April Update

After your physical death, "I believe that what you've done to people, whether good or bad, you (will) experience! You are your own judge and jury. I think that if more people realized that if they were going to feel the same pain that they caused others, they would think twice about doing things here on this earth."

Sarah Estep and her transition is featured in this issue. We were deeply moved by Becky's (Sarah's daughter) eulogy and included it in the issue. Becky also made a contribution to the AA-EVP and asked people to contribute as well, in lieu of flowers. The result is that we now have a research fund and hope to use it to establish our capability to manage grants.

On exciting result of people trying to reach Sarah via EVP can be heard at http://aaevp.com/examples/examples_voice12.htm where some of Sonia Rinaldi's examples are posted. The voice is very much like Sarah's.

It is happening now, but there are some pretty big issues to figure out before we can realistically recommend any of the techniques to new members. Figuring out those issues will be a priority for the Sarah Estep Research Fund. Of course, your contributions to that fund will be appreciated. :-)

Many thanks to all of you who have been supportive of my website and who have discovered for themselves that EVP is an 'electronic portal' allowing them to empirical validate their ongoing relationships with loved ones who have transitioned.

My very special thanks to Dale Hewey from Priest River, Idaho for his most insightful article regarding his own recent experiences with EVP

*** YOUR ETERNAL SELF *** - A thorough and insightful exploration of ongoing consciousness through countless empirical validations reported by mainstream Scientists, Theologians and Human Service Workers - see under BOOKS

Edited by the Rev. Michael Cocks and The Rev. Victor MacGill the latest journal of a group of most intellectually and theologically advanced Christians who are ‘Exploring Science, Mysticism and Experience Together’ is now available online.

“It comes to this: each of us needs to get out from under our faith (or lack-of-faith) community's beliefs and expectations, and to base our faith on what we have experienced and discovered for ourselves. To do that, we don't necessarily have to reject our faith community: it's only that, if we lack personal experience of Spirit, spirit-talk is just words that we don't really understand. I suppose we can regard our churches as schools, where the pupils range from the very young to the very old, and all are at varying stages of development. A good church will be one that encourages us to mature and think and experience Spirit for ourselves.” Read more...

One supremely evidential "momentous moment" when you experience a single event which cannot be comprehended in terms of the natural, three-dimensionally solid, realistic and objective worldview.

Inexplicable visions during deep meditations of the Summerland realm where all which is familiar and terrestrial is perfected and radiant -- and peopled by luminous soul-globes.

Or when, in the depth of winter when no earthly blooms are present, one's home is rapidly infused with the scents of a blooming garden of flowers brought by a visiting spirit.

And even when one is young and still innocent, the smiling face of God appears in one's mind as an immense sphere of golden light which radiates waves of aurora-like grace, and you know that all you need do is smile back and commune with your Creator.

This is how the portal opens and the first rays of unearthly brilliant light are seen by the mind, if not by the eyes.

And back we come to the real, the normal, the natural and the normalcy of that which is commonly understood.

And we ponder secretly, telling no one, admitting nothing, but retaining only one unshakable, undeniable awareness.

When you have opened the door to "maybe" you are irrevocably pulled forward to peak through the narrow slit.

But the Other Side may hold terror; there may be dragons within. But, it is too late. You are aware that at some time, on some day, in some moment: you ... will ... look.

Do you recall the movie "Contact" based on Carl Sagan's book, when the young Ellie Arroway turns on her father's Ham Radio after he has died and asks, "Dad, are you there? Come back? Dad, are you there? Dad, this is Ellie...."

A moment when -- by the power of choice -- you leave off disbelief and take a step through the newly opened doorway.

Come what may, you wish to know. In fact, you must know, one way or the other, for good or for bad, you must know.

So, with a tentative heart, you push open that doorway and look inside and hesitantly ask,

And one way to look through that doorway is with research into Electronic Voice Phenomena.

Bring with you your own reason and your own common sense on this journey because you will enter a realm as strange as that of quantum physics.

Spectacular new universal vistas spread themselves in the visions of your mind and at last -- at long last -- you realize you have what you had been searching for, what you sought will all your heart and all your mind.

I purchased a ZOOM H4 Handy Recorder today and I am very excited by its EVP possibilities.

