Raymond Moody, MD, PhD In 1975, coined the term near-death experience in his book Life After Life. For half a century,  Dr. Moody has researched some of life’s greatest mysteries. As both a PhD in philosophy and an MD, Dr. Moody has had a strong interest in how medical realities intersect with the ineffable realm of philosophy. In his multiple roles as author, professor, public speaker and grief counselor, he has heard thousands of accounts of near-death, shared-death and after-death experiences.

Lisa Smartt, MA, is a linguist, educator, and poet. She is the author of Words at the Threshold: What We Say When We’re Nearing Death (New World Library 2017). The book is based on data collected through The Final Words Project, an ongoing study devoted to gathering and interpreting the mysterious language at end of life. She has worked closely with Raymond Moody, guided by his research into language, particularly unintelligible speech. They have co-facilitated presentations about language and consciousness at universities, hospices and conferences. https://www.theuniversityofheaven.com