Widely acknowledged as the world’s leading expert in the field of near-death experience, Raymond Moody M.D. reflected on his life as a researcher bridging the gap between science and the paranormal. "This is the biggest question of existence and the most important, by far," he said of the mystery surrounding life after death. Moody stressed that pronouncements about the reality of the phenomenon must be backed by strong evidence to avoid ethical quandaries. To that end, he explained that many people take great solace in the belief that life continues after death and a mistaken conclusion about the phenomenon could propel those who are mourning a lost loved one back into a profound state of grief.

Looking back on his own brush with death, Moody revealed how his struggles with the thyroid disease myxedema nearly cost him his life. The disease, he said, is so slow to develop that it went unnoticed by anyone around him including himself. While suffering from the sickness, he was "always cold, always sleepy" and was afflicted with significant memory loss as well as severe depression. Though he was diagnosed with the disease, Moody received the wrong levels of medication and eventually became so despondent that he took a massive dose of the medicine and mixed it with alcohol in the hopes of ending his suffering. Fortunately, he was saved before it was too late and observed that the experience led him to a greater understanding of people who are struggling with depression.

On spirituality, Moody shared a remarkable story on the mysterious nature of prayer. He recalled how his house, which was build in the 1890's, was in desperate need of rewiring, but he and his wife did not know any electricians. So, they prayed for God to send them "just the right electrician." The next morning, one called them and said that their phone number had randomly come up on his beeper. The couple invited him over to the house and he inspected the potential job. Prior to leaving, the electrician revealed that his brother and mother had just died and Moody's wife suggested that the man talk to her husband about it. In response, he mentioned that a book called Life after Life had been helping him through the grieving process. Unbeknownst to the electrician, the author of that book was, of course, Raymond Moody, the very man whose home he had just visited.

Morgellons Update

In the first hour, Trisha Springstead, a registered nurse who treats Morgellons patients, shared the latest information about the mysterious disease. She expressed outrage over the recent CDC report which was skeptical that Morgellons is a real disease. "I'm appalled," she declared, noting the vast number of people that are either afflicted with the disease or know someone suffering from it. Springstead was also troubled by the suppression of help for victims of Morgellons. According to her, many doctors are now forced to treat patients in secret because they could lose their medical license for acknowledging the reality of the disease. Despite the claims of the mainstream medical community, Springstead contended that Morgellons is a very real disease that may be reaching a pandemic level.