I would like to introduce you to my dear friend, Dr. Kenneth Ring, a distinguished psychologist, renowned for his pioneering research in the field of near-death experiences, (NDEs). As a co-founder and past president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, (IANDS), Dr. Ring’s groundbreaking research has been instrumental in bringing scientific credibility and public awareness to the study of NDEs. His work has inspired a new generation of scholars, scientists and spiritual seekers to continue exploring this fascinating field of study.

Dr. Ring’s meticulous research involved interviewing hundreds of near-death experiencers and identifying common elements they shared, such as encountering a bright light, feelings of peace and serenity, life reviews, and encounters with deceased loved ones and spiritual beings. These findings have significantly contributed to our understanding of consciousness, spirituality, and the nature of human existence.

Dr. Kenneth Ring has authored several influential books that have significantly contributed to the field of NDEs. His highly acclaimed, Lessons From the Light: What Near-Death Experiences Teach Us About Living in the Here and Now, resonated with me deeply. It explores the life-changing transformations experienced by those who have had a near-death experience and offers valuable lessons on how we can learn from them to enhance our own lives. This book has recently been published in a new edition, available not only in print, but also as an audio and e-book. At 87, Dr. Ring released another wonderfully entertaining and insightful book, A Near-Death Researcher’s Notebook: What I Have Learned about Dying, Death, and the Afterlife.

While his primary research has focused on human experiences, the implications of his findings extend to our understanding of the afterlife and the bond we share with our beloved pets. It’s this connection with our pets that I wish to share with you and how a serendipitous online search reconnected me with Ken, whom I had the pleasure of getting to know some years earlier.

I was grieving deeply over the loss of my beloved dog, Chloe, when an internet search of our pets in the afterlife turned up this beautifully written essay, Do Our Pets Have an Afterlife? by Dr. Kenneth Ring: https://www.kenringblog.com/2020/09/do-our-pets-have-afterlife.html. For anyone who has lost a cherished pet, this is a must-read. It gave me comfort and hope that I’ll see my beloved dog again. This essay was perfectly aligned with my search and when I realized it was authored by Ken, someone I knew and admired, it felt like more than a coincidence. It was a sign.

After we said goodbye to Chloe, my husband and I began receiving signs from her in the afterlife. I knew our beloved dog had survived death because her spirit was sending clear messages, but questions remained. Where was she and who was she with in this other realm? I've heard that our pets don't have the same kind of soul as humans and therefore might not go to the same heaven as we do. A heaven with a no-pets policy doesn’t seem like heaven at all. Although the signs I was receiving from Chloe were very comforting, my concerns were unsettling.

When my search about this topic generated this wonderful essay, it was as if it was written just for me, specifically addressing the question about our pets’ souls. Ken’s thorough documentation of individuals encountering their deceased pets during near-death experiences was reassuring. His insights and the heartfelt accounts he shared gave me tremendous comfort, affirming that Chloe was in a place of love and joy. It also reinforced the belief that the bond between humans and their pets is not severed upon death.

We can form deep bonds with a variety of species, as evidenced by my Great-Uncle Art. Uncle Art was a caregiver to a famous gorilla named Bushman, who resided at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago from 1930 until his death in 1951. Although Bushman passed away before most of my siblings and I were born, we would make the drive from Peoria to visit him at the Field Museum in Chicago, where he is on exhibit at the museum’s east entrance.

BUSHMAN

As young children, we were mesmerized by this giant creature and thought it was awesome that Uncle Art was Bushman's caretaker. One of our aunts believed that Uncle Art was glorifying his real position at the zoo and suggested that he was nothing more than the handler of a humongous pooper scooper. As an official pooper scooper myself, I would not diminish the importance of that work, nor the notion that such a task isn’t a bonding experience.

My siblings and I looked forward to visits with Uncle Art, as we were captivated by his stories about Bushman. This towering gorilla, (6’2” and 550 pounds), became a part of our family’s lore, even though he had been deceased for years. Bushman died on January 1, 1951, and Uncle Art was devastated. According to his wife, he came rushing home, flailing his arms and shouting, “Jesse, Bushman’s dead,” over and over. The thought of Bushman greeting Uncle Art at the Pearly Gates is a visual that always makes me laugh and smile.

Similarly, the work of Dr. Kenneth Ring has profoundly impacted our understanding of these enduring connections. His groundbreaking research into near-death experiences has given us invaluable insights into the bonds we share with our loved ones, both human and animal. We are deeply grateful for his contributions, as his findings continue to offer comfort and inspiration to those exploring the mysteries of existence and the afterlife.