conference were anaesthetist and intensive care doctor Jean-Jacques Charbonnier, and pioneering researcher Raymond Moody. Relevant publications IANDS publishes the quarterly Journal of Near-Death Studies, the only scholarly journal in the field. IANDS also publishes Vital Signs, a quarterly newsletter that is made available to its members and that includes commentary, news and articles of general interest. One of the first introductions to the field of near-death studies was an introductory volume called A Collection of Near-Death Research Readings: Scientific Inquiries Into the Experiences of Persons Near Physical Death. The book was edited by Craig R. Lundahl and was released in 1982. Another early contribution to the field was the publication of a general reader: The Near-Death Experience: Problems, Prospects, Perspectives. The book was published in 1984 and was an early overview of the field. In 2009 Praeger Publishers published the Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: thirty years of investigation, an overview of the field based on papers presented at the IANDS-conference in 2006. 2011 marked the publication of Making Sense of Near-Death Experiences: A Handbook for Clinicians. The book had many contributors and described how the NDE could be handled in psychiatric and clinical practice. In 2017 the University of Missouri Press published The Science Of Near-death Experiences, edited by John C. Hagan. The book consisted of a compilation of articles that was originally published in the medical journal Missouri Medicine between 2013 and 2015. Recognition and criticism According to literature the field of near-death studies is associated with discovery, challenges, and controversy. Skepticism towards the findings of near-death studies, and the validity of the near-death experience as a subject for scientific study, has been widespread. According to Knapton, in The Daily Telegraph, the subject was, until recently, considered to be controversial. Both scientists and medical professionals have, in general, tended to be skeptical. According to commentators in the field the early study of near-death experiences was met with "academic disbelief". Acceptance of NDEs as a legitimate topic for scientific study has improved, but the process has been slow. According to literature "psychiatrists have played a role in the recognition of the "near-death" phenomenon as well as popularization of the subject and subsequent research". Kinsella noted that "Growing scholarly interest has followed popular interest in the subject". Skeptics have remarked that it is difficult to verify many of the anecdotal reports that are being used as background material in order to