Barbara Harris Whitfield is the author of many published articles and three books, Full Circle: The Near-Death Experience and Beyond (Pocket Books), Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of the Near Death Experience and Other Doorways to Our Soul (Health Communications, Inc.), and Final Passage: Sharing the Journey As This Life Ends (Health Communications, Inc.).

She is a thanatologist (thanatology is the study of death and dying), workshop presenter, near-death experiencer and therapist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. She was on the faculty of Rutgers University's Summer School for Alcohol and Drug Studies for 12 years. 

Barbara spent six years researching the aftereffects of the near-death experience (NDE) at the University of Connecticut Medical School. She was a member of the executive board of the Kundalini Research Network and has sat on the executive board of the International Association for Near-Death Studies. She is a consulting editor and contributor for the Journal of Near-Death Studies.

Barbara has been a guest on major television talk shows including Larry King Live, The Today Show, Unsolved Mysteries, Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN Medical News. She is a member of the Author's Guild.

EDUCATION:  

     Oakland University, Rochester, Mi, 1977-8

     Respiratory Therapy Institute, Miami, Fl, 1978-81

         (R.T.T., C.E.)

     Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy,

         Newington, Ct, 1987-88 (C.M.T.)

ACADEMIC POSITIONS:

     Research Assistant, Psychical Research Foundation,

          Chapel Hill, NC, 1983-84

     Instructor, Piedmont Virginia Community College   

          Charlottesville, VA, 1984

     Research Assistant, International Association for

          Near-Death Studies, Storrs, CT, 1984-85

     Research Assistant, University of Connecticut Medical

          School, Dept. Of Psychiatry 1985-89

     Associate Director of Research, International

          Association for Near-Death Studies, 1987-90

     Instructor, Long Island University, Brookville,

          NY, 1989, 1990, 1991

     Faculty, C.G. Jung Foundation of the Analytical

          Society of Ontario, 1990-1991

     Faculty, Rutgers University, Institute of Alcohol and

          Drug Studies, 1990-

     Faculty, New Jersey Summer School of Alcohol and Drug Studies, l997-

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

     American Association for Respiratory Therapists, 1979-

     Academy of Religion and Psychical Research, 1982-90

     Psychical Research Foundation, 1982-90

     American Association for Social Psychiatry, Associate, 1982-

     International Association for Near-Death Studies, Member of

          Board of Directors 1982-1990, Treasurer 1984-1986,

          Support group facilitator and trainer 1983-1990

     American Massage Therapy Association, 1988-

     Kundalini Research Network, Executive Board of Directors, 1993-2001

     Kundalini Research Network, President of Board 1998-1999

     American Professional Society on Abuse of Children 1996-

SELECTED SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS:

     "The NDE and Hospice Work."  North Central Hospice,

          Rockville, CT, 1988

     "A Personal NDE, The Research, and the Future."

          American Medical Writers' Association, Cromwell, CT, 1988

     "The NDE and AIDS."  Project AIDS, Hartford, CT, 1988

     "NDEs: Implications at the Bedside."  Connecticut

          Nurses' Assoc. Annual Convention, New Haven, 1988

     "NDEs: At the Scene."  Connecticut Paramedics Association,

          University of Connecticut Health Center, 1989

     "The Near-Death Experience and the Life Review Process."

          Two day workshop for Hospice of Hancock County, Maine, 1989

     "The NDE: Working with the Aftereffects by Balancing the Bioenergy."

          International Association for Near-Death Studies First

          Annual Conference, Rosemont College, Rosemont, PA, 1989

     "Clinical Approaches for the Near-Death Experiencer."  Connecticut

          League of Nursing, First Annual Convention, New Haven, CT, 1990

     "The NDE, The Dying, And the Life Review Process."  North Hampton,

          Mass. Hospice, May 18, 1990

     "Science and the NDE."  Exchange Club of Capitol Hill, Senate,

          Washington, D.C. August 15, 1990

     "Helping the NDEr Cope" and "The NDE and Body-based Psychotherapy"

