I don't believe in chance, I believe in Destiny— Alex Tanous
Participants Needed for Online Study at APRU
The Anomalistic Psychology Research Until at Goldmiths College is currently collecting date online for a study investigating the possible relationships between handedness, cerain personlaity factors, anomalous experiences and paranormal belief. If you could spare around 20 minutes to complete four questionnaires relating to the above (plus a few demographic questions), the APRU will be eternally grateful. More deatils and a link to the actual questionnaires can be found at:
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru/handedness.php.
UPCOMING RRC PROGRAMS FOR FALL 2008
The Rhine Research Center is pleased to present some upcoming Programs at the Rhine:
Sunday, September 7, 2008
4:00 – 6:00 PM at the Rhine Research Center
The Doctor and the Psychic
-------a book talk by Leon Curry MD
Through a dare from a college friend, the highly skeptical Dr. Curry has a fortuitous meeting with Greta Alexander, a plus-sized Christian woman from rural Illinois who, after being struck by lightening, becomes a nationally-known psychic.
When Dr. Curry’s patients are repeatedly and accurately diagnosed by Greta, his scientific skepticism melts to advocacy, as he and Greta explore the potential of psychic medical diagnosis in his office, hospital, and dialysis centers, at Dr. J.B. Rhine’s Institute for Parapsychology near the Duke University campus, and with double blind studies at the Medical University of SouthCarolina and the Medical College of Georgia. Greta’s prognostic ability is equally astonishing in her predictions of the author’s brother’s illness.
Through a series of real-world anecdotes as well as the results of medical studies, Dr. Curry paints a vivid picture of Greta’s unforgettable, fun-loving personality, as well as the powerful impact her presence and her clairvoyance had on the lives of people she came into contact with. Dr. Curry strongly urges further examination of this powerful human ability that he believes has been too long neglected and ignored.
Rhine Members $15.00 * Non-Members $25.00 * Students $10.00
Wine and Cheese will be served
Friday, September 12, 2008
7:00 – 9:00 PM Stedman Auditorium
An Evening with Edd Edwards
------- a scientifically documented energy healer
Come meet Edd Edwards, who’s friends call him “Shoo”. He is known as a warm hearted country boy from Georgia who has many special skills and abilities that deal with the use of human bioelectric field energy. He has learned to use these abilities in many ways including very advanced healing and scientific research.
When Edd was a baby, he was exposed to what his grandmother termed “hands on healing”. At two years old he could feel the energy coming from his grandmother’s hands. He then became able to recreate that energy in his own hands at will. As he grew up he played with this energy nearly every day. He was unable to get a scientific explanation of this energy or recognition of it from his science teachers. It was not until 1994 that while watching “Dateline” with Dan Rather, a physics professor, Dr. William C. Levengood, was interviewed for having invented a human biofield measuring device, called a “Charged Density Pulse Recorder”. Dr. Levengood explained how he was able to quantify and measure “Life Force Energy”. The same energy Edd’s grandmother referred to as the “Holy Spirit” working through her.
Edd made contact with Levengood, and was invited to his lab in Michigan. When Edd went to the lab he began interacting with Levengood’s equipment. This event, which is a story within itself, led to hundreds of scientific experiments, including many utilizing double blind controls.
Be sure to join us at the Stedman Auditrium, on the Duke campus, to hear this fascinating story, the experiments, and Edd’s journey and development as an energy healer. Edd will also offer his audience the opportunity to experience first hand some of the effects he can create that hey will be able to feel, and will truly awaken them to the opening of all their brain centers.
Rhine Members $15.00 * Non-Members $25.00 * Students $10.00
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September 17, 2008
12:00 – 1:30 PM at Rhine Research Center
Christine Simmonds-Moore
-----------Out of the Corner of My Eye
“Out of the corner of my eye”: is ESP filtered out of conscious awareness when it is not needed? Do you want to understand why ESP doesn’t work all the time? ESP information might always be present in the mind, but only accessible under certain circumstances (e.g., in dreams) because attention usually filters irrelevant information out of awareness. Find out why you may have so much trouble accessing ESP when you try for it, but it pops up unexpectedly when you shift your attention. Christine Simmonds-Moore, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Parapsychology at Liverpool Hope University and former Rhine Center Research Associate, will review recent findings and share some innovative ideas on this provocative question.
Rhine Members $10:00 * Non-Members * $15.00 * Students $5:00
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Thank You For Your Support of the Rhine Research Center!
More information online at www.Rhine.org
Rhine Research Center
2741 Campus Walk Avenue, Building #500
Durham, NC 27705
Check our website at www.rhine.org for more information and directions.
IANDS 2008 FALL CONFERENCE
October 3-4, 2008
Millenium Hotel
2800 Campus Walk Avenue, Durham, North Carolina
Near-Death Experiences: What Do They Mean?
The conference begins at 9 a.m. on October 3 and concludes at 6 p.m. October 4.
Space is limited, so register soon!
Program
Featured Guest Speaker: Maggie Callanan, RN, one of IANDS' most popular presenters, hospice nurse, best-selling author of Final Gifts, originator of the term "nearing-death awareness." Maggie will present on her new book, Final Journeys: A Practical Guide for Bringing Care and Comfort at the End of Life, which will be available for sale and signing.
Groundbreaking Armchair Discussion: Harold Koenig, RN, MD, NHSc, Co-director of the Center for the Study of Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University Medical Center and Bruce Greyson, MD, Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences and Director, Division of Perceptual Studies, at the University of Virginia Health System, and editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies, talk about meaning and near-death experiences.
Two panels of near-death experiencers
Presenters include
Four IANDS presidents speaking on their areas of expertise: John B. Alexander, PhD, "Shamanism and Near-Death Experience"; Nancy Evans Bush, MA, "Deciphering, Framing, and Integrating the Difficult Near-Death Experience"; Colonel Diane Corcoran, RN, PhD, U.S. Army Nurse Corps (retired), "Implications of Near-Death Experiences from the Combat Zones of Iraq and Afghanistan"; Yolaine Stout, "Six Challenges Facing Near-Death Experiencers."
plus other presentations, a bookshop, space and time for IANDS group leaders and experiencers to gather, and more
Registration
To register online (fast! easy!), go directly to http://iands2008conference.worldispnetwork.com/ or to http://www.iands.org and look for the link to the conference page.
To register by phone, call the IANDS office, 919-383-7940.
Cost
IANDS members, $150; non-members, $175. A $20 late fee will be charged for payment received after September 26.
Lodging
Millenium Hotel: 2800 Campus Walk Avenue, Durham, NC USA 27705-4479
telephone: 1 (919) 383-8575 ; fax: 1 (919) 383-8495. Ask for the special IANDS rate.
For alternative hotel information, please contact the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, telephone (800) 446-8604 (toll free) and local, (919) 687-0288.
CEUs have been applied for from Duke University Health System and are interdisciplinary.
Conference Coordinator: Julie Lapham, PhD, JLapham@juno.com
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iShift: A monthly e-zine for concieous culture from the Institute of Noetic Science.
From the Editor Cassandra Vieten / As we move into the height of summer, traditionally the time of year for stepping out into the world, making your thoughts known, and moving creative ventures into full swing, take a moment to reflect on how this forward and outward moving principle is showing up in your life. In Angeles Arrien's Fourfold Way training (www.angelesarrien.com) based on indigenous wisdom from around the world, summer is the season of the Way of the Visionary. Arrien says "we express the Way of the Visionary through personal creativity, goals, plans, and our ability to bring our life dreams and visions into the world.... The work is to come forward fully with our gifts, talents and resources and to powerfully meet our tests and challenges." In this time of economic challenge, shifting political landscapes, and the world seeming to move ahead at freight-train speed, what grounds your vision? What sustains your dream? What inspires you?
For over a decade, our team at IONS has been studying how transformation happens - in other words, how we become more open, loving, embracing of what life has to offer, become people who creatively engage with our environments, become dedicated toward the creation of a sustainable collective future, how we become our most authentic, powerful, and compassionate selves. What catalyzes this kind of shift? What attitudes, settings, and activities provide the ideal conditions for it to happen? What factors make an experience of upheaval or disorientation transformative (leading to growth, healing, and wholeness) rather than traumatic (leading to constriction and fear), and what kinds of things help one to integrate a transformative experience into real-life benefits in their everyday lives? We found that while each person's journey is unique, several common elements foster the kind of deep, profound and lasting transformation that shows up in our real-world everyday life - in the way we treat people, in our capacities for gratitude and forgiveness, in our whole orientation to life and priorities. Some of these elements are:
being part of a like-minded, inspiring, and challenging community
continuing to access teachings through multiple ways of knowing - experiential, intellectual, kinesthetic, visual, auditory
having daily reminders in your environment - because it's easy to forget who you are and where you are headed when the larger society can be unsupportive, and you've got your own old habits and conditioning to wrangle with
a daily mind-body practice
making time for silence, solitude, and engagement with the natural world
One thing I love about IONS is that between it's cutting-edge research, Shift in Action program, noetic.org website, Shift magazine, iShift e-zine, educational products and programs, big conference, and retreat center - it offers many of these elements that support individual and collective transformation.
As part of its Living Deeply campaign, IONS continues to offer a $1 trial membership in our dynamic Shift in Action program. Upon joining, you'll receive the book, Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life written by IONS researchers Marilyn Schlitz, Cassandra Vieten, and Tina Amorok; a Living Deeply practice CD with audio from 11 transformational leaders from wisdom traditions from around the world; the 2008 Shift Report; and all the offerings Shift in Action members enjoy including weekly live teleseminars and one of the largest archives of downloadable audio content on the web. To join, or to invite a friend to join, click here.
We also encourage you to invite friends to subscribe to iShift (the e-zine you are reading right now!) free, at www.noetic.org.
Save the date for the Institute of Noetic Sciences' 13th International Conference! Toward a Global Shift: Seeding the Field of Collective Change, June 17-21, 2009 in Tucson, Arizona.
