Claudia Watts Edge will be our presenter this Friday, October 23, 2026. Claudia, a local realtor, had an unusually strong sustained contraction that crushed her uterus and imperiled her unborn daughter. At the hospital, after blood came gushing unexpectedly onto the floor, Claudia was rushed to a delivery room for a cesarean without anesthesia. The intense pain made her passing from this world a welcome blessing.
After her Near-Death-Experience, Claudia was invited to attend what she calls ‘SPIRIT SCHOOL’ during her sleep time. She describes it as a place in between Heaven and Earth where patient teachers use metaphors and parables within active storytelling to build layers of understanding of the workings of the Other-Side. She reveals the curriculum in her latest book, Dying to go to SPIRIT SCHOOL
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Claudia Watts Edge
Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, October 23, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom, at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
Debra Lynn Featherstone in October of 1992 had a shared near-death experience with her husband. Doctors pronounced her clinically dead and later claimed it was a miracle that she lived. She describes her experience as extremely spiritual, miraculous and profound for herself, her husband and doctors. She shares her story for the benefit of others.
A shared death experience (SDE) is an event where another person—such as a caregiver or a family member—feels they join or witness a dying individual’s transition into the afterlife. Because SDEs often lack the immediate medical documentation that typically accompanies an NDE (such as a cardiac arrest record), their prevalence is more difficult to track and are likely less common than NDEs. Research into this phenomenon began in earnest in after Raymond Moody spoke publicly on this topic and defined the term in his 2011 book, Glimpses of Eternity.
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Debra Featherstone Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, September 25, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom, at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
Dr. Ingrid Honkala is a highly accomplished marine scientist and oceanographer who holds a PhD in Marine Sciences, with an emphasis on Biological Oceanography. Her distinguished career has led her from deep underwater exploration and work with the U.S. Navy to a prominent research position at NASA. Yet, parallel to her life of rigorous scientific inquiry, she has walked an extraordinary spiritual path initiated by several near-death experiences (NDEs) that beautifully bridge her understanding of the physical world with the mysteries of the unseen.
Her journey began at just two years old in Bogotá, Colombia, when she drowned in a freezing tank of water. During this clinical death, she experienced a profound spiritual awakening, maintaining a conscious, out-of-body connection with her mother—who felt an intuitive pull to return home and save her—and encountering “Beings of Light” who became her lifelong spiritual guides. She would survive two more near-death experiences later in life—a severe motorcycle accident at age 25 and a life-threatening surgical complication at age 52—as well as a recently unveiled fourth NDE. Each experience offered her identical, powerful revelations of pure, boundaryless consciousness and the loving intelligence that underlies our physical reality.
Today, Dr. Honkala is an internationally recognized speaker, lightworker, and author of the widely-read autobiography, A Brightly Guided Life: How a Scientist Learned to Hear Her Inner Wisdom. In her presentation today, she will share how her scientific discipline and profound mystical encounters unite to reveal that death is not an end, but a portal to deeper truth, purpose, and the eternal Light within us all. Please join me in giving a warm IANDS welcome to Dr. Ingrid Honkala as she shares her inspiring message of the infinite power of love and connection.
Come hear Ingrid Honkala via zoom. Here are the details:
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Ingrid Honkala Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, August 28, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
Join Hawaiian IANDS Tuesday, Aug 4th at 7pm for a fascinating journey through some of the most influential Near-Death Experiences recorded throughout human history with Martin Tanner, JD, president and co-founder of IANDS of Utah.
Beginning with an extraordinary account from approximately 375 BCE, Martin will explore how stories resembling what we now call Near-Death Experiences have appeared across ancient philosophy, early Christianity, Catholic Church records, medieval writings, nineteenth-century accounts, and the modern era.
