Panel 2

The panel discussion will consist of two rounds:

Round 1: Each panelist will have 5 minutes to present their answer to the central questions and outline the main arguments supporting their position.

Round 2: Panelists will respond to the arguments presented in the first round, engage with one another’s perspectives, and answer questions from the audience.

The panel will be moderated by:

Dr. Zofia Weaver, who holds a PhD in Language Universals from the University of Nottingham and is a Council Member of the Society for Psychical Research, where she previously served as Editor and is currently Associate Editor of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. Her work focuses on the history of psychical research in Poland, with particular emphasis on archival research, scholarly editing, and translation, making important Polish sources accessible to an international audience. She is the author and co-author of several books and numerous articles, and has translated a wide range of academic publications from Polish into English.

Assoc. Prof. Joanna Różycka-Tran, a social and cross-cultural psychologist at the University of Gdańsk. She chairs the Cross-Cultural Psychology Section of the Polish Social Psychology Association and leads the NAWA Strategic Partnerships with Vietnam project (2024–2026). Her internationally recognized research, conducted in more than 60 countries, primarily across Asia, explores how culture shapes the self, values, and perceptions of the world. She publishes in prestigious international academic journals. She is the recipient of the Minister of Science and Higher Education Award for achievements in internationalization and the Medal of the President for her contribution to the advancement of science.

Panelists:

1. Prof. Artur Szutta, philosopher and Director of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Gdańsk.
2. Dr. Pim van Lommel, cardiologist and internationally recognized researcher on the mind–brain relationship, with a special focus on near-death experiences. He is the recipient of numerous awards and the author of multiple scientific publications, as well as the bestselling book Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience (2010). He argues that materialist models of the mind–brain relationship are overly restrictive. According to his view, consciousness may be non-local and can, under certain conditions, be experienced independently of the body. Research on NDEs suggests that the brain may function as a facilitator rather than a producer of consciousness, with implications for the possibility of continued conscious experience beyond physical death.
3. Prof. Kevin Nelson, Professor at the University of Kentucky. A clinician specializing in neurology and neurophysiology, he has been studying the brain mechanisms of spiritual experience for over 45 years. He is the author of The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain and The God Impulse: Is Religion Hardwired into the Brain? (2011).
4. Dr. Michael Nahm, Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health. His work addresses near-death visions, terminal lucidity, and coma experiences as part of a continuum of phenomena with overlapping phenomenology. He argues that these findings call for an expanded model of consciousness capable of accommodating such anomalies.
5. Dr. Marieta Pehlivanova, Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia School of Medicine. An experimental and cognitive psychologist, her research focuses on near-death experiences and children’s reports of purported past-life memories, including cognitive, personality, and genetic correlates, veridical perceptions, and cross-cultural comparisons.
6. Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology and Psychology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi. She is a senior researcher in sociology, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, with a focus on the role of religion in society, the sociology of culture, public opinion, and mass media. She has authored numerous journal articles and books. Her interests concern Buddhist philosophy and the theory of reincarnation.
7. M.A. Zaklin Henzel, Founder of the Consciousness Research Association (https://conreas.com/). An educator with many years of professional experience, she specializes in pedagogical diagnosis, individual and group pedagogical therapy, as well as various forms of prevention and counseling for children, adolescents, and parents. Through her work in Poland and Germany, she has consolidated her pedagogical achievements, contributing her own insights to the structures of the educational process. She actively engages in projects aimed at bringing about changes in the field of education and upbringing. She will share a personal NDE and its interpretation in the context of near-death phenomena as a case study.
8. Jeffrey Long, Founder of the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF; https://www.nderf.org/), dedicated to collecting and analyzing NDE reports worldwide. He will contribute via a recorded video message for the conference organizers and participants, expressing his support for the conference and for ongoing scientific investigation into consciousness and near-death experiences.