The Edge
UK astronomers, as part of an international team, have reached a milestone in the construction of one of the largest ever cameras to detect the mysterious dark energy component of the Universe. Observations suggest that roughly 4% of the Universe is made up from ordinary matter and 22% from Dark matter; this leaves 74% unaccounted for - the so-called dark energy. Prof. Ofer Lahav, head of the UCL Astrophysics Group, who also leads the UK Dark Energy Survey (DES) Consortium, commented 'Dark energy is one of the biggest puzzles in the whole of Physics, going back to a concept proposed by Einstein 90 years ago. The DES observations will tell us if Einstein was right or if we need a major shift in our understanding of the universe.'
Hate to be a downer but...
Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action. James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises. "We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama spreads compassion with 50,000 people in Seattle
Taking the stage to resounding applause from the audience, His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his address with self-deprecating humor, delivering the message that he is but one man and encouraging everyone in attendance to realize the impact that one person can have. He continued encouraging each person to be empowered to address and eliminate the problems we face as individuals, so that we will be well-equipped to address the problems we face as a community and/or nation. Touching on the broader concept of compassion, His Holiness reinforced the idea that we cannot purchase compassion; we must manufacture it within ourselves, within our homes and within our communities. Streaming video of the entire five-day "Compassion Arrives" event is available at www.seedsofcompassion.org.
EEG Correlates of the Ayahuasca Shamanic Journey Experience by Frank Echenhofer, PhD (California Institute of Integral Studies)
A new research project by Frank Echenhofer and team will take them into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon to study brain correlates of shamanic journey experiences catalyzed by ingestion of the plant-based psychedelic substance ayhuasca. The team's research (Echenhofer, Wynia, Joffe, Luna, Benitz, Sudberg, McKenna, 2007) attempts to correlate the subjective phenomenology of shamanic journey experiences with EEG neural network pattern changes. One primary research focus is to use EEG recording during ayahuasca sessions to determine precise neural network patterns associated with specific experiential states.
Media / Noteworthy Releases
Film
The Fall - In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman (Pace) begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm (Untaru), a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances. (more)
Mongol - Based on leading scholarly accounts, this film by award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains) delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the ruler who was born as Temudgin in 1162. As it follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror, revealing him not as the evil brute of hoary stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless and visionary leader. (more)
Books
The Tactics of Hope: How Social Entrepenuers are Changing Our World by Wilford Welch (Author) and David G. Hopkins (Contributing Editor) (2008, Earth Aware Editions) - In this inspiring book, the author argues that a fundamental shift in values and corresponding actions is now taking place to address two critical challenges of our era: the restoration of a sustainable planet and extreme poverty. He shines a bright light on the work of twenty-seven social entrepreneurs from all over the world who are creating initiatives that are cause for hope. He challenges us all to step forward and he provides tools to do so, including a very innovative website, www.TacticsofHope.org. (buy)
Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct by Michael McCullough - Why is revenge such a pervasive and destructive problem? Why is the desire for revenge so tempting? Why is forgiveness so difficult? These perennial questions have never been more relevant than they are today. Psychologist Michael McCullough tackles them by challenging centuries-old misconceptions about revenge and forgiveness. He shows that the key to a more forgiving, less vengeful world is to understand the evolutionary forces that gave rise to these intimately human traits, the social forces that activate them in human minds today, and the changes that are necessary to make our relationships and social institutions better at activating the forgiveness instinct. (website) (buy)
Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering by Phillip Moffitt - Dancing with Life is a teaching of the wisdom that is to be found in being consciously and fully present with your suffering. It points to the opportunity you have to make a radical inner shift in how you view your existence. Whatever the source of your suffering may be, this inner shift will provide a new, deeper context for interpreting your experiences that brings clarity and equanimity to your mind. (website) (buy)
Video
February saw the release on DVD of the documentary In the Shadow of the Moon, featuring our own Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut and founder of IONS. (more)
Check out the Ironweed Film Club. The Ironweed Film Club scours the world's best film festivals and critics' circles to promote the issue-oriented films that audiences love but the major Hollywood studios avoid. The New York Times calls it a "monthly progressive film festival on DVD." (more)
WebWatch
Global-mindshift.org - Check out this website for a fun and simple animation describing what happens when our sense of self shifts.
Ted.com - Brought to our attention by a fascinating and awe-inspiring talk by Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroscientist who had a stroke and was transformed by her experience, further exploration of www.ted.com provides a wealth of "inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers." Check out in particular Paul Stamets on "Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World" and Malcolm Gladwell's "What We Can Learn From Spaghetti Sauce." And if you haven't checked out Jill Bolte Taylor's talk "My Stroke of Insight," it's well worth it.
Top Ten
The Top Ten Tenets for Creative Living (full version)
1. Take responsibility for your internal experience
2. Follow your Internal Guidance and express your personal brilliance
3. Manifest your world consciously and with intent
4. Create your personal vision of paradise and spread it among those you love
5. Create community and hold it as a necessary foundation of our future
6. Be grateful for all your experiences and all that is
7. Release attachment including being attached to non-attachment
8. See simplicity as the core of sacred living
9. Express unconditional love
10. Look for the universal Oneness in your life
Contributor, Zen DeBrucke, teaching the Principles of The Internal Guidance System and founder of the Ahuma Institute. More information can be found at www.ahumainstitute.com
Shift in Action / Live Teleseminars
Our weekly LIVE teleseminar series, now on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays. All Tuesday teleseminars are in the Living Deeply series, which features spiritual leaders and practical visionaries who share their practices for living a deeper, more fulfilling life.
This month's schedule of live calls:
Tuesday, July 1st at 11am Pacific - Marilyn Schlitz with Stuart Kauffman on "Reinventing the Sacred"
Wednesday, July 2nd at 5pm Pacific - Angela Murphy with Jay Shafer on "Radical Simplicity: Beyond Green Architecture"
Tuesday, July 8th at 11am Pacific - Cassandra Vieten with Solomon Katz on "The Science of Spiritual Transformation"
Wednesday, July 9th at 5pm Pacific - James O'Dea with Steven McIntosh on "The Rise of the Integral Worldview"
Tuesday, July 15th at 11am Pacific - Tina Amorok with Genpo Roshi on "How to Live a More Peaceful & Liberated Life"
Wednesday, July 16th at 5pm Pacific - Marilyn Schlitz with Howard Martin on "The Power of the Energetic Heart and Global Coherence"
Tuesday, July 22nd at 11am Pacific - Angela Murphy with Patricia Ryan Madson on "Improvising Our Lives"
Wednesday, July 23rd at 5pm Pacific - Belvie Rooks with Roberto Vargas on "Family Activism: Creating a Better World Beginning with Family and Friends"
Tuesday, July 29th at 11am Pacific - Community dialogue with IONS President James O'Dea
Wednesday, July 30th at 5pm Pacific - Matthew Gilbert with Rinaldo Brutoco on "The Economy Through a Consciousness Lens"
Join Shift in Action today to participate in these calls!
Shift in Action / Recent Releases
Free samples from the Shift in Action program
"Shift in Action Is..." - A few staff members at IONS give their impressions of Shift in Action: It's fun! Engaging! Intriguing! Educational! Shift in Action is a journey into your community... - View now on YouTube
Audio highlights
Great Shift audio highlights
Transcripts
Great Shift Dialogues recently released
David Abram and Bill Plotkin
Nina Utne and Matthew Sanford
Many more when you join
Join Shift in Action today!
Shift Magazine
Each of the first two titles published under IONS' new Noetic Books imprint have won prestigious Nautilus Book Awards! The bestselling The Untethered Soul was a Silver Award winner in the Spirituality category; Living Deeply was the Grand Winner in the Personal Growth/Psychology category. By purchasing and reading these books, you support our work while furthering your own process of personal transformation.
Shift 19 - The Living Deeply Issue - now available! (Join now to receive)
Table of Contents
The Wild Human
Bill Plotkin
In his new book, Nature and the Human Soul, depth psychologist Bill Plotkin introduces a visionary ecopsychology of human development that reveals how fully and creatively we can mature when soul and nature guide us. The goal is to evolve from an egocentric view of ourselves and the planet to a soulcentric one.
Welcoming Soul to Our Schools
Rachael Kessler
Does a child's inner life have a place in the classroom? The answer is obvious, according to educational visionary Rachael Kessler. Her "Seven Gateways" map a set of yearnings that all young people have as they try to make sense of their universe.
Wisdom's Way: Growing into Spiritual Maturity
Angeles Arrien
Preparing ourselves for the second half of life may be the most important work we can do. And yet our culture has little interest in what happens in our later years. It's time to shift that perspective, says Arrien, and there are rituals of passage that can help.
Healing Ourselves, Healing the World
Rabbi Michael Lerner
The founder of Tikkun magazine wants to strengthen the connection between our hearts and how we engage with a world in need. His answer lies in cultivating a consciousness of compassion and generosity and recognizing that our own well-being depends on the well-being of everyone else on the planet.
From "Me" to "We": A Community Group's Transformative Experience
Shirley Freriks
An IONS community group applies some of the principles of the book Living Deeply to their own transformational potential. Sharing, storytelling, and celebration anchored this process of individual and collective deepening.
GreenShifting
The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Richard Louv identified a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn't quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. Since its initial publication, his book Last Child in the Woods has created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years later, we have reached a tipping point, with the book inspiring Leave No Child Inside initiatives throughout the country. Richard Louv is the co-founder and chairman of the Children & Nature Network, which was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature.
Living Deeply
Living Deeply is the 2008 Nautilus Gold Medal Award Winner in the category of Personal Growth/Psychology!
Go to the Living Deeply website for updates on upcoming events, links to recently recorded interviews, and our Living Deeply eLearning program. If you have not yet checked out the Living Deeply DVD, it is a great complement to the book. Whereas the book is based on commonalities among transformative traditions, mapping the process of transformation across traditions and individual experiences, the DVD provides an opportunity for a window into nine specific guided transformative practices.
The Living Deeply Signature Education Workshops blend the rigors of science with the deep wisdom of the world's spiritual traditions. Join IONS research staff Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD and Cassandra Vieten, PhD as they offer key insights from the decade-long qualitative and quantitative research study, of how people transform their lives. You will learn through the pathways of rigorous inquiry, group dialogue, and direct experience about the kinds of transformations in consciousness that dramatically and permanently change a person's worldview to one that is more loving, kind, compassionate, and connected to others.
