"FOR those who want to know who? what? why? where? and when? - I don't think there will ever be an answer." As a journalist weaned on asking the five 'w's' this statement went somewhat against the grain as I took in the atmosphere at the Planetary Aid Network Conference at the Dome in Morecambe at the weekend. The speaker was Janet Sleigh, a member of a Native American teaching lodge answering a question which is hotly pursued by today's eminent scientists - the origins of the universe.

It would have been easy to sit back with a wry smile and say "cosmic man' but with more than 200 people tentatively listening to experts in subjects as varied as ecological house building, life after death and the mysteries of the moon, you couldn't help but become thoroughly absorbed.

It was the first conference of its kind and attracted visitors from as far as France and Holland and local organisers were delighted with the enthusiastic response.

Dr Horace Dobbs, a biochemist who now enjoys a life swimming with dolphins and travelling around the world speaking about their amazing affect on people suffering with depression, enthralled the audience with his tales and film footage of a friendly dolphin playing off the British coast.

Michael Roll spoke of the mounting scientific evidence which proves the spirit survives death and to demonstrate these theories renowned spiritualist mediums, Jill Harland and Janet Parker, spoke to departed spirits, one of whom reminded a sheepish member of the audience to get a television licence!

After a fantastic evening of live music with top local bands 'The Hustle' and 'No Do Do' plus internationally respected singer and harpist, Annie Mawson, day two of the conference launched stra

ight into the mysteries of the moon with UFO researcher, Simon Lewis. Former opera singer Dewhurst-Maddock fascinated the audience with the powerful healing potential of the human voice and we were given food for thought about ecological development and direct democracy by David Huw Stephens, principal of the Tir Gaia Solar Village in Mid Wales.

Dr Serena Roney-Dougal, author of the enormously successful book "Where Science and Magic Meet' spoke of how new theories on the cutting edge of physics where entering the realms of ancient mystical traditions, raising a whole new world of possibilities and to round up the event paranormal researcher, Peter Padget, encouraged the audience to get more involved in helping to heal the ailing planet.

Said organiser, Roger Hill: "I'm absolutely thrilled to bits with how the conference went. It was truly an international event and one speaker, who has travelled the world attending similar conferences for many years, said this was the best one she had ever been to. We're definitely planning another one and we want to see it become an annual event."

The Lancaster-based Planetary Aid Network have an open public meeting once a month.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.