| Contents / September 2009 |
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Transformative
Learning Workshops
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Expand
your mind, open your heart, and activate your full
potential.
September
18–20, 2009
Working
with Fields of Consciousness: Practical Strategies
for Group Leaders
Chris M. Bache, PhD, and Dean Radin, PhD (guest speaker)
September
25–27, 2009
Mindful
Motherhood: A Meditation and Yoga Retreat for
Pregnant Women and Moms
Cassandra Vieten, PhD, and Jnana Gowan
October
9–11, 2009
Extraordinary
Dreams: Working Creatively with Dreams in Your
Life Practice Fariba Bogzaran, PhD, and Patricia
Garfield, PhD (guest speaker)
October
24–25, 2009
Circle
of Stones:
Reclaim Your Feminine Wisdom
Judith Duerk, author of Circle of Stones
(Public
lecture Friday night, October 23)
October
30–November 1, 2009
Integrating
with Your Shadow—Connecting with Your Guide
Ralph Metzner, PhD
November
20–21, 2009
Clear
Mind Wild Heart: Finding Courage and Clarity
through Poetry
David Whyte, poet and philosopher
Register
online, email workshops@noetic.org,
or call 707-779-8224.
See
a complete list of 2009
workshops.
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The
Retreat Center at the Institute of Noetic Sciences
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Located on 200 acres
of beautiful rolling hills just 25 miles north of the
Golden Gate Bridge, we offer meeting facilities, cuisine,
and accommodations for up to 120 people. Our clients
offer educational programs, workshops, and retreats,
with a broad focus on health, personal growth, and transformation.
We
also welcome weekend workshops and retreats for small
groups (less than 25). Many programs are
open to the public.
For
more information and an Events Schedule: www.noetic.org/retreat.cfm
events@noetic.org
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IONS
Retreat Center Events
San Francisco Bay Area
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Honoring
Ancestors: Healing the Past & Reclaiming Your Spirit:
A Weekend Retreat with Mother Maya
September 4–6, 2009
Michael
E. Salla, Ph.D.: The Science, Spirituality, and
Politics of Extraterrestrial Civilizations
September 10, 2009
Retreat
Center Art Auction
September 13, 2009
Justine
Willis Toms - Small Pleasures: Finding Grace in
a Chaotic World
September 15, 2009
Working
with Fields of Consciousness: Practical Strategies
for Group Leaders and Teachers
September 18–20, 2009
George
LoBuono: The Thought and Behavior of Extraterrestrials
September 22, 2009
New
Equations — "The Physical Expression of the
Soul" Training Program
September 23–October 3, 2009
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Special Events
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World
Shift Network: The Club of Budapest's Global Emergency
Consultation 9/9/9
September 9, 2009
London, England
A conference to raise public awareness of the dangers
as well as the opportunities of the current social,
economic, and ecological crisis. Focus on projects
of international and intercultural cooperation that
address the dangers of the crisis and build on the
opportunities it offers for meaningful change and
transformation.
Spiritual Transformation in a Post-Modern World:
A Report from the Laboratory
September 12, 2009
This is a free online teleseminar with
Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, part of The Great Integral
Awakening: Pioneering a New Spiritual Path
series from IntegralEnlightenment.com and Integral
Life. Listen live online or by phone, or download
the recording anytime after the event.
Workshops
with Marilyn Schlitz
September 25-26, 2009
Sacramento, California
Marilyn Mandala Schlitz and Elizabeth Miller will
be speaking at the Elk Grove School District school
assembly about Worldview Literacy. Friday Evening:
Toward
a Global Shift. Saturday Workshop: Navigating
Change in the 21st Century.
The
Reconnection's 2009 Los Angeles Mastery Conference
October 2-4, 2009
Los Angeles, California
See, hear, and interact with some of the
most cutting-edge, forward-thinking scientists and
teachers on the planet, all gathered in one place.