Workshop Dates and Locations (details)
September 13, 2008 - CIIS, San Francisco, CA
September 19-2, 2008- Ashland, OR
October 3-5, 2008 - Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
October 29-30, 2008 - Vancouver, BC
May 1-2, 2009 - River's Edge, Clevland, OH
Donor Spotlight
Donor Spotlight: Brenda Sanders
"It started suddenly with an uncontrollable jerk as I sat on a straight backed chair in a small rustic cottage in Rio Caliente Resort. Then came a loud inner roar like the sound of water rushing, followed by the searing image in my mind's eye of hot white light shooting up my spine, through my brain and out the top of my head. The force was so strong that my head flew backward as my arms flung upward, fingers splayed and palms raised to the heavens. Accompanied by a strong, hot dry wind the light drew me up and out of my body to an expanded universe where everything was vividly alive, conscious and interconnected," writes IONS Circle member Brenda Sanders in "What is Really Real," a chapter in Peak Vitality, an anthology recently released by Elite Books.
If you would like to learn more about IONS Circle membership, contact Deborah Breitbach at 707-779-8216.
Comedy Corner
DEAR SWAMI
by Swami Beyondananda
"Where Swami Answers Your Questions - and You Will Question His Answers"
Dear Swami:
I keep hearing that everywhere in America, people are calling for change. My question is, how do we help that change come about, and how do we make sure it is healthy change?
Christy Hannity, Althol, Massachusetts
Dear Christy:
You're right about people wanting change. Just today, three guys stopped me on the street asking for change. I told them swamis don't carry change, and besides change must come from within. One of them replied, "That's ridiculous. If I had any change, I wouldn't be asking you!"
"Ah," I said, "you are experiencing changelessness. That is the first step." Yes, in order to have the change we all seek--and change to spare--we must get in touch with that which never changes, and that is the love that exists inside each one of us. For underneath all the stress and distress and sadness in life is a deep well of love. And when we allow this love to flow into our consciousness, we experience deep wellness.
And then we have to keep the flow going, by circulating this love. It's the law of supply-side spirituality: We're not here to earn God's love, we are here to spend it! And the more love we spend freely, the less we will hear cries for small change and the more we will experience the big change we have always dreamed of.
© Copyright 2008 by Steve Bhaerman. All rights reserved. Swami Beyondananda -- and his hilarious books and CDs -- can be found online at http://www.wakeuplaughing.com/
Ask Swami your own question. Send it here.
Monthly Intention
July Intention:
At the beginning of each month, we encourage you to take a quiet moment to link your intention with people around the world.
This month our intention is to develop our ability to hold fast to our core essence in the midst of change.
July Action:
This month, we encourage you to get in touch with the core essence of who you are, both to bring your unique set of gifts, talents, and resources to all the activities you engage in toward manifesting your vision for your life and our collective lives, and to help you ride various unsettling changes in life. Like the eye of the center of the storm, your core essence is calm and at peace. When you can access this place of inner calm and experience its sweetness, you will find that external events have less influence on your inner state. Find ways this month to connect with your core essence as both a refuge, and the center of your authority and strength.
This month's intentions were contributed by Lisa Vanderboom.
If you would like to offer an intention for next month, please send it here.
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Event Spotlight
3rd Annual International Conference on "Engaging the Other:" The Power of Compassion
September 4-7, 2008
San Mateo, California
with Marianne Williamson, Dennis Kucinich, Don Beck, Corinne McLaughlin, James O'Dea, Stanley Krippner, Sharif Abdullah, and more
IONS is proud to co-sponsor this international, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary conference. Over 55 presenters will explore concepts of "The Other" from a universal, cross-cultural perspective to promote wider public dialogue about concepts of "Us and Them."
Sign up here to receive iShift!
All IONS Partners
Check out these great organizations that support IONS through our Partnership Program.
Global Partner:
Men's Wearhouse
Silver Partners:
Nine Gates Mystery School
Prayers for a peaceful world
The Monroe Institute
Bronze Partners:
Big Mind
Spiritual Paths Institute
School of the New Spirituality
IONS Campus and Retreat Center Events
Petaluma, California
Nine Gates Youth Mystery School
July 14-19, 2008
Designed to open doorways into a deeper connection with your inner strength, your inner wisdom, your authentic self, this program will give you an opportunity to step outside limitations and projections. For four and one-half days, participants dive deeply into explorations of their authentic self, create friendships that bind, and walk away feeling connected to a supportive community.
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Teaching Hope: The Nonviolent Classroom
July 18-19, 2008
with Marilyn Schlitz & Azim Khamisa
This 9-day retreat is a discovery of our own magnificent power to generate illusions so brilliantly designed that we believe they are reality. This is one of two retreats that act as a foundation for the Living in Truth Training.
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Lee Lipsenthal - Finding Balance Teacher Training Program
July 19-23, 2008
This 5 day teaching program will cover core areas of research on physician health, personality structure and inter-personal function. It is designed to train the participant to be a facilitator teacher in the area of physician and medical trainee health. The program will train the participant to teach small and large group classes in the area of physician health and lead seminars in this area.
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Monroe Institute Gateway Voyage
July 19-25, 2008
November 1-7, 2008
The heart of The Monroe Institute programs is the Gateway Voyage®. This six-day intensive learning adventure is designed to provide the participant with tools that can enable: development and exploration of human consciousness; deeper levels of self-discovery; expansion of one's awareness; willful control of that awareness; communication with and visits to other energy systems and realities.
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Lifting the Veils Retreat
July 19-27, 2008
This 9-day retreat is a discovery of our own magnificent power to generate illusions so brilliantly designed that we believe they are reality. This is one of two retreats that act as a foundation for the Living in Truth Training.
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Andrew Harvey - Spiritual Activism: Compassion in Action
July 25-27, 2008
September 26-28, 2008
December 12-14, 2008
February 6-8, 2009
This four-weekend program, led by Andrew Harvey, explores the concept of Spiritual Activism and trains participants in key aspects of becoming and being a Sacred Activist.
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Phillip Krapf - Meetings with Paul: An Atheist Discovers His Guardian Angel
July 25, 2008
Potluck dinner followed by a personal account on meeting his own angel by Pulitzer Prize winner and professed unbeliever Phil Krapf. A Friendly Favors event - registration required.
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New Equations - The Physical Expression of the Soul Training Program
August 9-16, 2008
November 11-18, 2008
February 25, 2009
June 13, 2009
New Equations directly addresses human spirituality and how it is physically expressed in the world today. Participants in this multi-session training program learn how to connect and communicate with people in such a way that those with whom they engage discover the physical expression of their own spiritual nature.
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Rejuvenate Your Practice Intensive
August 21-24, 2008
November 13-16, 2008
Learn how to build your successful Holistic or Coaching Practice using heart-based strategies so you can help more people and make more money than you ever thought was possible.
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Skan-Reichian Therapy - Exploring the Body of Emotions
September 5-7, 2008
Skan Therapy is based on the work of Wilhelm Reich. Skan can be defined as a process of re-establishing the unobstructed flow of the body's own life-energy. This can be felt whole bodily as a sensation of "streaming" and pleasure, and emotionally as love, enjoyment and happiness.
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Regression Therapy Intensive Training, Level I
September 15-20, 2008
Barbara Kauffman is a prominent board certified regression therapist, educator, lecturer, and researcher with over fifteen years of experience in the field of past-life regression.
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Creative Memories Scrapbooking Weekend with Felicia Schonborn-Young
September 19-21, 2008
March 20-22, 2009
Celebrate and preserve your memories into treasured keepsakes - your life, your story, your way. Felicia will show you how with top quality photo albums & organizing products.
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Metzner Alchemical Divination Training, with Ralph Metzner
September 21-26, 2008
February 1-6, 2009
The Metzner Alchemical Divination® training is offered in three 5-day modular workshops that can be taken in any sequence. In these workshops, participants will experience the divinations for themselves as well as light-fire purifying energy meditations (Agni Yoga); and they will practice guiding them for others in dyads and small groups.
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Making Money Make Change
October 2-5, 2008
A national gathering for young progressive people with wealth, creating space to support and challenge each other to use our financial and other resources to contribute to social change and join fully in movements of social justice.
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Meditation Specialist™ Certification
October 18–20, 2008
March 11-14, 2009
June 4-7, 2009
October 19-22, 2009
This four-part course for healthcare professionals provides in-depth training in the theory, science, and practice of meditation therapy with a focus on the use of meditation as a true healing science.
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Special Events
An Evening of Native American Indian Poetry and Music
July 14, 2008
Seattle, Washington
A programme of music and poetry featuring lauded Native American poet Sharmagne Leland-St. John; Paul Nyenhuis, creator of beautiful Native American flutes and player of gentle, soulful, spiritual flute music; Silversong Belcourt, founder of Honor Day; and Patricia Anne Davis, The Navajo Beauty Way.
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Teaching Hope: The Nonviolent Classroom
July 18-19, 2008
Oakland, California
with Marilyn Schlitz & Azim Khamisa
3rd Annual Summer Conference and Teacher Training presented by Educators for Nonviolence.
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Integral Education Seminar
August 1-6, 2008
Whidbey Island, Washington
Integral education stands out as one of the most pertinent and practical means to create positive change in yourself and the world. This 5-day seminar will bring educators together from around the globe, educators who are seeking the necessary vision, skills, and processes to fully serve students and the world that we inhabit.
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Three Modern Mystics: A Celebration of Living Consciously
August 9, 2008
San Rafael, California
with Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Jean Houston & Joan Borysenko, PhD
Join these three visionary authors for a full day discussion of their leading edge perspectives on the transformation of individual and collective consciousness, and how we can apply them to our most pressing personal and social issues.
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Integral Life For Generation Next Seminar
August 10-15, 2008
Santa Cruz, California
Are you between 18 and 35 years old? Come and explore:
Community and relationships
Livelihood and spirituality
Integral Life Practice and leadership
Perspective taking and stages of development
Experience BIG MIND and shadow work
And have the time of your life networking with peers in the Redwoods of California!