Drawing upon his decades of research into near-death experiences, religion, history, and spirituality, Martin will discuss accounts spanning:
The ancient Greek world and one of history’s earliest recorded journeys beyond death
Near-Death Experiences from the first century AD
Accounts preserved by Catholic popes and other religious authorities
Remarkable experiences documented during the Middle Ages
Influential nineteenth-century NDEs
Modern Near-Death Experiences that have transformed lives and challenged conventional beliefs about consciousness and death
Together, these accounts reveal that many familiar elements of modern NDEs—including separation from the body, encounters with spiritual beings, journeys into other realms, life-changing insights, and a return to earthly life—have appeared in human testimony across vastly different cultures and historical periods.
This thought-provoking presentation will invite us to consider what these experiences may reveal about the survival of consciousness, the afterlife, and humanity’s enduring search to understand what happens when we die.
Martin Tanner, JD, is president and a member of the Board of Directors of IANDS of Utah, which he co-founded in 1990. It is the second-oldest local IANDS chapter in the United States. He also served as vice president and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Near-Death Studies from 2019 through 2026.
Martin is the host of Martin Tanner’s Religion Today podcast, where he explores Near-Death Experiences, science and religion, biblical archaeology, comparative religion, the history of the Bible, and other subjects at the intersection of faith, scholarship, and spiritual experience.
His work with NDE experiencers has deeply influenced his own understanding of religion and the continuation of consciousness. He has shared and discussed numerous transformative accounts, including experiences involving encounters with deceased loved ones, glimpses of souls waiting to be born, profound life reviews, spiritual callings, and dramatic changes in a person’s beliefs and fear of death.
His NDE work has also been featured in interviews such as BYU radio’s What Can We Learn from Near-Death Experiences? and his Religion Today podcast episode, Learning From Eight Compelling Near-Death Experiences.
Martin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance, with a minor in Japanese, from the University of Utah and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. He has appeared in debates and discussions on television, university campuses, podcasts, and radio programs and has spoken to IANDS groups throughout the United States.
Spirit guidance is available to everyone. Our departed loved ones, angels, and spirit guides are constantly near, offering support, comfort, and direction, yet most people aren’t taught how to recognize or trust these subtle messages.
Since his birth in Salt Lake City, Utah, and an NDE at six months old, Shaun Lether experienced communication with higher beings, but years of trauma and adverse life experiences caused him to shut out that guidance. In recent years, between two profound NDEs, Shaun’s deceased mother appeared to him on a mountaintop, reopening his connection with the afterlife & spiritual realms. This pivotal moment led him on a journey of healing, recovery, and Spiritual Awakening.
Through personal stories of After-Death Communication and Spiritually Transformative Experiences, Shaun shares how guidance from his spirit team helped him survive a Spiritual Emergency and rediscover his life purpose. You’ll leave with practical insights to help you strengthen your intuition, connect more deeply with your own spirit team, and navigate your spiritual journey with greater confidence and trust.
Before his profound Near-Death Experiences and the powerful Spiritual Emergency that transformed his life, Shaun Lether built a successful career in marketing, finance, and real estate. He has since devoted his life to healing, spiritual service, and supporting those navigating profound spiritual experiences.
Shaun is the founder and leader of Hawaiian IANDS and is affiliated with many spiritual organizations such as Spiritual Awakenings International, IANDS, Association for Spiritual Integrity, and is featured in the new documentary “Interdimensional.” The pilot episode is premiering this month in San Antonio, Texas. Showings in other U.S. cities are TBD, with Salt Lake City being on the list.
He facilitates NDE and STE sharing circles, produces and hosts speaker events, and leads healing and consciousness-expansion workshops. He also created and manages multiple NDE, STE, and Life After Death Facebook groups with a combined following of more than one million members.
With a lifetime of spirit communication and several NDEs and STEs, Shaun offers private mentoring and guidance for NDErs, trauma survivors, and those in spiritual awakening. His mission is to remind others that none of us walk alone — we all have a spirit team on the other side; we simply need to listen.
