Dutch Edition of the bookIANDS is bringing an important NDE research book to English-speaking audiences. The project involves translating and publishing the recent Dutch book by NDE researchers Titus Rivas, Anny Dirven and Rudolf Smit that details 78 cases of veridical perceptions and other verified paranormal aspects of NDEs. Veridical perceptions in NDEs provide the best evidence of the apparent separation of consciousness from the physical body and, by implication, survival of consciousness after death.

We need to raise $17,500 in total for the project to publish the book. IANDS has allocated $4,500 to the project. NetwerkNDE (the IANDS affiliate in Netherlands) plus a number of other donors have brought the total donations as of April 2016 to $17,500! That means we have now reached our original goal!

The translation work is done and editing is well under way. There will be over 100 cases in this edition and we expect the book to be published by July 2016. We still need your help -- to promote the book. Please consider a donation to this important project! Donate here!  Book synopsis!


Book authors Titus Rivas, Anny Dirven & Rudolf SmitIn 2013, NDE researchers Titus Rivas, Anny Dirven and Rudolf Smit from the Netherlands published a book in Dutch which describes 78 cases of veridical perceptions and other verified paranormal aspects of near-death experiences. These perceptions are called “apparently non-physical veridical perceptions” or AVPs in the NDE literature, for example a cardiac arrest patient reports having seen an unusual event in a different part of the hospital which is later confirmed to have happened during the arrest, just as described.

Veridical perceptions in NDEs that have been verified by third parties provide the best evidence of the apparent separation of consciousness from the physical body during NDEs. These cases strongly suggest that consciousness exists independent of the body and, by implication, survives death.

Investigation of AVPs during NDEs has been the subject of much experimental and phenomenological research in the field since 1988, including by NDE researchers Jan Holden, Bruce Greyson, Ken Ring, Michael Sabom, Sam Parnia, Peter Fenwick, Penny Sartori, Pim van Lommel and Kim Clark Sharp. This evidence has also been used by many other NDE researchers in theoretical arguments about the nature of consciousness. The on-going AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study, a multi-hospital study of NDEs during cardiac arrest, led by Sam Parnia, has a major objective of detecting possible AVPs of hidden visual targets.

Until the recent book by Rivas, Dirven and Smit, there was no phenomenological analysis whatever of the collection of AVP cases. The debates in the literature about AVPs have focused mostly on three well-known cases: Maria’s shoe case, the dentures case and the Pam Reynolds case. Skeptics have never been confronted by the full range of AVP cases.

This book presents a strong case for the validity of non-physical explanations of AVPs. First of all, it includes only cases of AVPs that were independently verified to researchers by another person. These cases are not simply anecdotes—stories repeated from one person to another—but rather cases that have been studied and thoroughly vetted. Furthermore, the book includes a number of important later cases of AVPs that were not included in earlier analysis, for example, the case of Dr. Lloyd Rudy’s patient.

More importantly, the book provides the significant details of the cases and divides them into different phenomenological categories, such as perceptions during cardiac arrest, perceptions outside the reach of physical senses and manifestations of the NDEr to other people. The phenomenological clusters of several cases considered together allow a more thorough examination of possible causes. Physical explanations that cover all cases of a particular type then become more difficult to devise. Indeed, this book poses a real challenge to a number of the favorite physical explanations of AVPs. The fact that each case has third-party corroboration makes it difficult to argue that the perceptions were due to hallucinations, fabrication or confabulation of information derived from other sources.

In light of this, it is clear that this book is a very important contribution to the field of near-death studies and its translation into English is crucial to allow its full impact to be felt in the field. A detailed synopsis of the book's contents is in this document.

The Project and Status

BookCoverIANDS plans to translate the book to English and to publish it. The tentative English title is The Self Does Not Die: Verified paranormal phenomena from near-death experiences. The authors have found several additional recently documented cases that will be added to the book, bringing the number of cases to over 100.

Jan Holden, Ed.D., the Editor of our Journal of Near-Death Studies will be the editor of the English edition. NDE researchers Robert and Suzanne Mays will write the Foreword to the English edition.

The project will take about $17,500 plus funds for promotion. The IANDS Board approved an allocation of $4,500 from the PMH Atwater Research Fund and the Board of NetwerkNDE, the IANDS Affiliate in Netherlands, is providing the funds to secure the rights to publish the English translation.

The project budget is listed in the book synopsis document. IANDS' portion of the proceeds from sales of the book will be used to build our funds for future research projects.

Please donate to help this project

We have now raised 100% of the funds needed to publish the book but we now need funds to help promote the sale of the book. Please consider a donation to this important project! Donate here! Thank you!!