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Academy for Guided Imagery 20th Annual Conference: Imagery, Suggestion, Mind/Body Medicine
Webcast available through August 15, 2008
with Jeanne Achterberg, Stanley Krippner, Dean Ornish, Andrew Weil, and more
Members and friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences are eligible for a 10% discount off conference registration fees when they enter the IONS Co-Sponsor Discount Code INS 0508 on the Webcast Registration Form at www.acadgi.com
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Native American Indian Honor Day
August 16, 2008
Seattle, Washington
The Great Circle Ceremony of 2008 features the 'Hoop of Spiritual Leaders.' It will be awakened August 16th at 11:30 am when all faiths will walk the circle with the people. Native American Indian Honor Day, since 2000, provides for all tribes and cultures to express what it is they honor in a good way that benefits the whole.
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Living Deeply: Transformation and Healing in Everyday Life
October 3-5, 2008
Big Sur, California
with Marilyn Schlitz & Cassandra Vieten
Opportunities to actively engage in your own transformation and that of our world are woven into the fabric of everyday life. Learning more about the terrain of consciousness transformation at this special workshop.
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Living Deeply Signature Education Workshop
October 29-30, 2008
Vancouver, British Columbia
with Marilyn Schlitz & Cassandra Vieten
On Oct. 29, Dr. Marilyn Schlitz offers an interactive presentation based on the book, Living Deeply, followed by a book signing. On Oct. 30 both presenters facilitate the Living Deeply workshop through dialogue and direct experiences.
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IONS Community "Consciousness Cruise"
November 15-20, 2008
San Diego, California
Travel the Mexican Riviera from San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, to Ensenada & back. Enjoy five delightful days of relaxation, stimulation, sea, fun, meeting kindred spirits, building life long friendships, great food, and spectacular beauty...all for only $79 a day!
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The Institute of Noetic Sciences' 13th International Conference
Toward a Global Shift: Seeding the Field of Collective Change
June 17-21, 2009
Tucson, Arizona
Save the date!
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Other Event Listings
CIIS
Conference Alerts
Friendly Favors
Naropa University
Omega Institute
Shift in Action
Products Spotlight
VISIT THE BLEEPSTORE Information • Community • Networking
At Bleepstore.com you can find inspiring, enlightening, and intriguing books, music, videos and more. PLUS there are monthly articles online about the latest in
Consciousness studies • Science • Green living • Alternative health • Conscious parenting
There are also articles and book and movie reviews from The Bleeping Herald as well as The Global Intelligencer.
Media Spotlight
The 2008 Shift Report: Changing the Story of Our Future
You can get a PDF or hard copy of this year's Shift Report at the Bleepstore.
About the Report
Over the past several decades, new scientific discoveries along with a surge in grassroots initiatives addressing social and economic injustices have begun calling into question the view of the universe--and essentially of ourselves--as ultimately cold and mechanistic. Revealing both the mysterious directionality of the evolving cosmos and the irrepressible humanity within our own natures, new evidence is emerging that we are innately capable of far more than we realize. Yes, the evidence is compelling that the arc of the human species is on a self-destructive decline, and yet once the pieces are put together, there is no denying that another reality is fighting through the cracks of the dominant narrative. We are just beginning to tap into our potential as human beings despite, or perhaps because of, the multiple crises that we are facing.
For a more than 10 copy discount, contact Tiffany at tmitchell@noetic.org.
From the Editor
Cassandra Vieten / As we move into the height of summer, traditionally the time of year for stepping out into the world, making your thoughts known, and moving creative ventures into full swing, take a moment to reflect on how this forward and outward moving principle is showing up in your life. In Angeles Arrien's Fourfold Way training (www.angelesarrien.com) based on indigenous wisdom from around the world, summer is the season of the Way of the Visionary. Arrien says "we express the Way of the Visionary through personal creativity, goals, plans, and our ability to bring our life dreams and visions into the world.... The work is to come forward fully with our gifts, talents and resources and to powerfully meet our tests and challenges." In this time of economic challenge, shifting political landscapes, and the world seeming to move ahead at freight-train speed, what grounds your vision? What sustains your dream? What inspires you?
For over a decade, our team at IONS has been studying how transformation happens - in other words, how we become more open, loving, embracing of what life has to offer, become people who creatively engage with our environments, become dedicated toward the creation of a sustainable collective future, how we become our most authentic, powerful, and compassionate selves. What catalyzes this kind of shift? What attitudes, settings, and activities provide the ideal conditions for it to happen? What factors make an experience of upheaval or disorientation transformative (leading to growth, healing, and wholeness) rather than traumatic (leading to constriction and fear), and what kinds of things help one to integrate a transformative experience into real-life benefits in their everyday lives? We found that while each person's journey is unique, several common elements foster the kind of deep, profound and lasting transformation that shows up in our real-world everyday life - in the way we treat people, in our capacities for gratitude and forgiveness, in our whole orientation to life and priorities. Some of these elements are:
being part of a like-minded, inspiring, and challenging community
continuing to access teachings through multiple ways of knowing - experiential, intellectual, kinesthetic, visual, auditory
having daily reminders in your environment - because it's easy to forget who you are and where you are headed when the larger society can be unsupportive, and you've got your own old habits and conditioning to wrangle with
a daily mind-body practice
making time for silence, solitude, and engagement with the natural world
One thing I love about IONS is that between it's cutting-edge research, Shift in Action program, noetic.org website, Shift magazine, iShift e-zine, educational products and programs, big conference, and retreat center - it offers many of these elements that support individual and collective transformation.
As part of its Living Deeply campaign, IONS continues to offer a $1 trial membership in our dynamic Shift in Action program. Upon joining, you'll receive the book, Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life written by IONS researchers Marilyn Schlitz, Cassandra Vieten, and Tina Amorok; a Living Deeply practice CD with audio from 11 transformational leaders from wisdom traditions from around the world; the 2008 Shift Report; and all the offerings Shift in Action members enjoy including weekly live teleseminars and one of the largest archives of downloadable audio content on the web. To join, or to invite a friend to join, click here.
We also encourage you to invite friends to subscribe to iShift (the e-zine you are reading right now!) free, at www.noetic.org.
Save the date for the Institute of Noetic Sciences' 13th International Conference! Toward a Global Shift: Seeding the Field of Collective Change, June 17-21, 2009 in Tucson, Arizona.
The Edge
UK astronomers, as part of an international team, have reached a milestone in the construction of one of the largest ever cameras to detect the mysterious dark energy component of the Universe. Observations suggest that roughly 4% of the Universe is made up from ordinary matter and 22% from Dark matter; this leaves 74% unaccounted for - the so-called dark energy. Prof. Ofer Lahav, head of the UCL Astrophysics Group, who also leads the UK Dark Energy Survey (DES) Consortium, commented 'Dark energy is one of the biggest puzzles in the whole of Physics, going back to a concept proposed by Einstein 90 years ago. The DES observations will tell us if Einstein was right or if we need a major shift in our understanding of the universe.'
Hate to be a downer but...
Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action. James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises. "We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama spreads compassion with 50,000 people in Seattle
Taking the stage to resounding applause from the audience, His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his address with self-deprecating humor, delivering the message that he is but one man and encouraging everyone in attendance to realize the impact that one person can have. He continued encouraging each person to be empowered to address and eliminate the problems we face as individuals, so that we will be well-equipped to address the problems we face as a community and/or nation. Touching on the broader concept of compassion, His Holiness reinforced the idea that we cannot purchase compassion; we must manufacture it within ourselves, within our homes and within our communities. Streaming video of the entire five-day "Compassion Arrives" event is available at www.seedsofcompassion.org.
EEG Correlates of the Ayahuasca Shamanic Journey Experience by Frank Echenhofer, PhD (California Institute of Integral Studies)
A new research project by Frank Echenhofer and team will take them into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon to study brain correlates of shamanic journey experiences catalyzed by ingestion of the plant-based psychedelic substance ayhuasca. The team's research (Echenhofer, Wynia, Joffe, Luna, Benitz, Sudberg, McKenna, 2007) attempts to correlate the subjective phenomenology of shamanic journey experiences with EEG neural network pattern changes. One primary research focus is to use EEG recording during ayahuasca sessions to determine precise neural network patterns associated with specific experiential states.
Media / Noteworthy Releases
Film
The Fall - In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman (Pace) begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm (Untaru), a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances. (more)
Mongol - Based on leading scholarly accounts, this film by award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains) delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the ruler who was born as Temudgin in 1162. As it follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror, revealing him not as the evil brute of hoary stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless and visionary leader. (more)
Books
The Tactics of Hope: How Social Entrepenuers are Changing Our World by Wilford Welch (Author) and David G. Hopkins (Contributing Editor) (2008, Earth Aware Editions) - In this inspiring book, the author argues that a fundamental shift in values and corresponding actions is now taking place to address two critical challenges of our era: the restoration of a sustainable planet and extreme poverty. He shines a bright light on the work of twenty-seven social entrepreneurs from all over the world who are creating initiatives that are cause for hope. He challenges us all to step forward and he provides tools to do so, including a very innovative website, www.TacticsofHope.org. (buy)
Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct by Michael McCullough - Why is revenge such a pervasive and destructive problem? Why is the desire for revenge so tempting? Why is forgiveness so difficult? These perennial questions have never been more relevant than they are today. Psychologist Michael McCullough tackles them by challenging centuries-old misconceptions about revenge and forgiveness. He shows that the key to a more forgiving, less vengeful world is to understand the evolutionary forces that gave rise to these intimately human traits, the social forces that activate them in human minds today, and the changes that are necessary to make our relationships and social institutions better at activating the forgiveness instinct. (website) (buy)
Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering by Phillip Moffitt - Dancing with Life is a teaching of the wisdom that is to be found in being consciously and fully present with your suffering. It points to the opportunity you have to make a radical inner shift in how you view your existence. Whatever the source of your suffering may be, this inner shift will provide a new, deeper context for interpreting your experiences that brings clarity and equanimity to your mind. (website) (buy)
Video
February saw the release on DVD of the documentary In the Shadow of the Moon, featuring our own Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut and founder of IONS. (more)
Check out the Ironweed Film Club. The Ironweed Film Club scours the world's best film festivals and critics' circles to promote the issue-oriented films that audiences love but the major Hollywood studios avoid. The New York Times calls it a "monthly progressive film festival on DVD." (more)
WebWatch
Global-mindshift.org - Check out this website for a fun and simple animation describing what happens when our sense of self shifts.