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Shaun Lether Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, July 24, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link, and then enter the passcode IANDS
As a career nurse and long-time part of a Life-Flight crew, Janet Crawford saw many near-death experiences and miraculous recoveries. She is one of the most dynamic and amazing speakers Utah IANDS has ever had. You will be amazed and delighted by her experiences and the positive message she brings.
She has firsthand heard and seen some extraordinary near-death and related experiences. You will enjoy her presentation of a few of the experiences she has witnessed!
Her presentation will be displayed on two large screens. There will be a question-and-answer session after.
Janet, now in Florida, will speak to us via Zoom.
Via Zoom, free and open to the public: Speaker: Janet Crawford Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, June 26, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
Valerie Hasara is our May speaker. She had an extensive shared-death experience with her son, who died from cancer. A shared-death experience is where a person experiences someone’s death and after. Valerie was there as her son died, then saw his spirit depart, and saw where he went as a spirit. Valerie’s contact with her son continues. She has seen where he is, his tasks on the other side, and their importance.
Come hear Valerie in person. Here are the details:
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Valerie Hasara Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, May 22, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
As a young wife and mother in an abusive relationship, our July speaker, Angie Fenimore, attempted suicide as an escape. Her amazing near-death experience is one of the few in which the person sees a glimpse of hell. Generally, those who present at IANDS share a beautiful, if not blissful, experience. If one is not familiar with NDE knowledge, they might come to the conclusion that all life after death is wonderful. To some, suicide may even seem a reasonable means to immediately experience the afterlife. Angie’s message is that suicide is not a viable option for those who think that taking their life will be a way out. This does not mean all who have committed suicide will have the same experience as Angie. It does, however, suggest that there are many options in eternity that even most who have visited there are unaware of. IANDS studies suggest no one knows what others experience when they reach the next world, or how long they will reside at any given location. Hear Angie describe her experience and how it changed her life forever.
Come hear Angie in person. Here are the details:
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Angie Fenimore Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, April 24, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
Landon Dennis is from St. George, Utah. His near-death experience resulted from a drug overdose and being hit by a car on the same day. Landon suffered a traumatic brain injury and had emergency brain surgery. He saw himself in the ambulance from above when his spirit left his body, and again saw himself from above during part of his brain surgery. During his NDE, Landon was taken to another place beyond this mortal world. He found himself in a grassy field where he felt love from the grass where he stood. He also saw some of his loved ones who had previously died, as though they were colored lights. Landon communicated with two people he saw in physical bodies through telepathic communication instead of speaking like we do in this life. Landon shared and was shown very personal things. The biggest takeaways from his experience are that prayer has real power, and that we will see our loved ones who have died when our mortal life here on earth ends.
Come hear Landon in person. Here are the details:
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Landon Davis Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, March 27, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
In 2014, Vania Valtriani had a hemorrhagic stroke. Two veins in her brain burst, and she was rushed into emergency surgery. After the procedure, her surgeons told her husband there was nothing they could do, and Vania would die. Her husband gave her a blessing anyway, asking God to heal her. Although Vania remained in a coma for three months, against all odds, she woke up. She told her husband she died and went to the other side, where she spoke with her father, who had previously died, and about seeing Jesus, who sent her back because her life’s purpose had not been completed. During her near-death experience, Vania experienced what she describes as the “overwhelming” love of God. She learned from communicating with her deceased father that family relationships continue after death. She learned that perseverance can overcome even seemingly impossible obstacles. Vania believes we can all learn to recognize subtle confirmations of God’s guidance in life.
The book detailing her story is available on Amazon.
Come hear Vania in person. Here are the details:
In person, free and open to the public: Speaker: Vanie Valtriani Time: 7 PM Date: Friday, February 27, 2026 Place: Auditorium/Commission Chambers Salt Lake County Complex, North Building 2001 S. State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84144
By Zoom,at this link and then enter the passcode IANDS
Meetings are from 7 to 9pm the fourth Friday of each month, except for December.
Location: Mayor Counsel Auditorium, Salt Lake County Complex, 2001 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
