TJ painting

 

"I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led."

-Thomas Jefferson (1812)

Dr. Stevenson UVA 1969
The late Dr. Ian Stevenson, Founder of the Division of Perceptual Studies
October 31, 1918-February 8, 2007
We invite you to read Dr. Stevenson's obituary,
written by our esteemed colleague, Emily Williams Kelly Ph.D. 
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General Information about the
Division of Perceptual Studies

The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS), formerly the Division of Personality Studies , is a unit of the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA. Utilizing scientific methods, we investigate apparent paranormal phenomena, especially:

Watch a video of Dr. Jim Tucker describing the Reincarnation Research being done here at DOPS.  View the Video

Listen to Dr. Bruce Greyson discussing NDE's in an interview from November, 2006, hosted by Sarah McConnell on the award winning public radio program With Good Reason .

Read an article from the UVA Alumni Magazine, summer 2007 ,focusing on the research into Near-Death Experiences being conducted by Dr. Bruce Greyson. 

We welcome written accounts of experiences of these kinds. See What We Study and Contacting Us .

 

The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) was founded as a research unit of the Department of Psychiatric Medicine at UVA by Dr. Ian Stevenson in 1967.  (see History and Description for more information about the founding of DOPS).

 Below are some publications reflecting  Dr. Ian Stevenson's thoughts regarding his involvement in the study of paranormal phenomena.

  An important autobiographical lecture given by Dr. Ian Stevenson in 1989. 

               An essay by Dr. Ian Stevenson as it appeared in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, vol. 20 (1) Spring , 2006.

  

Special Announcement 

New books written by the DOPS research faculty  

Handbook of Near-Death Experiences 

  • The Handbook of Near Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. In this book, DOPS researchers Bruce Greyson, Carlos Alvarado, Nancy Zingrone, Edward F. Kelly, and Emily Williams Kelly as well as many other notable researchers in the field of near-death experiences share the history and current state of near-death experience research and knowledge. They explore controversies in the field, offer specific accounts of NDE's from the research, and express their hopes for the future of investigation into this fascinating phenomenon. The book is edited by Janice Miner Holden, Bruce Greyson, and Debbie James.

Irreducible Mind Cover

Life Before Life cover

Dr. Tucker appeared on the syndicated Wisconsin Public Radio program "To the Best of Our Knowledge"  November 20th 2005, to discuss his book and research in the area of reincarnation.  Follow this link to hear Dr. Tucker in segment two of the program entitled The Meaning of Life: In the Beginning.The interview begins at 29:20 in the segment.