Ted.com - Brought to our attention by a fascinating and awe-inspiring talk by Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroscientist who had a stroke and was transformed by her experience, further exploration of www.ted.com provides a wealth of "inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers." Check out in particular Paul Stamets on "Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World" and Malcolm Gladwell's "What We Can Learn From Spaghetti Sauce." And if you haven't checked out Jill Bolte Taylor's talk "My Stroke of Insight," it's well worth it.
Top Ten
The Top Ten Tenets for Creative Living (full version)
1. Take responsibility for your internal experience
2. Follow your Internal Guidance and express your personal brilliance
3. Manifest your world consciously and with intent
4. Create your personal vision of paradise and spread it among those you love
5. Create community and hold it as a necessary foundation of our future
6. Be grateful for all your experiences and all that is
7. Release attachment including being attached to non-attachment
8. See simplicity as the core of sacred living
9. Express unconditional love
10. Look for the universal Oneness in your life
Contributor, Zen DeBrucke, teaching the Principles of The Internal Guidance System and founder of the Ahuma Institute. More information can be found at www.ahumainstitute.com
Shift in Action / Live Teleseminars
Our weekly LIVE teleseminar series, now on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays. All Tuesday teleseminars are in the Living Deeply series, which features spiritual leaders and practical visionaries who share their practices for living a deeper, more fulfilling life.
This month's schedule of live calls:
Tuesday, July 1st at 11am Pacific - Marilyn Schlitz with Stuart Kauffman on "Reinventing the Sacred"
Wednesday, July 2nd at 5pm Pacific - Angela Murphy with Jay Shafer on "Radical Simplicity: Beyond Green Architecture"
Tuesday, July 8th at 11am Pacific - Cassandra Vieten with Solomon Katz on "The Science of Spiritual Transformation"
Wednesday, July 9th at 5pm Pacific - James O'Dea with Steven McIntosh on "The Rise of the Integral Worldview"
Tuesday, July 15th at 11am Pacific - Tina Amorok with Genpo Roshi on "How to Live a More Peaceful & Liberated Life"
Wednesday, July 16th at 5pm Pacific - Marilyn Schlitz with Howard Martin on "The Power of the Energetic Heart and Global Coherence"
Tuesday, July 22nd at 11am Pacific - Angela Murphy with Patricia Ryan Madson on "Improvising Our Lives"
Wednesday, July 23rd at 5pm Pacific - Belvie Rooks with Roberto Vargas on "Family Activism: Creating a Better World Beginning with Family and Friends"
Tuesday, July 29th at 11am Pacific - Community dialogue with IONS President James O'Dea
Wednesday, July 30th at 5pm Pacific - Matthew Gilbert with Rinaldo Brutoco on "The Economy Through a Consciousness Lens"
Join Shift in Action today to participate in these calls!
Shift in Action / Recent Releases
Free samples from the Shift in Action program
"Shift in Action Is..." - A few staff members at IONS give their impressions of Shift in Action: It's fun! Engaging! Intriguing! Educational! Shift in Action is a journey into your community... - View now on YouTube
Audio highlights
Great Shift audio highlights
Transcripts
Great Shift Dialogues recently released
David Abram and Bill Plotkin
Nina Utne and Matthew Sanford
Many more when you join
Join Shift in Action today!
Shift Magazine
Each of the first two titles published under IONS' new Noetic Books imprint have won prestigious Nautilus Book Awards! The bestselling The Untethered Soul was a Silver Award winner in the Spirituality category; Living Deeply was the Grand Winner in the Personal Growth/Psychology category. By purchasing and reading these books, you support our work while furthering your own process of personal transformation.
Shift 19 - The Living Deeply Issue - now available! (Join now to receive)
Table of Contents
The Wild Human
Bill Plotkin
In his new book, Nature and the Human Soul, depth psychologist Bill Plotkin introduces a visionary ecopsychology of human development that reveals how fully and creatively we can mature when soul and nature guide us. The goal is to evolve from an egocentric view of ourselves and the planet to a soulcentric one.
Welcoming Soul to Our Schools
Rachael Kessler
Does a child's inner life have a place in the classroom? The answer is obvious, according to educational visionary Rachael Kessler. Her "Seven Gateways" map a set of yearnings that all young people have as they try to make sense of their universe.
Wisdom's Way: Growing into Spiritual Maturity
Angeles Arrien
Preparing ourselves for the second half of life may be the most important work we can do. And yet our culture has little interest in what happens in our later years. It's time to shift that perspective, says Arrien, and there are rituals of passage that can help.
Healing Ourselves, Healing the World
Rabbi Michael Lerner
The founder of Tikkun magazine wants to strengthen the connection between our hearts and how we engage with a world in need. His answer lies in cultivating a consciousness of compassion and generosity and recognizing that our own well-being depends on the well-being of everyone else on the planet.
From "Me" to "We": A Community Group's Transformative Experience
Shirley Freriks
An IONS community group applies some of the principles of the book Living Deeply to their own transformational potential. Sharing, storytelling, and celebration anchored this process of individual and collective deepening.
GreenShifting
The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Richard Louv identified a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn't quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. Since its initial publication, his book Last Child in the Woods has created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years later, we have reached a tipping point, with the book inspiring Leave No Child Inside initiatives throughout the country. Richard Louv is the co-founder and chairman of the Children & Nature Network, which was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature.
Living Deeply
Living Deeply is the 2008 Nautilus Gold Medal Award Winner in the category of Personal Growth/Psychology!
Go to the Living Deeply website for updates on upcoming events, links to recently recorded interviews, and our Living Deeply eLearning program. If you have not yet checked out the Living Deeply DVD, it is a great complement to the book. Whereas the book is based on commonalities among transformative traditions, mapping the process of transformation across traditions and individual experiences, the DVD provides an opportunity for a window into nine specific guided transformative practices.
The Living Deeply Signature Education Workshops blend the rigors of science with the deep wisdom of the world's spiritual traditions. Join IONS research staff Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD and Cassandra Vieten, PhD as they offer key insights from the decade-long qualitative and quantitative research study, of how people transform their lives. You will learn through the pathways of rigorous inquiry, group dialogue, and direct experience about the kinds of transformations in consciousness that dramatically and permanently change a person's worldview to one that is more loving, kind, compassionate, and connected to others.
Workshop Dates and Locations (details)
September 13, 2008 - CIIS, San Francisco, CA
September 19-2, 2008- Ashland, OR
October 3-5, 2008 - Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
October 29-30, 2008 - Vancouver, BC
May 1-2, 2009 - River's Edge, Clevland, OH
Donor Spotlight
Donor Spotlight: Brenda Sanders
"It started suddenly with an uncontrollable jerk as I sat on a straight backed chair in a small rustic cottage in Rio Caliente Resort. Then came a loud inner roar like the sound of water rushing, followed by the searing image in my mind's eye of hot white light shooting up my spine, through my brain and out the top of my head. The force was so strong that my head flew backward as my arms flung upward, fingers splayed and palms raised to the heavens. Accompanied by a strong, hot dry wind the light drew me up and out of my body to an expanded universe where everything was vividly alive, conscious and interconnected," writes IONS Circle member Brenda Sanders in "What is Really Real," a chapter in Peak Vitality, an anthology recently released by Elite Books.
If you would like to learn more about IONS Circle membership, contact Deborah Breitbach at 707-779-8216.
Comedy Corner
DEAR SWAMI
by Swami Beyondananda
"Where Swami Answers Your Questions - and You Will Question His Answers"
Dear Swami:
I keep hearing that everywhere in America, people are calling for change. My question is, how do we help that change come about, and how do we make sure it is healthy change?
Christy Hannity, Althol, Massachusetts
Dear Christy:
You're right about people wanting change. Just today, three guys stopped me on the street asking for change. I told them swamis don't carry change, and besides change must come from within. One of them replied, "That's ridiculous. If I had any change, I wouldn't be asking you!"
"Ah," I said, "you are experiencing changelessness. That is the first step." Yes, in order to have the change we all seek--and change to spare--we must get in touch with that which never changes, and that is the love that exists inside each one of us. For underneath all the stress and distress and sadness in life is a deep well of love. And when we allow this love to flow into our consciousness, we experience deep wellness.
And then we have to keep the flow going, by circulating this love. It's the law of supply-side spirituality: We're not here to earn God's love, we are here to spend it! And the more love we spend freely, the less we will hear cries for small change and the more we will experience the big change we have always dreamed of.
© Copyright 2008 by Steve Bhaerman. All rights reserved. Swami Beyondananda -- and his hilarious books and CDs -- can be found online at http://www.wakeuplaughing.com/
Ask Swami your own question. Send it here.
Monthly Intention
July Intention:
At the beginning of each month, we encourage you to take a quiet moment to link your intention with people around the world.
This month our intention is to develop our ability to hold fast to our core essence in the midst of change.
July Action:
This month, we encourage you to get in touch with the core essence of who you are, both to bring your unique set of gifts, talents, and resources to all the activities you engage in toward manifesting your vision for your life and our collective lives, and to help you ride various unsettling changes in life. Like the eye of the center of the storm, your core essence is calm and at peace. When you can access this place of inner calm and experience its sweetness, you will find that external events have less influence on your inner state. Find ways this month to connect with your core essence as both a refuge, and the center of your authority and strength.
This month's intentions were contributed by Lisa Vanderboom.
If you would like to offer an intention for next month, please send it here.
To change your free email subscriptions, click on the "Update Profile" link below. If you would like to unsubscribe permanently from all IONS emails, please click the SafeUnsubscribe link below. IONS Members please note that SafeUnsubscribe does not affect your IONS membership; if you wish to make any changes to your membership, please contact Member Services at membership@noetic.org or by calling toll-free (877) 769-4667.