This year's presenters include Joe Dispenza, Raymond
Moody, Dannion and Kathryn Brinkley, William Tiller,
Konstantin Korotkov, Gary Schwartz, Terry Cole-Whittaker,
James Sigafoose, and Eric Pearl. Mention
IONS to receive a $50 discount.
Mind
and Life XIX: Educating World Citizens for the 21st
Century
October 8-9,
2009
Washington, DC
Educators, scientists, and comtemplatives
dialogue on cultivating a healthy mind, brain, and
heart. The Dalai Lama will participate fully in
all sessions.
Litquake
Consciousness Panel
October 13, 2009
San Francisco, California
The subject of the panel is consciousness – essentially,
Cartesian dualism revisited: the relationship between
the brain and mind, consciousness and neurology,
in here / out there. The panel includes Alva
Noe, Robert
Burton, Paul
Ekman, and Marilyn Mandala
Schlitz, with moderator Joe
Quirk.
Science
and Nonduality Conference
October 21-25, 2009
San Rafael, California
An exciting program of lectures, concerts, movies,
music, dance, posters and workshops! Over 100 leading
scientists, nondual spiritual practitioners, artists,
philosophers, and many others.
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'Friends of
IONS' Events
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The
Living Matrix Premiere
September 30, 2009
Los Angeles, California
Premier of The Living Matrix in
Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theater will be a red
carpet event featuring: Dr. Marilyn Schlitz, Dr.
Eric Pearl, the makers of the movie and more, in
a moderated panel following the viewing.
It
Is Solved by Walking
October 18, 2009
Petaluma, California
Program on the mystery and meaning of the
labyrinth, California cuisine dinner, and labyrinth
walk with Lauren Artress at IONS. 707-283-0373 for
more information.
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| Noetic
Research |
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especially mystifying aspect of consciousness is the
elusive notion of nonduality,
whose philosophical roots can be found in ancient Eastern
cosmologies. It has been defined in many ways but basically
refers to a state of being (emphasis on being)
in which there is no sense of separation between the
viewer and what is being viewed—a difficult concept
to understand intellectually (but helpfully explained
by such contemporary spiritual teachers as Adyashanti).
The opposite of nonduality, of course, is duality, the
coexistence of opposites: man/woman, us/them, right/wrong,
life/death, and so on, endlessly. Duality represents
the basic foundation of how most of us perceive reality—how
we create and recreate our worldviews. It is this relationship
to worldview that makes the consideration of nonduality
relevant. How would an experience, or at least an acceptance,
of such foundational interconnectedness influence one's
worldview? And what can science possibly say about all
this?
Such questions will
be addressed during the Science
and Nonduality Conference, which takes place October
21-25 in San Rafael, CA. The first public conference
on the subject, it will explore a wide range of experiential,
spiritual, and scientific approaches to the understanding
of nonduality. More than 100 scientists, spiritual practitioners,
artists, philosophers, and others from diverse traditions
and perspectives, including Marilyn Mandala Schlitz,
Dean Radin, and Cassandra Vieten from IONS, will present
their work. (When you register,
mention IONS and receive a $50 discount!)
Dr. Vieten, IONS
Director of Research, will discuss a current study of
nonduality that she is collaborating on with research
psychologist John Astin of the newly formed The
Baumann Institute. The study seeks to learn more
about the lived experience of nondual awareness and
how it manifests in day-to-day life. IONS is also working
on a project to study how nondual awareness affects
psychophysiological responses to stimuli. Using electroencephalography
(EEG) to monitor brain activity, this project is intended
to learn more about how the subjective experience of
nondual awareness affects unconscious responses, and
will explore whether the experience of timelessness
and a lack of boundaries between self and other are
only subjective or can be observed through objective
measures.
New York University's
Scienceline reports on preliminary research ("Contemplating
Oneness: The Neuroscience of Meditation") that is
finding that the brains of meditators during (self-reported)
states of oneness are remarkably similar to the brains
of those with such disorders as depression, Alzheimer's,
and autism. One of the key differences: the meditators
are choosing where to focus whereas the others have
no such control.
