As many of you know, I started this newsletter in 2009 when I launched The Afterlife Conference. Over the years, my "absolute certainty" about specific spiritual concepts became more fluid. I can only say for certain what I've personally experienced of the higher realms via my own mystical journeys and my own understanding of divine consciousness. I've learned not to assume that my spiritual reality is true for everybody. I've also learned that the commercialization of many of these teachings has turned them into just another form of religious dogma.

Our upcoming symposium on spiritual bypassing addresses this and related topics. And in this month's newsletter you'll find two relevant articles.

The first is my podcast interview with a wonderful mystic and scholar that will be of great interest to you, especially the section where we talk about "new age" or "new thought" theology.

The second is an analysis of a popular church-based grief support group that operates on an evangelical religious model that is hidden on its website and promotional materials.

Dr. Terri Daniel, CT, FFGT

Clinical Chaplaincy, End-of-Life Educator

Bereavement and Trauma Support

office@deathgriefandbelief.com

END-OF-LIFE, AFTERLIFE AND BEREAVEMENT

Dreams and the Afterlife
by
Kevin Williams

"Dreams, particularly vivid or lucid dreams, have been noted as a potential trigger for near-death experiences (NDEs) or NDE-like phenomena. Although NDEs are commonly associated with life-threatening situations, some individuals report experiences that mirror NDEs while in deep or heightened dream states. These dream-triggered NDEs often include classic elements such as sensations of leaving the body, traveling through tunnels of light, encountering spiritual beings, or having profound insights about life and death" READ MORE...

Easing Into End-of-Life with Psychedelics

"Patients with cancer or other life-threatening/life-limiting illnesses are often emotionally and spiritually distressed, and sleeplessness, dread, fear, and major depression are common. But psilocybin may help ease their path. A recent study found only one or two doses of psilocybin may markedly improve the mental health of cancer patients when accompanied by psychotherapy. It’s important to note, however, that psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, and consequently, research on psilocybin requires Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversight." READ MORE...

About 60% of Americans Have No

Moral Objections to M.A.I.D

About six-in-ten Americans say that patients choosing to end their lives with the help of a doctor is either morally acceptable (34%) or not a moral issue (29%). Another 35% say it’s morally wrong, according to the survey, which was conducted in spring 2025.

Physician-assisted death is also sometimes called “medical aid in dying,” “doctor-assisted death” or “physician-assisted suicide.” READ MORE...

Spiritual Bypassing Across Religious Traditions

Our latest ASK DOCTOR DEATH interview features scholar Andrew Jasko, who holds an Masters of Philosophy in Classical Indian Religion from the University of Oxford, an Masters of Divinity from Princeton Seminary, and an Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Golden Gate University. His training across Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and psychological traditions enables him to examine religious systems and understand how belief, authority, and practice shape psychological experience. You may be especially interested in our discussion about how spiritual bypassing shows up in "new age" and "new thought" practices, which you begins at about 28:30 in the recording. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE.

You can also read Andrew's article on the psychological and spiritual harms of the law of attraction HERE

Bonus Spiritual Bypassing Content
The Evangelical Underpinnings of GriefShare

Turning to spirituality when facing painful situations is a natural meaning-making process, and the well-known support group GriefShare has helped millions of people. Healthy religious coping in difficult times includes the ability to receive respect and support for diverse beliefs and practices, especially when for vulnerable populations like grieving individuals and families. It becomes problematic however, when one religious doctrine is presented as superior to all others, and the target audience is vulnerable to manipulation by guilt and shame.

If you’re considering attending a GriefShare support group and you don't align with their published (and not published) mission and declared theology, then you should know about their hidden messages. While their support groups may be helpful, it’s important to be aware of their foundational beliefs and mission. READ MORE.

RELIGION REPORT

Vatican Criticizes

Conversion Therapy

"The Vatican released a report from a group of theologians on May 5 that included the testimony of two married gay Catholics and acknowledged the church’s role in “the solitude, anguish, and stigma that accompany persons with same-sex attractions and their families. The report reflects on the negative impacts of conversion therapy, or “the devastating effects of reparative therapies aimed at recovering heterosexuality.””." READ MORE...