IN NEW YORK CITY FROM THE PARAPSYCHOLOGY FOUNDATION!
THE 2008 EILEEN J. GARRETT LIBRARY FELLOW WIM KRAMER from Holland recently returned to the Netherlands after a week with the Foundation staff at the Foundation's library in Greenport, New York at the end of February. Mr.
Kramer spent his week-long residency continuing his research into the
history of parapsychology in Holland. His current focus is on the life and
work of the late Professor W. H. C. Tenhaeff who was active in
parapsychology for sixty years. Upon his death, Tenhaeff's staff destroyed
his files, making the job of a biographer extremely difficult. Kramer has
shown great ingenuity in reconstructing Tenhaeff's life history. For more
information on the Library Fellowship and Mr. Kramer and his work go to:
http://www.parapsychology.org/dynamic/030000.html
A NEW SURVEY is being conducted by Parapsychology Foundation Staff Members, Drs. Carlos S. Alvarado and Nancy L. Zingrone. They would like to invite everyone to take part. The study focuses on a variety of experiences folks may have had in their daily lives. Your answers, whether they are positive or negative, will contribute to understanding these experiences. To take the survey go to the following website:
http://www.studyofhumanexperiences.org.
DO YOU HAVE PREMONITIONS? The Psychic Explorers Club Website is hosting a premonitions registry. To learn more about submitting your premonitions go to the following page: http://www.psychicexplorers.org/premonition.html
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DONATE TO THE FOUNDATION'S PROGRAMS? Don't forget the Foundation's on-line store, http://www.psi-mart.com. Proceeds from the sales of our publications, videos and CDs help support the Foundation's grants and library. And you can also donate to the PF by shopping on www.igive.com by logging on, filling out the membership form, choosing the Parapsychology Foundation as your charity, and then shopping at any one of the more than 300 well-known stores in the Igive.com Internet Mall. For every purchase you make, a percentage of your payment will be donated to the Parapsychology Foundation, thus supporting our grants, scholarships, awards, events, the Eileen J. Garrett Library and all our other programs!
All your favorite stores are included, among them: The Gap, Barnes & Noble,
Amazon (US and UK), Borders, ProFlowers, J. C. Penneys, The Sharper Image, Walmart, Payless, Domestications, Spiegel's, K-Mart, Dell, Office Max, Staples (US and UK) eBay, BestBuy, Circuit City, Coldwater Creek and lots and lots and lots more! What better way to help support the Foundation's many programs and grants when you can shop at
the same time!
MORE NEWS IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE ON "BREAKING NEWS" on the Foundation's main website. Click on the website address:
http://www.parapsychology.org/dynamic/050100.html
The Spiritual Envoy
A weekly program whose focus is crossing and bridging the "spiritual divide" to find common ground, inclusivity and civility among varying schools of spiritual thought and practice.
The host of the show, Eva Ravenwood invited Alice Kelley of the Alex Tanous Foundation for Scientific Research to her show on January 29, 2008.
Alice is the Administrative Director of the Foundation for the past 15 years. She talked about the work of the Alex Tanous Foundation, the famed scholar and psychic who left a collection of work to further research the fields of psychic and creative development. Click here to listen to the show
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thespiritualenvoy/2008/01/29/The-Spiritual-Envoy-Alice-Kelley-of-the-Alex-Tanous-Foundation and to learn more about the host, Eva Ravenwood and her work go to www.evaravenwood.com
Hello! I have recently joined ASD although I have been dreaming for
lifetimes and learning how to interpret dreams for 30 years this lifetime!
I am a student and teacher with the School of Metaphysics, a not-for-profit
educational and service organization in the United States.
We are conducting a research project to study the effect the moon has on our
dreams. We want as broad a spectrum of people as possible, to explore how
the full moon and the new moon influence dreams. This year there is a
unique sequence of events: a full moon, a new moon on a solar eclipse day,
and eclipsed full moon and a new moon occurring one after another within 48
days. We are asking people to remember and record their dreams on those
days so we can study the influences.
Would you like to participate? The study begins on January 21st and we need
participants to register in advance, to receive instructions and to send
demographic data. You can register at experiment@dreamschool.org and can
learn more at www.dreamschool.org. I am also pasting at the end of this
email a press release with more information about the study.
I've submitted a proposal to present the results of this research at the ASD
Conference in Montreal.
People throughout history have noted the effect of the moon as it relates to
imbalance, such as "lunacy" and increase in crime during times of full and
new moon.
Perhaps we can add more wholistic knowledge about how the moon influences
intuition, lucid dreaming, and other dreamstates...
Hope to meet you in Montreal in July!
Happy dreaming,
Dr. Laurel Clark
School of Metaphysics
www.som.org
www.dreamschool.org
417-345-8411
What effect does the moon have on our dreams?
This is the question a team of researchers at the College of Metaphysics
will be seeking to answer in the next two months as the positioning of the
earth, moon, and the sun move through a sequence rarely seen in human
history. Within 48 days, we will experience a full moon, a new moon on a
solar eclipse day, an
eclipsed full moon, and a new moon.
"Our task is to receive, tabulate and analyze records of dream activity on
each of these days," says project creator Barbara Condron. "Physical
science is exploring what females have known for millennia -- that the pull
of the earth's moon affects our biological cycles. The data we collect in
the next three months will open dialogue on the moon's effect
on the consciousness we call dreaming."
Condron and others have been researching the field of dreams for 40 years
through classes and seminars sponsored by the School of Metaphysics, a
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational institute devoted to the exploration
and development of mental technology. Ten years ago www.dreamschool.org
opened the research to a worldwide audience with a steady stream of dreamers
reporting their personal night time
movies.
"Every day we receive dreams for analysis and interpretation," Condron says.
"They come from across the U.S., of course, and they can come from Germany,
Australia, Nigeria, even Vietnam. The internet enables us to verify a
longstanding hypothesis: Homo Sapiens dream, in every country, in every
culture.
Collecting these dreams gives us a unique window into the nature of
humankind's consciousness that some call soul.
"Through our Global Lucid Dreaming Experiments we hope to advance scientific
knowledge and awareness of consciousness,"? Condron says. Her documentary
TEN POWERS OF DREAMING details how individuals' dreams -- from scientists
and artists to inventors and warriors
-- often find a place in our everyday lives. "From the Periodic Table of
Elements to Gandhi's nonviolent resistance to British colonization to Mary
Shelley's Frankenstein, dreams have helped shape the course of human history
and it's time we understand how and why."
School of Metaphysics
2606 Oakview Terrace
Maplewood, MO 63143
314-645-0036
sommaplewood@yahoo.com
World Headquarters website: http://www.som.org
Although dreams of the future have been reported for thousands of years, the first in-depth research project on this topic was designed by Montague Ullman, MD, in the 1960s and directed by Stanley Krippner, PhD. The program, located at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, lasted for a decade and stimulated attempted replications, which continue today. The results of this research endeavor yielded over one hundred articles, published in psychological, psychiatric, and parapsychological journals, and a book, Dream Telepathy, now in its third edition. Dr. Krippner will describe the history of this research program, the results of the investigation, and its implications for clinical psychology and for psychotherapy, as well as practical advice for people claiming to have precognitive, telepathic, and clairvoyant dreams. His lecture will include several anecdotes about participants in the program including Eileen Garrett, Malcolm Bessent, and Robert Van de Castle.
Since1973 Dr. Krippner has been on the faculty of Saybrook Graduate School, holds faculty positions in Brazil and Mexico, and has lectured and published extensively on personal mythology, dreams, hypnosis, and/or anomalous phenomena in many countries around the world. He is the recipient of many awards, probably the most prestigious being the APA Award for Outstanding Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology, 2002. Read more about Dr, Krippner's research at www.stanleykrippner.com.
Seeking Research Participants: Spiritual Emergence and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If you have had experiences of a spiritual or mystical nature, while also suffering from a past trauma, you may meet the criteria to be interviewed for a dissertation research project . This project is being conducted by Audrey Lehmann, MA, at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Please contact Audrey Lehmann, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist at the following email. For more information:
Contact Audrey: AudreyLehmannMFT@gmail.com
Overview of dissertation: http://spiritual-emergence-ptsd.blogspot.com/
The Foundation is pleased to announce some great additions in the Alex Tanous Foundation's Online Digital Library! We have added the Music that Dr. Tanous wrote and sang himself. Look under "music" in the library and each song will be listed for you to listen to! We have also added some wonderful essays and articles on Ghosts. Check it out on our Web Site at www.alextanous.org/library Do a search for a favorite topic that Dr. Tanous studied or look for one of his books. Stay tuned as each week will bring you much, much more information as the library grows!
Telepathy EEG Correlations in Distantly Located Participants
Have you ever picked up the phone and knew it was your sister?
Or you dreamed something and it really happened like that afterwards?
In a recent survey, 45% of those who responded said that they had personal experience of telepathic communication. However, research over the last 70 years has provided enough evidence to convince some scientists that phenomena such as telepathy and clairvoyance do exist and may be occurring some of the time throughout the general population.
Within their study about the measurement of EEG correlations in distantly located participants, researchers in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Northampton are looking for emotionally strongly-connected pairs of subjects (e.g. best friends, couples, twins, mother & daugher, father & grandfather) 18 years and older to participate.
This study will be conducted by Ursula Mochty, Dr. Thilo Hinterberger and Professor Harald Walach at the University of Northampton/UK in cooperation with Devi Erath and Dr. Stefan Schmidt at University clinic Freiburg/Germany.
This experiment will use EEG and skin conductance recordings to test for possible evidence of unconscious telepathy between a visually stimulated and non-stimulated person. The EEG recordings will take place in the laboratory in Northampton, England and in Freiburg, Germany at the same time. The stimulated participant will be trying to send information to their partner about their reaction to images that s/he is seeing, while both are in separate locations. The experiment will take place on one day and will last for about 4 hours. You will be fully reimbursed for your time and we will pay for all travel expenses.
