Pre-conference Film
Panel on Thursday 2nd November 2023, 7pm UK
Come and share in this intriguing enquiry into the nature of after-death communications as part of your Beyond the Brain 2023 conference experience. We will be having a virtual film screening and then a panel discussion with director Stephen Berkley, film participants Prof Janice Miner Holden and Noelle St Germain-Sehr – as well as Prof Marjorie Woollacott and David Lorimer (chair) of the Galileo Commission.
The Film
Science is studying ghosts? Really?
In this Best Documentary film festival winner, a widow suffering prolonged grief agrees to participate in a research study exploring a clinical intervention that aims to reconnect bereaved survivors with their departed loved ones. The process is known as Induced After-Death Communication (IADC), and it is rapidly gaining recognition among psychologists, academics and bereavement professionals.
LIFE WITH GHOSTS records the first-ever publicly funded attempt to facilitate contact with deceased individuals to determine if such contact can be used to reduce severe grief symptoms. In an area where traditional talk therapy has been largely ineffective, at a time when 70,000 Americans die from prescription drug misuse in a single year, this film heralds a welcome alternative for the chronically bereaved.
The Message
Of the 270 million bereaved people in the world, up to 30% suffer Prolonged Grief Disorder, a debilitating conditions that can last for years or even a lifetime.
Researchers have known for decades that survivors do better with their grief when an emotional bond is maintained with the deceased. And yet psychologists, grief counselors, and clergy routinely discourage such behavior as “denial” or even “heresy”.
With the staggering increase in sudden deaths in 2020 and 2021, new science for addressing grief is needed now more than ever. By making this film widely available, we hope to spread the news about a ground-breaking intervention that has been tested and proven effective for the treatment of grief.
The Trailer
What people think
Life With Ghosts is an immensely important film about a topic that will inevitably directly impact every single one of us.
Life With Ghosts gives us the opportunity to hear and see people talk openly and realistically about after-death communication, making it more available to everyone, and does it with sensitivity, warmth, and clarity. It truly is a great film.
Life With Ghosts will generate a high level of interest in nearly everyone. For many, it will be life changing. After writing this endorsement I went ahead and watched the film for a third time. It’s a masterpiece.
Life With Ghosts is an important film for anyone who has experienced the grief of losing a loved one. It is an essential film for anyone in the mental health, medical, or human services field who may provide services to grieving individuals.
Timetable for the evening
Thursday 2nd November 5:00 – 8:30 pm (UK)
5:00 pm Suggested start time to watch virtual film via Vimeo link sent out the day before
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Zoom panel with Stephen Berkley, Prof Janice Miner Holden, Noelle St Germain-Sehr, Prof Marjorie Woollacott and David Lorimer (chair)
Panel Members
Booking instructions
- This is a separate pre-conference event and must be purchased separately.
- If you wish to book for the conference and film together (recommended!) please do so on the main booking page after reading through all these steps. To go to that page click HERE.
- If you wish to attend only this film+panel event (or if you want to add this ticket to your existing conference booking) – simply book your ticket on this page below.
- After you make your film+panel booking you will receive the Zoom link for the panel discussion. This takes place on Thursday, 2nd November 7:00 – 8:30 pm (UK)
- Then, on Wednesday 1st November (ie one day before the live panel event) you will receive a private Vimeo link to watch the film on your device.
- You can watch the film anytime after receiving the Vimeo link but we suggest you watch it on Thursday, 2nd November at 5:00 PM (UK), and then go straight into the panel discussion at 7:00 pm, just as you would if it was at a physical screening. The film link will be available to watch for 48 hours until 5:00 PM Friday, 3rd November.