A new near-death experience support group is meeting monthly in Sacramento. The local chapter of the International Association for Near-Death Studies held their first meeting on October 1 at the Natural Foods Co-op's Cooking School and Community Learning Center.
Sacramento IANDS expects to provide regular guest speakers, and group organizers say many of them are internationally known. The first speaker was Barbara Bartolome, founder of the Santa Barbara IANDS chapter. Bartolome claims to have had two near-death experiences. She told the group that during her second experience in 1987 she was able recount the actions and words of the medical staff while she was out of her physical body.
Sacramento IANDS spokeswoman Michelle Kuret said that many times people who have a near-death experience go through depression. She added that they sometimes are unsettled because they did not want to come back after witnessing an afterlife, but in some cases they are unable to relate to friends and family who do not understand what they have been through.
Kuret says the purpose of the group is to show people how to love.
Admission to the local meetings is free and open to the public, but space is limited.