138: Leslie Kean on Surviving Death, UFO Reporting, and Non-Local Consciousness

Does consciousness survive death? Investigative journalist Leslie Kean has spent two decades following the evidence, from Pentagon UFO reports to physical mediums in the UK. In this episode, she and John Price explore what happens when rigorous investigation meets phenomena that refuse to fit inside a materialist frame. Kean describes her path from Zen practice and investigative journalism through the pivotal 1999 French UFO report, to the landmark 2017 New York Times Pentagon UFO story (with Ralph Blumenthal and Helene Cooper). She explains her evidence-based approach in Surviving Death: near-death experiences, children's verifiable past-life memories, and physical mediumship, including her experiences with UK medium Stewart Alexander. The conversation moves through non-local consciousness, ontological shock, the reduction of fear that comes with encountering this material directly, shifts in modern journalism, and open questions connecting UFO phenomena to afterlife research. About Leslie Kean Investigative journalist. Author of Surviving Death and UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record. Her 2017 NYT Pentagon UFO investigation was one of the most-read articles in Times history. Zen practitioner for over 30 years. Key Takeaways Kean describes an evidence-first approach to phenomena dismissed by mainstream science, grounding investigation in verifiable cases rather than belief. Non-local consciousness is framed as a working hypothesis supported by NDEs, past-life memories, and mediumship research. The 2017 NYT Pentagon UFO story catalyzed a cultural shift, connecting investigative journalism to ontological disruption. Ontological shock surfaces as lived experience: the moment when the worldview cracks, and what integration looks like after. Kean's encounters with physical medium Stewart Alexander raise questions that challenge even sympathetic investigators. Timestamps (00:00) Welcome and Guest Intro (01:15) Housekeeping and Links (02:27) Workshops and Community (04:02) Does Consciousness Survive Death? (06:22) Non-Local Consciousness (10:22) How a French UFO Report Changed Leslie's Career (13:06) The Pentagon UFO Story in the New York Times (20:56) Handling Ridicule and Maintaining Rigor (26:15) Ectoplasm and Physical Mediums: Stewart Alexander (30:03) Evidence Before Transformation (32:30) Children's Past Life Memories (34:25) Writing as Investigation (36:28) Reincarnation and NDE Research (38:04) The Shoe on the Ledge: A Famous NDE Case (40:07) Explaining the Unexplainable (45:15) Journalism and Evidence Standards (49:54) Why Podcasts Reach Where Print Cannot (55:12) Integration and the Non-Local Mind (01:01:00) Ontological Shock: When Your Worldview Breaks (01:06:33) Being Touched by a Physical Medium (01:11:14) Evidence Versus Direct Experience (01:11:55) Why We Survive Death (01:14:19) How This Evidence Transforms Belief (01:16:52) Humility Over Certainty (01:20:29) Beyond Religion Through Evidence (01:22:55) UFOs and Afterlife Research: Connected? (01:26:36) Meaningful Work and Gratitude (01:28:54) Documenting the Impossible (01:33:42) Closing Reflections Explore more at Alethia, John's Substack: https://drjohnwprice.substack.com Connect with Leslie Kean: lesliekean.com Website: http://www.drjohnwprice.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOAuksnpfht1udHWUVEO7Rg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesacredspeaks/ Brought to you by: https://www.thecenterforhas.com Theme music: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com