Virtually no electronic noise yet an enhanced ambient noise delivered through 4 track stereo.

A/D Conversion: 24bit, 128times oversampling
D/A Conversion: 24bit, 128times oversampling
Signal Processing: 32bit
Recording Media: SD memory card (16MB-2GB)

The Zoom H4 is more than a handheld recorder - it's a simple way to record high quality audio. It's a full function stereo recorder capable of a wide range of recording rates, from low grade MP3 to 24bit/96K wav files. It also can be used as a portable 4 track recorder AND a USB interface. The built-in microphones & two combo jacks connect your favorite microphones or instruments -- including condensers with 24. With a 2GB SD memory card, the H4 provides up to 380 minutes of recording in 16-bit mode (CD Quality), and 34 hours in MP3 stereo mode. And to move your recordings to a PC or Mac, the H4 includes a USB mass-storage interface.

Records 24-bit/96KHz digital audio as well as MP3s, with bitrates up to 320 Kbps Two combination XLR-1/4 input jacks with phantom power Onboard studio effects compression, limiting and mic modeling 1/8 headphone jack provided for monitoring

Includes 128MB SD card Up to 380 minutes recording time with 2GB SD memory card Up to 34 hours recording in MP3 stereo mode Combination high-impedance phone inputs for vocals, guitars, bass or keyboards Built-in guitar amp modeling equipment to the Zoom G2 Records directly to your computer as a USB audio interface Comes bundled with Cubase LE - 48-track Digital Audio Workstation software

Whether you're recording a live performance, a podcast, a class or workshop, a rehearsal, a songwriting session or even a sizzling performance of your band, the H4 has more recording tools available than any device ever made. Weighing a mere 6.7 ounces (190g), the H4 puts a remarkable amount of recording power in the palm of your hand. Underneath its sleek exterior are built-in studio effects such as compression, limiting and mic modeling. Use the combination XLR-1/4-inch inputs for external mics, guitars, bass or keyboards. Also onboard are Zoom's most incredible microphone, guitar and bass modeling, accurately reproducing the tone of the most famous microphones and amps ever made. Audio can be recorded as WAV or MP3 files and moved to a computer via USB for easy editing, mixing and mastering.

Stereo recording is often accomplished by using two microphones in a V-shaped set up that faces the performer. While this method will result in good stereo separation, responsiveness for the area directly in front of the mics will be low, causing problems with depth perception and imaging. The Zoom H4 uses an X/Y configuration where the two microphones point inward at a crossing angle. This allows the recorder to cover a wide area, and at the same time capture sound sources in the center with perfect clarity and definition. Phase differences between left and right channels are also eliminated because sound is picked up simultaneously by both microphones.

Absence of phase differences ensures natural stereo imaging 24-bit/96 kHz linear PCM format and MP3 recording:

The H4 allows 24-bit/96 kHz linear PCM recording in WAV format, resulting in excellent transparency and definition that exceeds the sound quality of CDs. This is great for capturing the nuances of an acoustic instrument while preserving the ambience of the recording location. Or record directly as MP3 files for longer recordings that still provide excellent sound quality.

The H4 records on Secure Digital (SD) Media cards. These widely available cards boast an amazing amount of recording time in a small package. And unlike tape or disc media, mechanical vibrations do not affect recording quality. With a 2GB SD memory card, the H4 can provide up to 190 minutes of stereo WAV file recording in 44.1 kHz/16-bit mode or as many as 34 hours when recording at 128 kbps in MP3 stereo mode.

The H4, with its two phantom powered XLR-1/4" input jacks that support direct connection of external microphones, is the solution to an infinite number of recording situations. You can also use the H4's Hi-Z rated phone inputs for direct connection of guitars, bass, or any other line-input device.

A 'MUST HAVE' book is the recent publication by R.Craig Hogan, entitled YOUR ETERNAL SELF, a compendium of afterlife validation from many of the most respected individuals and researchers of our time.

An absolute "Gold Mine" of empirical validation about the continuation of consciousness.

Back from the Dead?

Debunkers and pseudo-skeptics claim that the phenomenon known as the near-death experience (NDE) is nothing more than an hallucination or some misfiring of the brain caused by chemicals or a lack of oxygen.