If interested please contact:
Ursula Mochty, Dipl.Psych., MA
Psychology Division
University of Northampton
Park Campus
Boughton Green Road
NN2 7AL
Northampton
Tel: 0044 – 1604 – 89 - 2377 oder 2486
e-Mail: telepathy.NH@googlemail.com
CERTIFICATE IN PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES
HCH Institute, Lafayette, CA
Parapsychologist Loyd Auerbach has teamed up with HCH Institute in Lafayette, CA to present a Certificate Course in Parapsychological Studies!!! This course is registered with the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education is approved for CE Units for MFTs, LCSWs and RNs.
Parapsychological Studies: The Study of Psychic Phenomena ( the Basics)
Contrary to what so many believe, the field of Parapsychology studies much more than ghosts and hauntings. Parapsychologists are generally not very psychic (and psychics are rarely parapsychologists). Parapsychology is not "paranormal psychology." So, what’s the field all about? Just who are the parapsychologists and what do they do?
This 60 hour course series is an overview to the field of Parapsychology, and the main areas of research and investigation: ESP, PsychoKinesis (mind over matter), and Survival of Bodily Death. Included will be a general discussion of where the field came from, where the major centers of research are today, and where the field might be headed. Students will have an opportunity to review some of the basic research in the field and to apply the theories and applications to their current helping profession or to pursue parapsychological field investigations on their own.
All courses may be taken individually for Continuing Education Credit or just for fun!
The program and course descriptions, schedule of classes, and costs can be found at: http://www.hypnotherapytraining.com/parapsych.cfm
Course titles are:
Introduction to Parapsychology
PK & Precognition: Mind, Matter & Time
Being Psychic
The Search for Life After Death
Theories and Models of Psychic Experience: How It Might Work
Parapsychology: The Cross-Over Science
Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal
This is a basic certificate program -- in the foundations of Parapsychology. If this is successful, we plan to expand the program to a more extensive group of classes (and higher level of state certification).
Finally, we have audio-recorded the classes, so the courses -- and certification -- can be offered to Distance Learners and for those wanting to finish up sooner! Classes are also available Live via Telephone. See BELOW.
Classes are held at HCH Institute, 3702 Mt Diablo Blvd Lafayette, California 94549 For more info on course content, contact Loyd Auerbach at esper@california.com or 925-518-4071.
For more info from HCH or to register: 925-283-3941 (Tues - Fri, 10 AM - 4 PM) or email: Info@hypnotherapytraining.com
------------------------------------------------------
Distance Learning
CERTIFICATE IN PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES
HCH Institute, Lafayette, CA
Parapsychological Studies: The Study of Psychic Phenomena ( the Basics)
The Certificate program or individual classes may be taken via a distance learning option. All courses have been audio-taped, live. This includes lectures, discussion and questions/answers between students and the instructor.
To participate in the distance learning option for the certification program, students pay full tuition and fees. Students receive all course CDs (mp3 format of class recordings), handouts, required books, and additional materials. Individual courses are available without entering the program.
In addition, distance learning students will be scheduled for a one to two hour tele-class (via telephone) with the instructor per course. Longer courses get two hours, shorter classes get one hour. In this way, students will still be able to interact and ask questions of the instructor without having to be in the classroom. Naturally, students may interact via email as well.
Distance learning students are invited to participate by conference call (via an in-classroom speakerphone) in the class sessions as they are held at HCH (generally Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 9:30 PM Pacific time). This is not a requirement for certification however.
For each certificate-related course, attending the additional tele-classes and interacting with the instructor will ensure the material has been understood by the students.
Distance-learning students completing the entire program will be entitled to the same Certificate received by local students attending in-person.
COURSE CDs ONLY
CDs of each of the classes will also be made available at a reduced price for those people who simply want the information, and do not want to participate in the Certificate program, tele-classes or “attend” classes by conference call.
See the HCH website at www.hypnotherapytraining.com/parapsych.cfm for information on pricing for individual classes, with (full price) or without (generally half price) participation.
Besides the above listed curriculum, additional classes as they occur will also be available in mp3 format on CD.
The International Association for the Study of Dreams
Business Office: MON-THUR
Richard Wilkerson
1672 University Avenue Berkeley, CA 94703
phone/fax: 1-209-724-0889
Web: www.asdreams.org
e-mail: office@asdreams.org
The International Association for the Study of Dreams is a non-profit, international, multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the pure and applied investigation of dreams and dreaming. Our purposes are to promote an awareness and appreciation of dreams in both professional and public arenas; to encourage research into the nature, function, and significance of dreaming; to advance the application of the study of dreams; and to provide a forum for the eclectic and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information.
Eileen J. Garrett's AWARENESS in print again! PF goes to Book Expo!
Literally hot off the presses! The Parapsychology Foundation has published
a new edition of Eileen J. Garrett's classic AWARENESS with contributions
before and after the book by the late Exceptional Human Experiences
theorist Rhea A. White and by the Foundation's Executive Director, Mrs.
Garrett's grand-daughter, Lisette Coly. In AWARENESS, Mrs. Garrett
thoughtfully considered her psychic abilities, what they were, how they
worked and what they implied about consciousness. A must read for psychics
and mediums, and for students, teachers and researchers of psychic
functioning. A DVD Audio book version is in production with its
availability to be announced. The new paperback version is available on
Psi-Mart by clicking on this page:
http://www.psi-mart.com/details.php?IdArt=391
The Parapsychology Foundation is now making a selected list of its titles
available to bookstores and book wholesalers through the AtlasBooks program
of our distributor, Bookmasters, Inc. Now you'll be able to get Helix Press
books, ADVENTURES IN THE SUPERNORMAL and AWARENESS by Eileen J. Garrett and
INVESTIGATING THE PARANORMAL by Tony Cornell; all the titles in our
"Primers in Parapsychology" pamphlet series among them GETTING STARTED IN
PARAPSYCHOLOGY by Carlos S. Alvarado; and a selection of our best-selling
proceedings in your local bookstore! To kick off the new program,
Bookmasters has taken our books and brochures to the annual international
convention for the book industry, BOOKEXPO, which opens to the public
tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City
and continues on through Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. For more information
on BookExpo go to the following page:
http://bookexpoamerica.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=42&appname=288
Today was the deadline for the Eileen J. Garrett Summer Library Fellowship.
The Committee met just after 5:00 p.m. and chose PF International
Affiliate, Greek physicist Dr. Fotini Pallikari as this summer's Library
Fellow. Dr. Pallikari has been working on the papers of Greek naval hero,
physician and psychical researcher Admiral Angelos Tanagras and will be
using her week in Greenport to make copies of materials available by and
about Tanagras in our archives. Congratulations to Dr. Pallikari!
For those interested in Tanagras' work, the Foundation published his
monograph entitled "Psychophysical Elements in Parapsychological
Traditions" in 1967. It is available for sale by going to the following Web Site:
page: http://www.psi-mart.com/details.php?Id=&IdArt=47
******************************************************
THE PARAPSYCHOLOGY FOUNDATION is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to
the scientific study of psychic phenomena.
www.parapsychology.org
www.pflyceum.org
www.psychicexplorers.org
www.psi-mart.com
Sweet Dreams -
The International Association for the Study of Dreams Launched a New Weekly Radio Program on Dreams in February 2007.
San Francisco, CA - The International Association for the Study of Dreams in conjunction with the DreamScience foundation, is launching a weekly live Internet Radio program on Dreams and Dreaming called DREAMTIME. This new show will focus on IASD’s support of dream studies and dreamwork. Bob Hoss, IASD Past President and Executive Officer will host this hour-long show. DreamTime will air live on the VoiceAmerica™ Health & Wellness Channel every Wednesday at 9AM PST with an encore broadcast at 9PM PST.
According to Bob Hoss, “The show is designed to be educational as well as entertaining. It is theme based, and includes dream experts from the IASD organization. The weekly radio show format will include guest interviews along with the opportunity for listener’s to call-in or e-mail questions.”
Beginning February 14, 2007 and broadcasting each Wednesday at 9AM PST / 12PM EST, “Dream Time” with Bob Hoss on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel will air live, with a rebroadcast 12 hours later. All past shows will be available on demand and podcast ready. The internet radio program is available to Internet users worldwide from the IASD, (www.asdreams.org), Dream Science Foundation (www.dreamscience.org/idx_radio.htm) or the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel (www.health.voiceamerica.com ) - periodically check the IASD site for updates to the weekly programs.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
2-May Working in Dream Groups - Jeremy Taylor, Bob Haden
9-May Closing Show
ABOUT IASD:
IASD is a nonprofit, international, multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the pure and applied investigation of dreams and dreaming. Its purpose is to promote an awareness and appreciation of dreams in both professional and public arenas; to encourage research into the nature, function, and significance of dreaming; to advance the application of the study of dreams; and to provide a forum for the eclectic and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information. IASD is open to anyone who studies, explores, or works with dreams. Membership represents about 30 countries and people from all disciplines. For more information visit: http://www.asdreams.org.
ABOUT Modavox:
Modavox, Inc. (www.modavox.com) is a pioneer in internet broadcasting, producing and syndicating online audio and video, and offering innovative, effective and comprehensive online tools for reaching targeted niche communities worldwide. Modavox is the leading producer and distributor of online, talk radio content, streaming approximately 250 hours of live programs and scheduled replays weekly on its Modavox VoiceAmerica™ Network (www.voiceamerica.com) and the 7th Wave Network (www.7thwavenetwork.com). Through its patented Modavox Central™ technology, Modavox "takes the search out of search," delivering content straight to desktops and internet-enabled devices. Through its proprietary StreamSafe™, WebcastWizard™ and Stream Syndicate™ tools, Modavox provides managed access for live and on-demand internet broadcasting and syndication; content management; and online meeting, event management, enterprise communications and distance learning.
Online Survey of Paranormal Experiences
Rosemary Breen, a Master of Education (Research) candidate in the Department of Education at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, is conducting an online survey of the paranormal. "Paranormal" is defined as experiences that cannot be explained using the current laws of science. These events include premonitions, out-of-body and near-death episodes, telepathy and apparitions.
