Raymond Moody facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raymond Moody
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| Born | June 30, 1944 Porterdale, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, doctor of medicine |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 20th century |
| Genre | Philosophy |
| Subject | Near-death experiences |
Raymond A. Moody Jr. (born June 30, 1944) is an American philosopher, psychiatrist, and author. He is famous for his books about the afterlife and near-death experiences (NDEs). He even created the term "near-death experience" in 1975. This was in his popular book, Life After Life.
Dr. Moody's work looks at stories from people who had NDEs. These are experiences of people who seemed to have died but then came back to life. He has written a lot about what he calls "near-death-experience psychology."
Contents
Early Life and Education
Raymond Moody was born in Porterdale, Georgia. His father was a surgeon. Raymond studied philosophy at the University of Virginia. He earned his first degree there in 1966. He then got two more degrees in philosophy by 1969.
Later, he earned a degree in psychology. This was from the University of West Georgia. He even became a professor there. In 1976, he became a medical doctor. This degree was from the Medical College of Georgia.
Dr. Moody's Career
Starting His Work
After becoming a doctor, Dr. Moody worked in a hospital. He was a special kind of psychiatrist. In 1998, he became a professor. He taught about consciousness studies. This was at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Researching Near-Death Experiences
In 1965, while in college, Moody met Dr. George Ritchie. Dr. Ritchie shared an amazing story. He believed he had traveled to the afterlife. This happened when he was medically dead for nine minutes. Dr. Ritchie later wrote a book about it.
This meeting inspired Dr. Moody. He started collecting similar stories. He talked to many people who had experienced clinical death. He found that their experiences often had things in common. These included feeling outside their body. They also described traveling through a tunnel. Some met dead relatives or saw a bright light.
In 1975, Dr. Moody published these stories. His book was called Life After Life. In this book, he first used the term "near-death experience."
Dr. Moody has spoken about his research. He said that after talking to over a thousand people, he feels sure. He believes there is life after death. He has "absolutely no doubt" that his patients "got a glimpse of the beyond."
Later Studies and Discoveries
Dr. Moody was interested in ancient Greek ideas. He learned about "psychomanteums." These were places where Greeks tried to see spirits of the dead. Inspired by this, Moody built his own psychomanteum. He called it the Dr. John Dee Theater of the Mind.
He claims that people can see visions there. They do this by looking into a mirror in a dim room. This is also known as mirror gazing.
Dr. Moody has also looked into past life regression. He believes he has lived nine past lives himself.
In 2023, Dr. Moody wrote a new book. It is called Proof of Life After Life. He wrote it with Paul Perry. The book shares almost fifty years of his research. It includes real stories and expert talks. It argues that our minds continue after our bodies die. The book looks at NDEs and other strange experiences.
Dr. Moody works as a researcher. He is at the Institute for the Scientific Study of Consciousness. He continues to study NDEs and consciousness.
In 2025, a big event happened. The International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) held its yearly conference. It was called Life After Life: Celebrating the Golden Anniversary of Near-Death Studies. This honored Dr. Moody's important 1975 book.
Personal Life
Dr. Moody has shared some personal experiences. He said he had a near-death experience in 1991. He wrote about it in his book Paranormal.
See also
In Spanish: Raymond Moody para niños
