<tt> Three whole days of fabulous speakers! Three days of Healing
Connection with the best healers available which represent some of the
gifts that people acquire through their near-death experiences! Music,
Art, Writing, and more skills will be demonstrated, discussed, enjoyed.
A world of talented individuals sharing their amazing skills! </tt>

The International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), in
conjunction with the local chapter, Chicago IANDS, will present its
annual conference: \"Creativity from the Light,\" on Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, June 24-26, 2004 at the Best Western University Plaza
Hotel in Evanston, IL, which will explore the creativity which is often
released during a near-death experience. Many near-death experiencers
(NDErs) come back from their experiences with heightened sensitivities
and miraculous gifts, e.g. increased intuitive ability, healing ability,
and on other occasions, with artistic gifts, such as the ability to
improvise music, paint beautiful artworks or make significant literary
contributions.

Many well-known personalities have benefited from the gifts of the NDE:
Peter Fonda, Elizabeth Taylor, Christopher Reeve, Sharon Stone, David
Letterman, R. Carlos Nakai, Howard Dean, Johnny Cash, and Burt Reynolds,
to name a few of the very long list. It is estimated that there are now
over 23,000,000 near-death survivors in the United States today. This
very common phenomenon brings not only tangible, creative gifts, but
also spiritual ones: an ability to view the world from a higher
perspective, a greater sense of peace, more understanding of the nature
of the the Universe, a connection to a higher power, and a loss of fear
of dying.

IANDS will bring from England, Peter Fenwick, M.D., an internationally
known neuropsychiatrist who is one of the world\'s leading NDE
researchers; California artist, Andy Lakey, whose stunning angel
paintings now fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars, and who had never
painted before his NDE; Talented medical intuitive and NDEr, Caroline
Sutherland, from Vancouver, B.C.; and NDEr, comedienne and intuitive,
Donna McCue, from Long Island, NY.

Thirty-two more speakers include well-known NDE researcher, PMH Atwater,
University of Illinois/Chicago professors, Steve Fanning (History) and
Neal Grossman (Philosophy), Jungian psychologist Dr. Robert Moretti,
discussing Jung\'s two NDEs; psychologist Dr. Allan Botkin, After-Death
Communications (ADCs); Evanston internist, Dr. Robert Magrisso,
well-known Chicago minister, Rev. Ed Townley, and Asia Voight, who has
had four NDEs and can communicate with animals.

A Pre-Conference lecture by David Kessler, \"Using Your Experiences and
Creativity in the Service of Others: Your Mission in End-of Life Care.\"
will be open to the public on Wednesday evening, June 23, 7 pm, at the
Music Institute of Chicago (Auditorium) at 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston.
For the cost of $35. each person will also receive a copy of David\'s
best-selling book, The Needs of the Dying, and afterward, a chance to
meet David at a reception with live music.

David Kessler is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best known
experts in the field of hospice and end-of-life care, as a result of
reaching hundreds of thousands of people through his books. His newest
book is LIFE LESSONS: two experts on death and dying teach us about the
mysteries of life and living, which is co-authored with Elisabeth Kübler
Ross, who will be receiving IANDS\' 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award at
this year\'s conference. His work has been often discussed in the Los
Angeles Times, the New York Times, Business Week and Life Magazine and
has been featured on CNN-Cross Fire, NBC, MSNBC, PBS, Entertainment
Tonight and Sally Jessy Raphael.

Other exciting events during the conference include a three-day Healing
Connection, which, for a registration fee of $7, conference attendees
can sample up to 60 minutes of healing sessions with some of the
outstanding healers who have been the recipients of NDE \"gifts.\"
Healing, palmistry, network chiropractic, rune stone readings, medical
intuitive assessments and animal communication readings (please bring
photo, not the animal!) are among the offerings available. Also included
are a bookstore run by Transitions Bookplace, Chicago\'s best spiritual
bookstore, an Art Exhibit with examples of \"Creativity from the
Light,\" and Silent and Live Auctions.

One can attend the whole conference, one day, or selected lectures. Five
people can attend the whole conference for the price of four.
Registration is available online at www.iands.org.---Or by calling
860.882.1211, the national headquarters of IANDS in Hartford, CT.
Brochures will also be available through Chicago IANDS: 847.251.5758.

WELCOME TO CHICAGO!

Chicago IANDS is getting ready to welcome YOU to the windy city! We have
been working hard to organize the best IANDS conference ever with
fabulous speakers and entertainers whose creativity blossomed after
their near-death experiences. We have reserved a beautiful little hotel
about five blocks from Lake Michigan, which will make it possible to
walk along the beach early in the morning and watch the sun rise over
the water.

The hotel rooms are lovely, with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows
with a view of either the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan ---or
Evanston and Lake Michigan. The hotel is located in the center of
Evanston, IL, a block from the elevated train, on which one can ride
from O\'Hare or Midway airports, or anywhere in the city, for only
$1.80. Outside of the hotel, the Evanston Art Fair will be in full swing
on Saturday and Sunday---a perfect setting for our conference theme:
\"Creativity from the Light.\"

Evanston boasts some of the best restaurants in the Chicagoland area,
most at very reasonable prices, and many within a few blocks of the
hotel. There are galleries and museums, and even the Kohl Children\'s
Museum is in the area. It will be easy to have a great time in Evanston
if that is your sole destination.

However....if you are blessed with a few extra days or can spend your
vacation in the area, you can take advantage of one of the most
beautiful cities in the world: Chicago. There isn\'t room to even begin
to list all there is to do in Chicago, which is about 30 minutes (12
miles) south of Evanston. Some of my favorites places are the Art
Institute, the Field Museum of Natural History, and Navy Pier, an
amusement pier which extends into Lake Michigan beneath Oprah Winfrey\'s
apartment windows. Navy Pier\'s enormous Ferris wheel is also a great
way to see the city. And there are riverboat rides down the Chicago
River through the heart of the city, two zoos, the\"miraculous mile\"---
a shopper\'s paradise, and the American Girl\'s store, which all girls
of any age will enjoy. And don\'t forget the Museum of Science and
Industry, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planatarium!

The ethnic communities alone would make the trip worthwhile. You can go
to Vietnam, Poland, China, Sweden, and many other countries---right
here. Chicago has more Poles than Warsaw! Second City and other theater
groups abound, and Ravinia, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra is a very special outdoor experience. The beach, the parks,
the opportunities are endless....

That\'s the setting....all we need is you!

---Diane Willis, Facilitator, Chicago IANDS

Register now for the next [IANDS North American Conference!][1] The
first 200 registrants also receive a free copy of Andy Lakey\'s
beautiful $30 book, *Art, Angels and Miracles,* which will be
distributed at the conference check-in desk.



[1]: http://www.iands.org/conf.html