Exclusion of Islamic Schools from Texas Vouchers

"A Texas father whose children attend a Houston Islamic school sued Texas lawmakers, alleging that schools for Muslim students are being excluded from the state’s new voucher program. The program created a $1 billion fund for private school financial aid. But since the Texas Education Freedom Accounts opened for applications, none of the state’s Islamic schools has been listed among those eligible for reimbursement through the program. " READ MORE...

As Stephen Colbert Signs Off,
America Loses a Prophet
From Religion News Service

"Prophets aren’t usually rewarded for what they do. They speak out anyway because the truth had to be said and no one else was saying it. Colbert knows this all too well. When CBS canceled The Late Show last summer — just days after Colbert called Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump a 'big fat bribe' on air — Colbert used his remaining months to speak, in his own words, 'unvarnished truth to power.'" READ MORE...

SACRED ACTIVISM

Religion Experts Discuss Christian Nationalism

WORKSHOPS, CLASSES

AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Online Saturday, July 25!

SPIRITUAL BYPASSING:

Counseling and Support Perspectives

Six CE Credits for Psychologists, Nurses, Social Workers and More!

Spiritual bypassing describes a form of negative religious coping in which religion or spirituality is used as a psychological defense mechanism to avoid facing painful situations, particularly how this mechanism might be used to cope with loss and grief. The term was coined in the mid-1980s by John Welwood, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist who described it as a coping device through which people use spirituality as a defense mechanism.

In this unique online seminar, you'll work interactively with some of today's most respected leaders at the intersection of psychology and spirituality. Join us for a day of unique content addressing critical issues in these fields.

Our Esteemed Presenters

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Grief Therapy Learning Retreat
August 21-25
Bainbridge Island, WA.
Earlybird Discount Ends June 15

Registration is now open for the Portland Institute’s annual Grief Therapy Learning Retreat. The 5-day, 4-night event will feature a rich program of professional continuing education, yielding up to 21 hours of APA and ABSW approved CE credits and ample opportunities for self-renewal in the lush Pacific Northwest forest of IslandWood, an ecological retreat on Bainbridge Island, just off the coast of Seattle.

Sessions will cover these topics and much more:

Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy
The 5 Laws of Transition
Specialized group therapy formats
Creative writing approaches
Broken heart syndrome
Ground-breaking research on grief
Narrative interventions for young children
Trauma-informed techniques for self-regulation and self-care
Creative and arts-assisted methods for individual and groups
In-depth case studies

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Earlybird discount ends June 15!

OTHER STUFF

Navigating the Social, Emotional,

Spiritual and Political Journey Through

Aging, Illness and End-of-Life

Endwell Advisors offer hands-on, compassionate assistance to help you address the concerns you may not feel comfortable discussing with friends, family or even your health care providers. We can literally walk beside you, meeting with your family to facilitate a difficult end-of-life discussion, helping you fill out an advance directive, or planning every detail (and even officiating) a memorial service. Visit us at www.EndWellAdvisors.com

Comments, complaints or kudos about our content?

Let us know us about what you think!

We now have a feedback form where you can share your opinions about what you've read here, and we would love to hear from you! You can find the form HERE. We may even publish your comment in an upcoming newsletter (anonymously, unless you choose to include your name)

Become a Newsletter Sponsor

Our newsletter is now available on a limited basis to one advertiser per month who'd like to promote a product or service to our email list of 15,000 subscribers and 25,000 Facebook followers. Our audience is deeply interested in the topics we address here, so if it seems like a good audience for you, submit your information by filling out THIS FORM (we will be selective about the products and services we promote). Your ad or article will appear in this spot for $150 per issue.

Be part of the ongoing conversation in our

Death, Grief and Belief Facebook Group

Are you a professional chaplain who does not identify with the conventional religious chaplaincy model? Visit our

Chaplains Outside the Box Facebook Group

office@deathgriefandbelief.com

971-236-1541

As Stephen Colbert Signs Off, ﻿﻿America Loses a Prophet﻿﻿From Religion News Service

As Stephen Colbert Signs Off,
America Loses a Prophet
From Religion News Service