Meetings
Attend our meetings and share your Near-Death Experiences and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences.
About
Find out more about Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group and its in-person and online meetings.
Founders
Meet Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group’s co-founders, Dr. Yvonne Kason, Monica Maurin, and Dr. Shira Taylor.
‘Not some hallucination’: Near-death experiencers share their stories at Toronto organization
By Ryan Rocca, Global News
February 16, 2023
Toronto resident Yvonne Kason has had multiple near-death experiences in her life — experiences so powerful that they dramatically changed her view of reality.
Kason, a retired family physician who was also on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine for many years, has since started two organizations — one of which is based in Toronto — where people can listen, discuss, and gain insight into similar experiences.
Near-death experiences, referred to as NDEs, are often so powerful, extraordinary, and difficult to put into words that those who experience them commonly don’t know where to turn, Kason says.
The internet is full of NDE accounts and while each one is often unique, there are similarities.
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Join Our Meetings
You are most welcome to join us. We will be exploring Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs).
We are the Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group. Our in-person and Zoom video-conference meetings feature a STE related speaker and a question and answer period. We also offer “Experiencers” Sharing Circles, hosted by Spiritual Awakenings International starting October 2021, which are small sharing groups in which you are invited to share your STE experiences and listen to others. This is not a therapy group but rather a meeting of those who are curious to learn and share their experiences. Sharing is not required, but attentive and respectful listening is. Our meetings are held roughly 5 times a year. Please sign up for email notification of upcoming meetings.
Upcoming Events
Spiritual Awakenings International
Experiencers Sharing Circles
First Saturday of Every Month: at 1 PM EST or 6 PM EST
Join us the first Saturday of each month at the “Spiritual Awakenings International Experiencers Sharing Circle” in which anyone who has had a Spiritually Transformative Experience can come together with a group of other “Experiencers” to share and to listen. SAI Sharing Circles will be offered the first Saturday of each month. These meetings are confidential, and not recorded.
Spiritually Transformative Experiences* include, but are not limited to the following:
- Near-Death Experiences
- Other death-related experiences such as: deathbed visions, deathwatch experiences/shared-death experiences and After-Death Communications
- Mystical experiences
- Diverse psychic or intuitive experiences, including clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, out-of-body experiences, past-life recall, mediumship, channeling, and more…
- Spiritual energy and/or Kundalini Awakenings
- Inspired creativity
- Spiritual Emergencies
Many people who have had Spiritually Transformative Experiences seek a safe place to share their story. If you think that perhaps you have had such an experience or you are interested in learning more, you are welcome to join the Experiencers Circle to share and learn.
*Note: “Spiritually Transformative Experiences” was first coined by Dr. Yvonne Kason in 1994.
Live online via Zoom. Register at www.spiritualawakeningsinternational.org
Soul Lessons from the Light: Special Book Launch Event with Dr. Yvonne Kason MD
Tuesday March 14, 2023
8 PM EST
Hosted by Hawaiian IANDS
Co-Hosted by Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group, and Spiritual Awakenings International
Dr. Yvonne Kason MD is one of a rare breed – a person who has had 5 Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and multiple other Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs), a term she coined in 1994. A retired medical doctor, she is the President and Co-Founder of Spiritual Awakenings International, the Group Leader and Co-Founder of Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group, and the Past-President of IANDS.
Come join us for this special book launch celebration of Dr. Kason’s new bestselling book, “Soul Lessons from the Light: How Spiritually Transformative Experiences Changed My Life,” her first and only memoir book. She shares intimate details of all 5 of her Near-Death Experiences, and many other powerful Spiritually Transformative Experiences, such as her Kundalini Awakening, past-life memories, and mystical experiences that changed the course of her life – plus their after-effects and the lessons they taught her.
In Soul Lessons from the Light, Dr. Kason vividly describes:
- her 2 childhood Near-Death Experiences (NDEs)
- her Kundalini Awakening in medical school
- the medevac plane-crash NDE as a young doctor
- her “Calling” mystical experience
- the 4th NDE – with a blue being of light who said “It is not your time”
- her 5th NDE with a head injury – fully dead then given the choice whether to come back
- Miraculous brain-healing STE in 2016
At this special book launch celebration, Dr. Kason will read a tantalizing excerpt from her new book, then open the floor to a long question and answer period, where you can ask her any question you wish about her NDEs/ STEs and any other Spiritually Transformative Experiences question.
This is your rare opportunity to ask Dr. Yvonne Kason any STE-related question you want. Don’t miss it!
Soul Lessons from the Light is available in softcover and eBook. Get your copy today!
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Bio:
Dr. Yvonne Kason MD, MEd, CCFP, FCFP, is the President and co-founder of Spiritual Awakenings International. She is a retired family physician and transpersonal MD-psychotherapist previously on faculty at the University of Toronto. She is an internationally renowned medical expert on Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), Kundalini Awakenings, and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs). Dr. Kason is the person who first coined the phrase “Spiritually Transformative Experiences” in 1994. She has had five Near-Death Experiences, two in her childhood and three in her adult life, as well as multiple STEs.
