When his 17-year-old son, Joshua, committed suicide, Ron Pappalardo wanted to know what had become of his son in the afterlife. Through some gifted psychics and mediums, Joshua made contact in the form of detailed letters describing what happened to him and others when they made the transition to the other side, the people he met in the spirit world, and what life is like for those who inhabit these realms. In his talk, Ron will share his son’s story, the revelations that came to him through the letters, and the spiritual adventure that he has had as a result. Ron’s work with mediums in the aftermath of his son’s death prompted a desire to develop his own spiritual gifts, and he has since become a Reiki Master, gifted medium, and spiritual healer. He completed the Course on Modern Spiritualism at the Morris Pratt Institute in Milwaukee and has become an authority on the history of Spiritualism, psychic phenomena, and mysticism. His talk will cover the origins of modern Spiritualism, scientific discoveries related to mediumship, and a demonstration of his own mediumship skills with messages from the spiritual world to members of the audience. Although he was raised in a traditionally Catholic family, Ron searched for life’s meaning through other faith traditions and philosophies. His quest for truth led him to several of the New Thought movements of the 1970s, such as Transcendental Meditation, the Hare Krishna sect of Hinduism, Soka Gakkai Buddhism, Baba Ram Das, and the Unification movement, including graduate studies in religious education at the Unification Theological Seminary in New York. He has decades of experience facilitating interfaith dialogue and political reconciliation in locations all over the world. He hosts a monthly spirit circle, and speaks at colleges about dealing with grief and preventing suicide. He recently published Reconciled by the Light: The After Death Letters from a Teen Suicide, his account of his Joshua’s life, death, and afterlife communications. Ron lives in Cary with his wife, Connie, and their three surviving children. Learn more about him and his work at www.ReconciledByTheLight.com. Ron will offer copies of his book, and also tickets for private sessions and his Saturday workshop, for sale at his talk, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit SFF.