Exploring the Science and Spirit of Death and Beyond
Now in our 10th year!
2020 marks our ten-year anniversary, and we are super excited to be coming to the Chicago area!
Join us June 4-7 for a fantastic lineup of presenters and teachers.
SUBSCRIBE to stay informed!
Since 2010, The Afterlife Conference has served as an educational, social and spiritual gathering place for those seeking evidence of life after death. While other conferences have followed our lead over the years, we maintain the distinction of being the original Afterlife Conference.
Each year we unite the disciplines in exploring the survival of consciousness after death, working with hospice professionals, physicians, mediums, clergy, counselors and alternative healers to offer a deeper understanding of death and beyond.
If you're not yet familiar with our work, visit these links for a quick overview:
2020 Conference Highlights
. APA Continuing Education Credits
. Certificates in Death Midwifery
. Unique In-Depth Workshops
. Multi-cultural perspectives on death, dying and the afterlife
. Sacred ceremonies and guided shamanic journeying
. Grief sharing sessions throughout the weekend
. Receptions for networking with presenters and attendees
. Lunch and dinner banquets on Friday and Saturday
. Academic research on near-death experience,
deathbed visions, bereavement and beyond
2020 Keynote Presentations
Friday June 5
Robert Moss
Dreaming
with the Departed
Robert Moss is the creator of Active Dreaming, a synthesis of dreamwork and shamanism. Born in Australia, he survived three near-death experiences in childhood, and now leads dream seminars all over the world. A former lecturer in ancient history at the Australian National University, he is a best-selling novelist, journalist and independent scholar, and has published 12 books on dreaming, shamanism and imagination. His keynote talk is about communicating with the dead in dreams, and he is also offering an experiential workshop on Saturday on how to connect with the departed through dreaming.
Saturday June 6
Ken Doka, PhD
Mystical Experiences
in Clinical Settings
Ken is senior consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America, and one of today's leading voices in end-of-life care, death awareness and bereavement. His recent research on the mystical experiences of the dying is opening doors for spiritual practitioners such as death doulas, mediums and shamanic healers to offer their services in mainstream settings. His talk will identify various types of extraordinary spiritual experiences of the dying, and the value of these experiences in helping with the dying and grieving process. Included in our CE Track
In-Depth Workshop Presenters
In our in-depth workshops, you will learn about mystical practices for working with grief, spiritual self-care, meditation techniques, out-of-body journeying, multi-cultural understandings of what happens when die, instruction in after-death communication, and much more.
PLEASE NOTE! In addition to these workshops, many of the workshop presenters are also offering 75-minute presentations that are
included with general admission to the conference.
Jerrigrace Lyons is a pioneer in the home funeral movement, having brought the concept into the public conversation via her appearance in the 2004 PBS documentary, A Family Undertaking. She has trained thousands in the art of death midwifery, and is offering a two-part pre-conference workshop, with a certificate of completion. Included in our CE track.
Robert Moss, creator of Active Dreaming, a synthesis of dreamwork and shamanismn, will present an evening keynote and a Saturday workshop on working with the departed in the dream landscape. Dreaming is the easiest form of communication with the Other Side, and gives us first-hand knowledge of life beyond death.
John Pavlovitz is a progressive Christian pastor known for his radical vision for a spiritually-conscious America. His world-famous blog, Stuff That Needs to Be Said, has more than 200,000 followers. He will be speaking on Waking Up From the Fog of Faith, and teaching a workshop on Speaking, Writing and Marketing Your Spiritual Truth.
Sonya Lott, PhD was a big hit at last year's conference, so we brought her back for 2020 as our grief counselor in-residence. She is a licensed psychologist who will be facilitating a workshop on Identifying and Working with Complicated Grief, and a breakout session on How to Recognize Complicated Grief in Friends and Family. 3 CE Credits included
Ji Hyang Padma PhD, is an educator and scholar whose work focuses on traditional Buddhist healing practices and contemplative spiritual care. Her workshop -- The Setting Forth -- will introduce you to Buddhist rituals for the transference of consciousness at death. Included in our CE Track.
Linda Fitch and Austyn Wells, our resident shamanic practitioners, offer an exciting new program this year... a full-day Thursday workshop on The Shaman's Tools, and a Saturday workshop on Sacred Dying. This is a rare learning opportunity for those working with mystical practices for the dying and the living.
Suzane Northrop, our medium-in-residence, is offering a pre-conference workshop on Mastering Mediumship with interactive exercises and small group processes to help you fine-tune your intuitive abilities. Suzane is also offering private readings and a small group spirt circle (by appointment).
