The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has named Dr. Raymond A. Moody, a psychology professor and researcher, to fill the Bigelow Chair in Consciousness Studies during the 1998-99 academic year, President Carol C. Harter announced today.
Moody, who holds the Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Virginia and the M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia, will begin his teaching position in UNLV's College of Sciences in August.
"UNLV is fortunate to have a scholar of Dr. Moody's caliber join the faculty for the coming academic year," Harter said.
Provost Douglas Ferraro noted that Moody's research and writing on near-death experiences should be of considerable interest to students and to audiences at his public lectures.
The Bigelow Chair in Consciousness Studies was established and funded by a gift of $3.7 million from Robert T. and Diane Bigelow of Las Vegas. The chair is filled on an annual basis by distinguished visiting science scholars.
A former forensic psychiatrist at Central Georgia State Hospital, Moody currently conducts research at his personal research institute, The Theater of the Mind. He has held professorships in philosophy at East Carolina University and West Georgia College, and a visiting professorship at the University of Virginia.
He has published several books, including "Life After Life," "The Light Beyond," and "Laugh After Laugh: Humor in Relation to Health and Illness." He has also published in professional journals regarding near-death experiences.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to teach again, and I believe that UNLV should be applauded for its determination to adhere to the strictest standards of scientific rigor regarding claims of rational `evidence' or `proof' of the continuation of consciousness upon bodily death. The extraordinary states of consciousness commonly deemed paranormal are an enduring human concern that will not go away, and I have been hopeful that students with a serious interest in these topics would have a setting within which they could learn about paranormal phenomena from a non-ideological perspective."
Moody will be teaching two classes a semester. He plans to bring to UNLV internationally known researchers in the areas of past-life regression, mind/body connection, facilitated apparitions, and other related fields to address his classes.
For more information about Dr. Moody's classes, call Linda Jones in the consciousness studies department at 895-1970.
