Documentary About Life and Work of Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., to Premiere August 26 at Near-Death Experience Conference

Embraced by the Light Author Betty Eadie to Speak Just Ahead of Film Screening

DURHAM, NC, UNITED STATES, August 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A new film chronicling the life and work of pioneering near-death experience researcher and author Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., will premiere Wednesday, August 26 at 8:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue, Washington during the opening evening of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) 2026 Annual Conference.

This 75-minute biopic film “Kenneth Ring: How a Foremost Near-Death Experience Research Pioneer Expanded Our Lives.” will celebrate the conferring of the 2026 Bruce Greyson Award to Ring for his life research in the field of near-death studies. Ring authored numerous books, including Heading Toward Omega and Lessons from the Light, served as professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, was a co-founder of IANDS and the founding editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies.

The film includes interviews with the original IANDS co-founders Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D.; Bruce Greyson, M.D.; Michael Sabom, M.D.; Col. John Alexander, Ph.D., and Ring himself. Other interviews feature NDE researcher and Journal of Near-Death Studies Editor Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D.; author Chase DeMayo, and several others who have had near-death experiences and spiritually transformative experiences. The film was written, produced and directed by Vivenne Somers. Three-time Emmy award winner Executive Producer Sam Aronson provided creative direction.

“Ken Ring is a remarkable human being who has helped transform our society’s view of life, death and what comes after,” said Evan Mecham, IANDS President. “Anyone with an interest in the field of near-death studies will be enlightened and entertained by this remarkable film and the incredible and life-changing collaborations of the earliest researchers in our field.”

Embraced by the Light Author Betty Eadie to Speak

Just ahead of the film screening, Embraced by the Light Author Betty Eadie shares her story and her wisdom in an on-stage interview with Kimberly Clark Sharp, MSW, who founded IANDS’s local Seattle Group.

Eadie is one of the first near-death “experiencers” to tell her story publicly and broadly with the publication of her 1992 book detailing her 1973 NDE following routine surgery. Eadie returned to her life transformed, without a fear of death and compelled to share her message of unconditional love.
Eadie kicks off a star-studded lineup of keynote speakers, including Dying to Be Me author Anita Moorjani; Proof of Heaven author Eben Alexander, M.D.; Institute of Noetic Sciences Director of Research Helané Wahbeh, N.D., MCR; quantum physicist and philosopher Vera Spillner, Ph.D., and “Next Level Soul” host Alex Ferrari.

Conference Registration
Registration for Wednesday evening only featuring Eadie’s talk and the film premiere is just $35. Full conference registration is $499 and includes five days of programming, an opening reception, snacks and a closing party. The conference also offers an exhibit floor, bookstore and Healing Center, as well as additional workshops. To register, click here.

As a Durham, North Carolina-based educational nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, IANDS focuses its resources on providing the highest quality information available about NDE-related subjects. IANDS’s purpose is to promote responsible, multi-disciplinary exploration of near-death and similar experiences, their effects on people’s lives, and their implications for beliefs about life, death, and human purpose. It is the only membership group of its kind with local groups all over the world.

Janet Riley
International Association for Near-Death Studies
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Written By: EIN Presswire