However, to those with an open mind, the NDE appears to be one type of out-of-body experience (OBE) -- an experience that suggests we have a spirit body or etheric body in addition to our physical body.

The case of "Pam Reynolds" is often cited as one of the best, but skeptics have attempted to pick holes in that case.

In The Scalpel and The Soul, a new release, Dr. Allan J. Hamilton, a Tucson, Arizona brain surgeon, tells about the Gideon case.

During August 1991, Reynolds was operated on for a giant basilar artery aneurysm. Her body temperature was lowered to 60 degrees, her brain waves flattened, her heart stopped, her breathing stopped and the blood drained from her. By medical standards, she was "dead." And yet, she later recalled watching parts of the surgery from above. She recalled seeing a particular kind of surgical instrument and hearing a comment that certain vessels were too small to handle the flow of blood. She further remembered being met by some deceased relatives after going down a dark shaft. An uncle took her back through the tunnel as it was not yet her time to cross over.

The skeptics and debunkers argue that she must have been hallucinating before or after she was clinically "dead." As for seeing the surgical instrument (she had surgical patches over her eyes) she may have noticed it before the procedure started or have seen a similar one on a television program involving a surgical procedure on the brain and that picture was buried in her subconscious. The comment about her blood vessels may have been overhead before she was clinically "dead."

Like Reynolds, Gideon also underwent surgery at the Barrows Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

According to Hamilton, Gideon was "as a corpse" for 17 minutes while a titanium aneurysm clip was positioned. Some trivial conversations took place during this 17-minute period, including one of the nurses announcing that she had just gotten engaged, mentioning her one-and-a-half carat square cut-yellow diamond ring that her boyfriend had purchased at Johnston Fellows. She also mentioned that the proposal came at Morton's, a restaurant, and that when her boyfriend got down on his knees and proposed, one of the waiters tripped over him and fell on the wine case.

After Gideon awoke in the intensive care unit, the surgeon, Dr. Thomas Reed, stopped into visit her. Gideon told him that she remembered hearing something about a one-and-a-half carat yellow diamond from Johnston Fellows. She also remembered something about Morton's restaurant and that someone fell into a wine case. Reed was shocked and called the case to the attention of others, including Hamilton.

Hamilton says there was no question that Gideon was brain dead at the time the conversation took place. "...we also had here unequivocal, scientific evidence that not only was her brain not working, it specifically demonstrated the absence of all cortical electrical activity when these conversations actually took place," he writes, going on to say that ‘the notion that conscious awareness - something generated by and of each brain - could have a life (so to speak) independent from the brain itself is a baffling idea."

When Sarah Gideon was later questioned about what she might have seen while she was hearing, she was able to describe the nurse who talked about her engagement, including the color of her eyes and her hair. Since the nurse had a surgical cap on, she was asked how she could know the color of her hair. She recalled a curl of blonde hair sticking out of the cap on her forehead. She also described other surgical personnel in the room.

Hamilton tells of a debate between Sir Newton Pitcairn, a British anesthesiologist and an authority in the field of the application of quantum physics to the science of consciousness, and a neurophysiologist from the University of Arizona. Sir Newton was certain that this was a case of the consciousness being separate and independent from the brain, while the neurosurgeon questioned whether Gideon's brain had been totally asleep during the surgery. Hamilton then showed the EEG printouts to two colleagues who routinely read such printouts, not telling them whose printout it was, and both agreed that she was "brain dead" at the time the comments were made by the nurse.

"Can we not, as doctors, allow ourselves to entertain the possibility that the supernatural, the divine, and the magical may all underlie our imaginations?"

Addendum (added March 28): After posting this entry several days ago, I attempted contact with Dr. Hamilton in hopes of obtaining more information on the "Sarah Gideon" case. I just heard from Dr. Hamilton and he explained that some of the stories in the book, including this one, are amalgams, or blended stories. I had suspected that the names were pseudonyms for privacy reasons and recalled Dr. Hamilton mentioning this in the Introduction. However, I had overlooked the fact that he also mentioned that some of the stories are amalgams. It appears that the "Pam Reynolds" case is part of the amalgam. I infer from Dr. Hamilton's comments that there is a case or two that actually "plugs the holes" in the Pam Reynolds case, but for patient privacy reasons the name(s) cannot be given.