Dr. Kason has been a pioneer in the field of Spiritually Transformative Experiences for over 40 years. Propelled by her 1979 medevac plane crash NDE, she began to research spiritual experiences. In 1990, she became the first Canadian medical doctor to specialize her medical practice in the research and counseling of people with diverse types of STEs. In the 1990s, she co-founded the Kundalini Research Network (KRN), chaired the KRN Questionnaire Research Project, was Canadian Coordinator of the Spiritual Emergence Network, and founded the Spiritual Emergence Research and Referral Clinic. In 2000, she founded the Spirituality in Health-Care Network, and in 2002 chaired the University of Toronto’s first conference on Spirituality and Health-Care. Dr. Kason is the Past-President of IANDS, (2019-2020). In 2019, Dr. Kason also co-founded the Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group, (TASG), and continues to serve as TASG Group Leader. She co-founded and became President of Spiritual Awakenings international in 2020. Dr. Yvonne Kason has been recognized for her groundbreaking and pioneering STE work, including the coining of the term “Spiritually Transformative Experience”, as an Honoree on the Spiritual Awakenings International Circle of Honor.
Dr. Yvonne Kason has six published books, her most recent, Soul Lessons From The Light; How Spiritually Transformative Experiences Changed My Life, (December, 2022), and Touched by the Light: Exploring Spiritually Transformative Experiences, (2019). Dr. Kason has been a keynote speaker at many conferences internationally, and has given hundreds of professional presentations and podcast interviews. Dr. Kason’s medevac plane-crash NDE has been re-enacted in 3 documentaries, and she has been an invited guest on many TV and radio talk shows, including The Dr Oz Show (2020 and 2021), and Coast to Coast (2020).
Yvonne Kason lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys “snowbirding” during the winter months, in Encinitas, CA.
Websites: www.dryvonnekason.com
About Our Group
Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group was started in 2019. We call it an “Awakenings Sharing Group,” providing discussion time for those who are interested in Near-Death Experiences and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences. All are welcome to the meetings, whether they have had any of these experiences or not. (Minors must be accompanied by their legal guardians.)
We are not organized by or affiliated with any religion or religious organization. Near-Death Experiences and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences come to those of all different faiths and no faith at all. They also come to those of different cultures, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and ability, and we hold openness for each unique experience and experiencer. We are a non-aligned group and do not endorse any one doctrine, philosophy, religion, religious interpretation or political position. We welcome participants with diverse views and perspectives and ask all participants to respectfully engage as listeners to others’ experiences, without offering judgment, challenge, comment or advice. The views and opinions expressed by any individual or speaker attending our meetings do not reflect any official position of the Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group. To read more on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy, click here.
Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group was created to offer interested individuals a safe, supportive place in which to share, network, and learn more about diverse Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) and their often powerful after-effects on body, mind and spirit.
The term “Spiritually Transformative Experiences” was first coined by Dr. Yvonne Kason MD, in 1994. STEs include: Near-Death Experiences (NDEs); Mystical Experiences; Spiritual Energy or Kundalini Awakenings; diverse Psychic Experiences; Inspired Creativity; and other death-related STEs such as Deathbed visions, Death-Watch/Shared-Death Experiences, and After-Death Communications. Research studies have show that up to 15 percent of the population have had an NDE or other types of STEs. Many people find these occurrences very impactful and even life transforming. Sadly, experiencers often find they are misunderstood by their family or friends, and feel they have no one with whom to share their understanding. Our group meetings aim to provide just such an opportunity, to share privately and respectfully, with support and understanding of the diversity of each person’s STEs.
We believe that Near-Death Experiences and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences hold a wealth of information for all of us, especially given that no two experiences are identical. Our meetings are facilitated by Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group’s three volunteer co-founders, who have worked with and have also experienced their own Spiritually Transformative Experiences.
Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group is affiliated with Spiritual Awakenings International. www.spiritualawakeningsinternational.org
Meet Our Co-Founders
Dr. Yvonne Kason, Monica Maurin and Dr. Shira Taylor founded the Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group in 2019. All three co-founders have had many Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) and two have had Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). They felt there was a need for a community such as this in Toronto and began to offer bi-monthly meetings to all who feel sincerely interested.
Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group is not a therapy group and no counselling can or will be offered. Rather, it is a forum in which to share personal NDE and STE stories in a supportive environment, and to learn more about all types of STEs from our meetings’ featured speakers. Experiencers, their friends, families, physicians and counsellors, as well as all persons sincerely interested in learning more about the wide range of Spiritually Transformative Experiences are welcome to attend.
We believe that Spiritually Transformative Experiences are part of the spectrum of healthy human experiences.
Currently, Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group is led by Dr. Yvonne Kason and other volunteers. Please direct all inquires to: info@torontoawakenings.org
Yvonne Kason MD, MEd, CCFP, FCFP
Dr. Yvonne Kason MD is a retired Family Physician and Transpersonal MD-Psychotherapist previously on Faculty at the University of Toronto. She has had 5 Near-Death Experiences and multiple Spiritually Transformative Experiences. She first coined the phrase “Spiritually Transformative Experiences” (STEs) in 1994. She has 40 years experience researching and counselling persons with NDEs and other STEs.
Dr. Kason is President of Spiritual Awakenings International, www.spiritualawakeningsinternational.org, Past-President of IANDS, cofounder of the Spirituality in Health-Care Network and the Kundalini Research Network, and author of 6 books, her most recent “Soul Lessons from the Light: How Spiritually Transformative Experiences Changed my Life” (December 2022), and “Touched by the Light: Exploring Spiritually Transformative Experiences.” (2019). Learn more at Dr. Kason’s website: www.dryvonnekason.com.