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Media Spotlight
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Listen in for teleseminar
interview encore presentations
featuring authors and luminaries discussing science,
consciousness, and paradigm shift. Just dial 530-216-4294
at the designated time and enter the Participant
code 179215.
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Wednesday, September 2 at 5 pm Pacific
- James O'Dea with Jean Houston
on "Exploring the Global Crisis"
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Wednesday, September 9 at 5 pm Pacific
- Cassandra Vieten with Bill Plotkin
on "Nature and the Human Soul"
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Wednesday, September 16 at 5 pm Pacific
- Marilyn Schlitz and Lee Lipsenthal
on "Consciousness and Healing"
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Wednesday, September 23 at 5 pm Pacific
- Dean Radin with Richard Dolan
on "UFOs and the National Security State"
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Wednesday, September 30 at 5 pm Pacific
- James O'Dea with Ervin Laszlo
on "Science and the Reënchantment of
the Cosmos"
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Media
Spotlight
Film
Highlights
 Oh
My God. Seeking to understand why our
notions of God have had such a polarizing and
destructive influence in the world, Director Peter
Rodger asked the question, "What is God?" to people
of all walks of life in 23 countries. This new
film was the answer.
 The
Quantum Activist. Pioneering, iconoclastic
physicist Amit Goswami, and the contention that
science is on the verge of a revolution in paradigms,
are the subjects of this new and award-winning
film.
 What
on Earth: Inside the Crop Circle Mystery.
The crop circle enigma continues to mystify as
new, ever-more-intricate formations emerge. Advocate-documentarian
Suzanne Taylor presents the latest insights into
and research on this truly unusual phenomenon.
New
Books
 The
Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion: How Feelings Link
the Brain, the Body, and the Sixth Sense
by Michael A. Jawer with Marc S. Micozzi (foreword
by Larry Dossey). Some of the latest thinking
on the complex interplay of mind-body-emotion
and "extraordinary perception."
 When
the Soul Awakens: The Path to Spiritual Evolution
and a New World Era by Nancy Seifer and
Martin Vieweg. An elegant and skillful weaving
of ancient wisdom and contemporary awakening.
 You
Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present
Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh. The renowned
Buddhist monk and teacher presents specific practices
for cultivating mindfulness.
 The
Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism by Andrew
Harvey (foreword by Caroline Myss). A powerful
and passionate call to meet the world's challenges
with an open heart, and in so doing unleash the
power of true transformation.
 Shift
Magazine
Publication of Shift magazine
has been suspended for both financial and ecological reasons, but if you’re an IONS member,
stay tuned for our new bulletin, Consciousness
Matters, coming out in late October. In the
meantime, if you haven’t linked to the latest
feature articles in the Summer issue of Shift,
here they are:
Consciousness
and Healing:
Evidence
Adds Up to a Health Care Revolution
(PDF)
By Vesela Simic
Extended
Human Capacities:
The
Power of Premonition (PDF)
By Larry Dossey
Emerging
Worldviews:
Mythic
Visions for Uncertain Times (PDF)
By Michael Meade
Transformation:
Evolving
Consciousness (PDF)
By Kaisa Puhakka
Frontiers
of Research:
The
Noetic Sciences Change Model (PDF)
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In
the News |
The Military's Growing Interest in the Brain
In "Mental
Stress Training Is Planned for U.S. Soldiers",
The New York Times reports that "positive
psychology" techniques are now being introduced into
the U.S. Army. This cultivation of emotional resiliency,
based on a program that has been tested in middle
schools, is hoped to reduce such mounting mental health
problems as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder,
and suicide that are affecting nearly 20 percent of
troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. For more
information on the field of positive psych, check
out the University of Pennsylvania's Positive
Psychology Center, run by Dr. Martin Seligman.
