Below you’ll find our full list of speakers at IANDS Spring Symposium 2026. Please be sure to also take a look at the event’s schedule, and learn how you can attend this special online event.
Chris Batts
After enduring lifelong trauma and abuse, Chris Batts attempted suicide and had a near-death experience. Although this suicide attempt failed, it enabled him to meet angels as well as God. Chris is now pursuing his purpose as a public speaker, sharing a message of God’s love, and advocating for suicide prevention. Author of the best-selling book Boom, Chris has two associate degrees, is currently working on his bachelor’s degree, and enjoys his career in special education.
Nicole Consiglio-Thogersen
Nicole Consiglio-Thogersen is a survivor and speaker with lived experience of self-harm, addiction, and a life-altering near-death experience. In 2021, Nicole suffered a critical medical emergency related to alcohol use and spent 32 days in a coma on life support. What followed was not only physical recovery but also a reckoning with survival, meaning, and healing after coming close to death. Through their work, Nicole Consiglio-Thogersen speaks candidly and compassionately about near-death experiences, recovery, and what it takes to keep going—especially when life feels unbearable.
Susie Herrick, LMFT (CA)
Susie Herrick is a licensed psychotherapist, past academic department chair (Institute of Transpersonal Psychology/Sofia University), past adjunct faculty at Santa Clara University, mediator, consultant, writer, and speaker (WISDOM 2.0, International Enneagram Association, Stanford Haas Center, and IANDS). She has consulted and trained on the Enneagram and on mediation at institutes and corporations such as Stanford Law, Dropbox, Google, and San Quentin State Prison. In her graduate academic roles, Susie has taught suicide prevention and has served in suicide hotline work via Magellan Health and other corporations, serving California state and U.S. Federal employees, and she has performed psychological autopsies for grieving families after a suicide. Currently, Susie has a private practice. She is also the author of two books, Aphrodite Emerges and Your Story Is Your Power, the latter co-authored with Elle Luna, with both books focused on freeing the feminine voice and intelligence that we all possess, men and women alike.
Jan Holden, Retired in 2019
Janice Miner Holden, EdD, LPC-S, ACMHP, retired in 2019 as professor emerita of Counseling from the University of North Texas following 31 years on faculty—including 12 years as chair of the Department of Counseling & Higher Education. Beginning with her 1988 doctoral dissertation, Jan’s primary research focus has been counseling implications of near-death experiences, after-death communication, and other transpersonal experiences—those that transcend the usual personal limits of space, time, identity, and influence. In this research area she has over 50 refereed journal publications, several books and book chapters, over 100 national and international presentations, and several awards and honors. Since university retirement, Jan has remained active in research, education, and professional publication, presentation, and service. She has served since 2008 as editor of the scholarly peer-reviewed Journal of Near-Death Studies and for six years – 2020-2025 — as president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies.
Norman Klaunig, PhD Candidate, MA, MBA, LPC (TX), NCC
Norman is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas who is currently a PhD Candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of the Cumberlands. His interest in near-death and other transpersonal experiences started during his youth. Now, Norman identifies as a transpersonal counselor, integrating the spiritual dimension into the counseling process. He has a virtual counseling practice serving all of Texas. Norman extensively studied and continues to study the near-death experience / spiritually transformative experience / transpersonal experience literature and has contributed to the Journal of Near-Death Studies and the IANDS magazine Vital Signs.
Jeffrey Long, MD
Jeffrey Long is a full-time radiation oncology physician practicing in Kentucky and a prominent researcher of near-death experiences (NDEs). Over 25 years ago, he founded the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) website (www.nderf.org). Available in over 30 languages, the website serves a global audience and hosts the world’s most extensive collection of scientifically studied NDEs with over 4,000 accounts. Jeff’s groundbreaking research is prominently featured in his New York Times bestselling book, Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences. He has appeared on major television programs, including NBC’s Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show, National Geographic, The History Channel, CBS Inside Edition, The O’Reilly Factor, and many international broadcasts. His recent podcast interviews have reached millions, further broadening the impact and recognition of his pioneering work in NDE research.
David Maginley, MDiv, CSCP
Rev. David Maginley is a psychospiritual specialist at Optimal WellBeing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is the award-winning author of Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey and Early Exits: Spirituality, Mortality and Meaning in an Age of Medical Assistance in Dying. David has also survived cancer four times, which resulted in a profound near-death experience and explorations in the nature of consciousness and the connection of body, mind, and spirit. He knows what it’s like to have cancer from both sides of the hospital bed and has a sense of this life from both sides of the veil. David is ordained with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, is a specialist with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care, and is featured in the documentary series, When You Die.
Evan Mecham
Evan Mecham is an American business leader with more than 40 years of experience who currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of BPE, Inc. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Jill, to whom he has been married for 55 years. In his early 30s, Evan survived a catastrophic automobile accident that resulted in life-threatening injuries and a profound near-death experience. This event became a defining moment, shaping his lifelong interest in consciousness, healing, and human transformation. Following his recovery, Evan earned a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology and became a teacher of meditation and dreamwork. He is a frequent speaker and podcast guest, sharing insights drawn from both personal experience and academic study. Evan has served on the board of Caritas Spiritual Center in Boulder, Colorado, and joined the board of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in 2023. He currently serves as President of IANDS.
Amanda St. Germain-Sehr, LPC-S (TX), MT-BC
Amanda St. Germain-Sehr, PhD, LPC-S, MT-BC (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Board-Certified Music Therapist, and Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at Texas Woman’s University. Amanda has over 15 years of clinical experience in counseling and music therapy working with a broad range of diverse client communities across the lifespan. Amanda is a member of several professional counseling organizations and is currently serving as the president for Texas Counselors for Social Justice, a division of the Texas Counseling Association. Amanda has multiple publications and has provided over 30 presentations related to her research interests in LGBTGEQIAP+ issues, professional development issues in counseling, burnout and self-care, and transpersonal perspectives in counseling and music therapy.