Finding Words for the Indescribable: Creatively Writing Out the NDE
Paul Bernstein, Ph.D. & Ken Prather
Two or more writers and NDErs will describe their struggles and creative solutions for conveying the 'ineffable' or inexpressible near-death experience-what nearly every experiencer says is largely 'beyond words'. Audience members, too, will be invited to share their own past efforts at putting their NDEs into words, when trying to help family, friends, caregivers, or the public-at-large understand what they have gone through.
Paul Bernstein has worked as a free-lance and technical writer for over 20 years. His clients have included Compaq Computers, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems and other high-tech companies, as well as The Boston Globe, Progressive Magazine, Christianity & Crisis, In These Times, Working Papers for a New Society, and the Czech weekly Respekt. Volunteer journalism which he created for National Public Radio was granted an award by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Dr. Bernstein also has taught and conducted social science research at the University of California, Boston College, and the Center for Psychology and Social Change (in Cambridge, Massachusetts). From 1999 to 2002 he served on IANDS' Board of Directors and, since 2001, he has been the Editor of IANDS' newsletter, Vital Signs.
Ken Prather is a hospice and near-death counselor in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He facilitates the Ft. Wayne Friends-of-IANDS group, and is founder of the outreach program, Reaching for Joy. Ken has had two near-death experiences: one when he was 9 years old, and another when he was 49 years old. The second NDE involved 32 days on life-support, followed by three months in a hospital and three years in a long-term physical rehabilitation center. He also had total organ failure and a broken back. Ken has had many miracles in his life, including an amazing healing which allowed him to walk again, after many months in a wheelchair. He has had many articles written about his experiences and now, at age 54, is writing a book about them called My Journey Back. Ken also writes poetry and inspirational stories.
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