comes to understanding and responding to death. 

Does the soul depart-and life end-when the brain dies, or when the body does?

A 1968 report from Harvard Medical School on this question concluded that irreversible coma should be the criterion for death. The Uniform Declaration of Death Act, drafted in 1981 reached a similar conclusion: Death was "irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions; or irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem." Read more...

While We're on the Subject...
Medical advances bring the promise of extending life, but some of the treatments used in a person's last months, weeks or days - such as CPR for failing hearts, dialysis for failing kidneys and feeding tubes for those unable to nourish themselves - often do not provide more time and can worsen quality of life.
Read more...
_______________________________________________________________
A Nurse's Point of View 
 
"You will not find a group less in favor of automatically aggressive, invasive medical care than intensive care nurses, because we see the pointless suffering it often causes in patients and families."  Read more... 
Stephen Levine (July 17, 1937 - January 17, 2016) 
Those of you who have been involved with conscious dying for any length of time are no doubt familiar with Stephen Levine and his wife Ondrea, who in many ways launched death awareness into our culture. Stephen left his physical body in January, and we want to take a moment to remember him here.

From Ram Dass' website:  
 
Stephen Levine is a poet and teacher of guided meditation healing techniques. He and his wife and spiritual partner, Ondrea, have counseled the dying and their loved ones for more than 30 years. Stephen Levine's bestselling books A Gradual Awakening; and A Year to Live: How to Live This Year as If It Were Your Last are considered classics in the field of conscious living and dying. He is also the coauthor, with Ondrea, of the acclaimed To Love and Be Loved; and Who Dies?: An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying.
The Levine's work is said to stretch from the most painful experiences of the human spectrum to the furthest point on the human horizon, from hell to heaven, from pain to ease, from our ongoing sense of loss to the legacy of our unending interconnectedness.
 
Blessings to Stephen on his journey! 
 
The 2016 Afterlife Conference 
is only 10 weeks away! 
Register now to reserve your place!
Here's what Dr. Raymond Moody,
best-selling author of  Life After Life 
and the world's leading researcher
on near-death experience -- has to say about the Afterlife Conference: 

"I've been to many conferences that address life after death, but this one is a rarity because it approaches the subject from three different vantage points -- spirituality, bereavement and scientific investigation. It is inspiring to see how these different perspectives all lead to the same place... an awareness of the survival of consciousness after death. At this conference, the bereaved find peace and healing. The spiritual seekers find validation for their mystical experiences. And the scientific researchers find an eager audience for their work. This conference brings it all together."

Don't forget...
A limited number of private and small group sessions 
are available during the conference weekend
with our mediums and counselors. 

   

 
QUESTIONS?
Contact us:
503-908-8633