          "Organizing and running a support group" Three talks, IANDS

          International Conference, Washington, D.C. August 15, 1990

     "The NDE, The Research, and the Global Implications." Jung Foundation

          of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Sept. 14, 1990

     "Helping as a Hospice Worker."  Visiting Nurses Association, Chippewa,

          MA, March 27, 1991

     "When the 12th Step Happens First: Handling the Aftermath of Spiritual

          Awakening." Workshop, The Yearning for Wholeness: Addiction and Recovery   

      The Spiritual Quest.  The International Transpersonal Association,

           Atlanta, Georgia, Sept. 17-21, 1991

     "The Near-Death Experience and the Right to Die."  St. Vincent's Medical

          Center, Toledo, Ohio, December 9, 1991

     "The Emotional and Spiritual Connection in Body Work."  Workshop

          Conn. Center for Massage Therapy, Newington, CT, Feb. 15, 1992

     "Creating Research Projects on Spiritual Topics." Seminar with Kenneth

          Ring and Barbara Harris, University of Connecticut, Feb. 15, 1992

     "Spiritual Awakening."  One day workshop at North Virginia Community

          College's Frontiers of Consciousness Conference, March 14, 1992

     Keynote address.  Kundalini: Dawn of a New Science Conference.

          Kundalini Research Network and Institute of Transpersonal

          Psychology.  Menlo Pk, CA, Ju 19, 92, Ontario, Can, Ju 17, 93

     Keynote address: Spiritual Awakenings and their aftereffects.  Miracles

          Community Network Conference, Estes Park, Colorado, Oct. 28, 1992

     Keynote address: Forgiveness and A Course in Miracles.  Miracles

          Community Network Conference, Lake Arrowhead, CA, April 15, 1993

     Spiritual Awakenings - Research and Clinical Approaches.  Institute of

          Transpersonal Psychology, Menlo Park, CA, April 26, 1993

     Divine Energy - Kundalini Research Network.  Toronto, Canada, June 14, 1993

     Psychic Abilities and Healthy Boundaries - Kundalini Research Network.  Philadelphia,

          PA.   October 11, l995.

    Spirituality and Recovery Impromptu with Charles Whitfield, MD Hazelden 50th Ann.

        Celebration, Oct. 1999.

     Kundalini and Sexuality- Kundalini Research Network, Atlanta, GA Oct. 15, l998.

     Living and Dying - Quota International Conference Aruba March 27, l999.

     When the 12th step happens first. Metro Atlanta Recovery Residences, Aug. 17, 2002

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

     Harris B: The View form the Circle Bed.  Journal of the American Association

          for Respiratory Therapy.  Nov., 1980.

     Harris B: Near-death experiences and the health care professional.  Vital Signs

          2(4): 12, 1983.  Recent research 1985.

     Greyson B & Harris B: Clinical approaches to the near-death experiencer.

          Journal of Near Death Studies, 1986.

     Greyson B & Harris B: Counseling the Near-Death Experiencer.  Spiritual

          Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes A Crisis.  Ed.

          Stan Grof, M.D. and C. Grof. Tarcher, 1989.

     Harris B & Bascom L: Full Circle: The Near-Death Experience and Beyond

         Pocket Books, Simon and Schuster, l990.

     Harris B : The Near-Death Experience.  Readers Digest Series. 91

     Harris B: Divine Energy.  Miracles Magazine, Spring, 1993.

     Harris B: Boundaries, Energy And The Body.  Boundaries and Relationships:

          Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self  Chas. Whitfield. Health

          Communication, Inc.  l993.

     Harris B: Kundalini and Healing in the West Journal of Near-Death Studies, Winter,      

         1994

     Whitfield (Harris) B: Life as a Practical Mystic Lotus Journal Autumn l995     

     Whitfield (Harris) B: Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of the Near-Death

           Experience and Other Doorways to Our Soul.  Health Communications,

           Deerfield Beach, FL, February, 1995.

     Whitfield CL & Whitfield  BH: Recent research in trauma and memory: a summary of  

          conference  presentations.  Family Violence & Sexual Assault Bulletin  12 (3-4):   

           38-39, l996.

     Whitfield B: Understanding the Dying Process Personal Transformation, Summer

           1998

     Whitfield (Harris) B  Final Passage: Sharing the Journey as This Life Ends Health

           communications Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL. Feb. l998

     Whitfield B:Ask the Experts-Coping with AIDS  Personal Transformation Sp.1999

     Whitfield BH: The Bigger Line  Book -- In process

     Whitfield CL, Anda R, Tolefson B, Whitfield B, Brainwashing and

        Mind Control Among Adult Children of Trauma In process.

      Whitfield B.: In Memory  One Voice: The American Coalition for Abuse Awareness

           Newsletter, December 14, l999.

     Whitfield CL &Whitfield B: Six Simple Steps to Healing Glassbook,

           Adobe Ebook Reader March, 2001

      Whitfield CL & Whitfield B: The Power of Humility: From Conflict to Peace Health   

           Communications Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL. 2003. (in process)

      Whitfield B Children of the Solution (New book on childhood near-death experiences    

            In process).