The New York
Times also reported that the military is spending
more time—and money—on understanding the
role that "hunches" and "gut feelings" play in helping
soldiers avoid or anticipate danger ("In
Battle, Hunches Prove to Be Valuable"). While
it seems that acute sensory perception skills and
superior brain processing are involved, no mention
is made of means that don't fall easily into a neuroscientist's
model. IONS' Dean Radin, for example, has been helping
to pioneer the study of intuition and anticipation
from a perspective that hypothesizes that consciousness
transcends the everyday boundaries of space and time.
The write-up of his recent study, "Intuition
through Time: What Does the Seer See?", has just
been published in Explore:
The Journal of Science and Healing.
Dr. Radin is currently
working on a new study that involves presentiment
as well as nondual states of timelessness by tracking
the activities of a brain during meditation before
certain stimuli appear. As he describes it, "Presentiment
is hypothesized as an unconscious form of precognition,
which assumes that some aspect of our awareness transcends
time and can thus peek into what we perceive as 'the
future.' If presentiment is real, then we should be
able to detect differences in brain activity prior
to the randomly presented stimuli. If a meditator
is genuinely in a timeless place, those effects may
be stronger than when the meditator is in an ordinary
state of awareness."
IONS’ Intention Research in the Media
Dr. Radin showed
up in the September 2009 issue of O, The Oprah
Magazine. The staffers at O put the
claims of "intentional chocolate" to an informal test
they could do themselves, and asked Dean for some
advice on how to devise it based on his own previous
research. (To investigate the potential yourself,
go to Intentional
Chocolate.) The Institute’s research into prayer,
intention, and healing was featured in a recent San
Francisco Examiner.com article.
Temple
Award Winner Featured on NPR
Remote
Area Medical Volunteer Corps, a 2009 co-recipient
of the Institute's bi-annual Temple Awards for Creative
Altruism, was the subject of a recent story on NPR
("Mass
Medical Clinic's Sobering Message").
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Member
Spotlight |
|  Lynn
Montei
As a new board member,
Circle donor, development committee member, and community
group coordinator, I find inspiration, joy, and kinship
in a mutuality of resonance between IONS' mission and
my own passion and purpose. My work is to help liberate
the potential in organizations and individuals. Through
coaching, strategic planning, and culture change initiatives,
the processes I use shed light on unexamined assumptions,
patterns, and beliefs, and facilitate deep awareness,
healing, and action toward transformational change.
Especially relevant
during these times of financial crisis is money coaching—bringing
awareness to one's relationship with that potent energy
influencing most aspects of daily life. Individual and
collective consciousness around money is often the source
of great suffering and constriction. When that consciousness
is transformed, however, a path toward personal and
financial fulfillment opens up. (www.lynnmontei.com
/ www.lynnmontei.com/money_coaching.html)
To learn more about IONS' Circle membership,
please contact Donor Relations: Deborah
Breitbach at 707-779-8216 or Kathleen
Erickson-Freeman at 707-779-8232.
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Benefit IONS with a Planned Giving Program |
| IONS
members now have free access to new estate-planning
hotline
Unclear of why you
need to write an estate plan, or the difference between
a will and a living trust? Wondering what the government
will do if your assets are inadequately protected at
your passing? Such planning does far more than provide
for your wishes at death while minimizing confusion
and dissension; it can also protect you and your family
from avoidable legal fees and court costs during life
in case of accident or illness.
By calling 415-457-7482,
IONS' planned giving specialist Phil Murphy will provide
you with answers to all your estate- planning questions
confidentially and without obligation of fee. Not a
substitute for qualified legal advice, the hotline will
help you prepare to meet with an estate planning attorney.
And by including IONS in your charitable bequests, you
will continue to support our programs and leading-edge
research for future generations to come. Thank you!
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Contact
Us |
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The Institute of
Noetic Sciences is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and
educational organization located in Northern California
that conducts and sponsors leading-edge research into
the potentials and powers of consciousness—including
perceptions, beliefs, attention, intention, and intuition.
The Institute explores phenomena that do not necessarily
fit conventional scientific models, while maintaining
a commitment to scientific rigor.
We depend on and
gratefully accept your financial
support.
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