Pati Pellerito - As a certified sound healing therapist, Pati is offering a presentation on Vibrational Medicine for Grief Recovery and Transformational States that includes a guided sound meditation. Included in our CE Track.
Thomas John is a global psychic medium sensation who has wowed audiences across the world with his impressively accurate messages from the other side.
Hosting sold-out events such as A Night with Spirit, Spirit Circles and Dinner with the Dead,Thomas John is one of the nation’s most coveted psychic mediums. Bi-coastally based, his gifts continue to be in high demand with influencers, A-list celebrities, and those at crossroads in life from coast to coast and around the globe.
At the conference he will be providing gallery-style audience readings on Sunday morning, and a small group spirit circle on Sunday afternoon (by reservation only), as well as private readings by appointment.
Concurrent/Breakout Sessions
In addition to the breakout sessions offered by the workshop presenters described above, the following teachers will also be sharing their wisdom about spiritually-transformative experiences, end-of-life care, bereavement, and what happens after we die.
Susan Wisehart, MS, LMFT was trained by Dr Brian Weiss and Michael Newton in past life and life-between-lives regression. She will discuss current regression hypnosis research based on more than 7,000 research subjects, and will also lead a guided journey to meet spirit guides, loved ones and the higher self.
Chris Batts had an extraordinary near-death experience after taking his own life. His story begins with physical and emotional abuse growing up in the foster care system, and leads to encounters with spiritual beings that introduced him to new dimensions of healing and love.
Brian Smith - After the sudden death of his 15-year-old daughter, Brian began organizing programs for group of bereaved parents throughout the U.S. In his presentation, he will discuss Creating Community After Child Loss, and will be facilitating grief sharing sessions throughout the weekend.
Jocelyn Gillespie Obermeyer will discuss and demonstrate the remarkable healing qualities of sacred harp music in assisting the dying to experience a peaceful transition. Included in our CE Track.
Edy Nathan - Certified in hypnotherapy and EMDR, Edy was the therapist on the A&E TV show, Psychic Kids. Her presentation explores how psychic children learn to navigate family, friends and judgment while coping with the grief they often feel as outliers.
Deanna Cochran RN founded the End of Life Doula Certificate Program and is present chair of NHPCO’s EOL Doula Advisory Council. She will speak on the role of the death doula and efforts to bring this discipline into mainstream health care. Included in our CE Track.
Dr. Terri Daniel is a clinical chaplain and trauma specialist whose work focuses on the relationship between complicated grief and toxic religious beliefs. Her Saturday breakout presentation will be on Bereavement and Bad Theology: When Religion Does More Harm Than Healing . Included in our CE track.
Stephen Findlay, MDiv, BCC is a chaplain at MD Anderson Cancer Center who has helped thousands of people cope with death and grief. He will introduce us to The Laughter Yoga Wake, a unique way to promote harmony and healing when facing the loss of a loved one.
Yvonne Kason MD is a retired family physician and transpersonal psychotherapist who was the first Canadian medical doctor to specialize in the research and counseling of persons having NDEs (near-death experiences) and STEs (spirituality transformative experiences). Included in our CE track.
More presenters and events to come! Stay tuned to this page or SUBSCRIBE for updates!
More speakers, events and programs are being added every day.
Check back for updates, or better yet, SUBSCRIBE to stay informed!
Sacred Ceremony and Healing Practices
Many of our presentations feature instruction in creating sacred ceremonies and rituals, and each year we close the conference with a heart-opening ceremony facilitated by our resident shamanic practitioners. The closing ceremony helps us re-integrate into the mundane world after a weekend deeply steeped in spiritual work.
Panel Discussions and Q&A Sessions
Opening Night Speakers Q&A
Each year we kick off the conference with a question-and-answer session with selected speakers. This gives you chance to get to know their work and choose which presentations you want to attend over the weekend .
Heaven: A History
Another conference favorite, this panel explores death practices and views of the afterlife from a variety of cultural and religious perspectives throughout world history.
Conscious Dying in Clinical Settings
This is one of our most popular presentations, and is especially relevant to end-of-life professionals, chaplains, caregivers and clinicians of all kinds. This year’s panel will explore how to bring inclusive spirituality and mindfulness into private practice, ICU, ER, nursing home and in-patient hospice environments. Included in our CE TRACK.
Information for Exhibitors
Sell Your Wares at the Afterlife Conference!
Books, Jewelry, Clothing, Art, Music & more!
Click here for details
Sunday post-conference excursion
Join us on Sunday after the conference closes!
