ECU Voyages lecturer to discuss life after life, near-death experiences

Emeritus professor of consciousness studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and former ECU assistant professor of philosophy, Dr. Raymond Moody, will deliver the ECU Religious Studies Program Distinguished Lecture on Religion and Culture in the 2015-16 Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series. Moody will discuss “Life After Life: The Meaning of Near-Death Experiences,” at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 27, in ECU’s Wright Auditorium.

During his lecture, Moody will describe the common elements of near-death experiences as medical doctors in many countries have studied them. Also, he will describe shared death experiences, an identical phenomenon reported by bystanders at the death of some other person.

Moody traces debates on these topics back to Plato and Democritus, who argued about whether near-death experiences indicate an afterlife or just a dying brain. Moody will discuss new ways of studying such experiences and their relationship to humanity’s biggest question: What happens when we die?

Prior to completing his M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia, Moody was an assistant professor of philosophy at East Carolina University from 1969-72. From 1980-83, after completing his M.D., Moody served a psychiatry residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center. He was a visiting associate professor of philosophy at the University of Virginia from 1977-78, an associate professor of psychology at the University of West Georgia from 1987-92 and the Bigelow Chair of Consciousness Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, from 1992-2002. He received his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in philosophy from the University of Virginia.

In addition to his teaching, Moody has served as a forensic psychiatrist in a maximum-security unit for the criminally insane, and he has practiced grief counseling for more than two decades. He is the author of 14 books, including “Life After Life” (1975), “Coming Back” (1995), “Glimpses of Eternity” (2010) and “Paranormal” (2012). His main professional interests are logic, philosophy of language and ancient Greek philosophy. He is best known for his work on near-death experiences, and through his research, Moody has interviewed thousands of people all over the world who have had these experiences.

Co-sponsors of the lecture include the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Religious Studies Program, ECU’s Division of Academic Affairs, Division of Health Sciences, Honors College, Division of Research and Graduate Studies and Division of Student Affairs. A question and answer session will immediately follow the presentation, and Moody will sign copies of his books, which will be available for purchase in the lobby of Wright Auditorium.

Moody’s lecture is a Wellness Passport Event and is free to all attendees. No tickets are required. Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call 252-737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the event.

For additional information about the Voyages series and its speakers, visit www.ecu.edu/voyages. More information about Harriot College is available at www.ecu.edu/cas.