This survey is not about beliefs. It is about what people ARE and are NOT experiencing. The survey is open to anyone 18 years of age or older, regardless of whether they have or have not experienced the paranormal. The survey is anonymous and will take only five to ten minutes to complete.
Please go to www.rhine.org to participate!
From the Editor: Stephen Dinan
The unifying theme for this month's iShift is peace. Given our long history of warfare, humankind faces a real challenge to move beyond using violence to resolve conflicts. To create a truly sustainable civilization, we will need to meet this challenge and establish a new baseline for behavior that is grounded in principles of peace. The challenge is at once psychological, political, spiritual, economic, and scientific. To endure, the shift to peace will require a transformation of human consciousness.
Recently, members of IONS have become increasingly motivated to apply consciousness principles and practices to the creation of peace. The burgeoning interest is reflected in a new documentary that is beginning production called The Science of Peace, for which IONS will serve a scientific advisory role. Many members have become involved in the Peace Alliance's campaign for a US Department of Peace. And still others are working on specialized and innovative projects such as Pathways to Peace.
The good news is that, despite dire headlines and an uptick in global terror, the number of armed conflicts globally has been in steady decline - peace is gradually winning (see report). If we project these trends forward, we may well reach a historically unprecedented moment in which we have a global baseline of peace, especially if enough of us align our intentions and actions with that vision and back it up with sound science and savvy politics.
At the Frontiers / The Edge
Circle News - Get the insider's scoop on IONS, including an inspiring message from IONS' President, James O'Dea
This month, we feature an article from the latest Shift that chronicles how consciousness insights are permeating a new generation of movies:
"Movies on a Mission,"
by Matthew Gilbert
"A group of idealists risk their lives to protect an ancient scroll with clues to our evolutionary destiny. An old wizard guides his young student toward deep personal transformation. A young man loses all of his associative memory and must start from scratch to figure out who he is - or was. What do these storylines have in common? And what makes them different from generations of cinematic efforts to educate, inspire, and move us in some way? In the last several years, an unprecedented number of new movies have aspired to be more than just entertainment." (Full article as PDF) (Discuss on Shift in Action)
At the Frontiers
Media Noteworthy Releases
1. Darshan - The Embrace - Chronicles an Indian saint, known affectionately as Ammachi, who has hugged some 35 million seekers (45,000 in 24 hours!) and built vast philanthropies. (website)
2. Peaceful Warrior - Dan Millman's adventure of embodied awakening on the big screen. (website)
3. Conversations with God, The Movie - Coming in October, perhaps the biggest consciousness movie of the fall (website)
1. Visionary State, Erik Davis- A deep dive into the spiritually adventurous side of California, including some of the state's most unusual sacred architecture. (buy)
2. In Sweet Company - by Margaret Wolff, conversations with extraordinary women about living a spiritual life, including Sister Helen Prejean, Olympia Dukakis, and Rev. Lauren Artress. (buy)
3. The Flip - Turn Your World Around! - by Jared Rosen and David Rippe, likened to The Tipping Point but more accessible and focused on consciousness (buy)
New Edgar Mitchell DVD
In the 35th Anniversary year of his Apollo 14 walk on the moon, IONS founder Dr. Edgar Mitchell releases an award-winning DVD on which he is the narrator. Timely and timeless messages poignantly detailed in The View From Space - A Message of Peace are enhanced by an expanded menu with personal interviews, awe-inspiring visuals from NASA, The Hubble Telescope, and Artist-Astronaut Alan Bean.
TO PLACE ORDERS and read more about this, visit the Autographed Photos Page on www.Edmitchellapollo14.com
At the Frontiers / WebWatch
1. InternationalDayOfPeace.org - Already has more than 600 events listed for Sept. 21st, a great opportunity to come together in the service of peace.
2. SpiralDynamics.net - Useful mapping of value systems that illuminates cultural conflicts and possible solutions.
At the Frontiers / Top Ten
Websites or organizations doing innovative peace work, selected by IONS staff:
1. PeaceAlliance.org - the campaign site for a US Department of Peace
2. ScienceOfPeace.com - a new documentary in production, hosted by LeVar Burton, for which IONS is playing a collaborative role.
3. CNVC.org - a global organization helping people compassionately connect with themselves and one another through Nonviolent Communication
4. CultureOfPeace.org - Wide range of content, activities, and products
5. PathwaysToPeace.org - Peacebuilding, consulting organization with connections to IONS
6. ImagineACultureOfPeace.org - invites young people ages 5 to 25 from around the world to use their artistic talents to envision a culture of peace
7. Peace-Action.org - a veteran activist organization focused on practical, positive alternatives to violent conflict
8. Tikkun.org - Takes bold, spiritually principled stances on peace in the Middle East (see recent NY Times ad).
9. Global Youth Action Network - dynamic youth activities including Chat the Planet, a fusion of online chat and offline action.
10. Buddhist Peace Fellowship - unites Buddhist practices with social action.
Shift in Action / Live Teleseminars
See all upcoming teleseminars on the Shift in Action website
Sign up as a Shift in Action Partner to participate!
Find out the benefits of joining!
Shift in Action / Recent Releases
This month we are excited to offer a free highlight to give you a sample of the Shift in Action program.
Free Audio Download
Russell Targ, "Limitless Mind and the End of Suffering" 5:31
Other releases available to Partners include:
1. Deepak Chopra at IONS 2005 Conference
2. Ervin Laszlo at IONS 2005 Conference
3. Duane Elgin et al. on "Media for a New Story"
4. Marilyn Schlitz and Candance Pert et al. on "Consciousness and Healing"
Shift in Action / Shift Magazine
Shift: At the Frontiers of Consciousness
Issue 12
Sept.-Nov. 2006
Consciousness, Passion, & Purpose
Table of Contents:
Page 8
Edgar Mitchell - Cosmic Activist
by Barbara McNeill
Thirty-five years ago Edgar Mitchell walked on the moon. Two years later he founded a research institute, IONS. This profile pays homage to the legacy of a man who is still exploring.
Page 10
Navigating the Future: A Guide for Conscious Activism
by Andrew Beath
From nonviolence and introspection to Eros and joy, environmentalist Beath weaves inner work with outer engagement for personal and social transformation.
Page 16
Conscious Leadership at the Crossroads of Change
by Monica Sharma
In the global battle against AIDS, inequality, and economic injustice, United Nations' program specialist Sharma is empowering people at all levels with an innovative synthesis of psychological, emotional, and organizational tools.
Page 22
Generation Awakening
by Tarra Christoff
A new generation of social activists is emerging, seeking to embody "the change they wish to see" at a time when everything is at stake.
Page 28
Movies on a Mission
by Matthew Gilbert
From full-length features to social consciousness documentaries, the landscape of film is being transformed by mission-driven artists who hope to change you and the world you live in.
>>Download PDF of this article
Parapsychology is the scientific and scholarly study of certain unusual events associated with human experience. These experiences have been called "psychic" for want of a better term.
Please note: A common misconception is that a parapsychologist is a psychic. Not so. Likewise, a child psychiatrist is not a child! Instead, a parapsychologist is a scientist or scholar who is seriously interested in the "paranormal." Unfortunately, many telephone books and on-line sites use "parapsychologist" as a synonym for psychic entertainer, mentalist, conjurer, astrologer, or psychic reader. This is an inappropriate use of the term "parapsychologist."
What does it mean to study psychic phenomena?
A long-held, common-sense assumption is that the worlds of the subjective and objective are completely distinct, with no overlap. Subjective is "here, in the head," and objective is "there, out in the world." Parapsychology then is the study of phenomena suggesting that the assumption of a strict separation between subjective and objective may be wrong. Human experience suggests that some phenomena occasionally fall between the cracks, and are not purely subjective nor purely objective. From a scientific perspective, such phenomena are called "anomalous" because they are difficult to explain within current scientific models.
These anomalies fall into three general categories: ESP (terms are defined below),
PK, and phenomena suggestive of survival after bodily death, including near-death experiences, apparitions, and reincarnation. Most parapsychologists today expect that further research will eventually explain these anomalies in scientific terms, although it is not clear whether they can be adequately understood without significant (indeed, probably revolutionary) expansions of the current state of scientific knowledge. Other researchers take the stance that existing scientific models of perception and memory are adequate to explain some or all parapsychological phenomena.
What is not parapsychology?
In spite of what the media often imply, parapsychology is not the study of anything considered weird or bizarre. Nor is parapsychology concerned with astrology, searching for Bigfoot, paganism, vampires, alchemy, or witchcraft.
Many scientists have viewed parapsychology with great suspicion because the term has come to be associated with a huge variety of mysterious phenomena, fringe topics, and pseudoscience. Parapsychology is also often linked, again inappropriately, with a broad range of "psychic" entertainers, magicians, and so-called "paranormal investigators."
What do parapsychologists study?
Many feel that the strangest, and most interesting, aspect of parapsychological phenomena is that they do not appear to be limited by the known boundaries of space or time. In addition, they blur the sharp distinction usually made between mind and matter. In popular usage, the basic parapsychological phenomena are categorized as follows:
Psi : A neutral term for parapsychological phenomena. Psi, psychic, and psychical are synonyms.
Telepathy : Direct mind-to-mind communication.
Precognition: Also called premonition. Obtaining information about future events, where the information could not be inferred through normal means. Many people report dreams that appear to be precognitive.
Clairvoyance : Sometimes called remote viewing; obtaining information about events at remote locations, beyond the reach of the normal senses.
ESP: Extra-sensory perception; a general term for obtaining information about events beyond the reach of the normal senses. This term subsumes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
Psychokinesis : Also called PK; direct mental interaction with physical objects, animate or inanimate.
Bio-PK : Direct mental interactions with living systems.
NDE : Near death experience; an experience reported by those who were revived from nearly dying. Often refers to a core experience that includes feelings of peace, OBE, seeing lights and other phenomena.
OBE : Out-of-body experience; the experience of feeling separated from the body, often accompanied by visual perceptions as though from above the body.
Reincarnation: The belief that we live successive lives, with primarily evidence coming from the apparent recollections of previous lives by very small children.
Haunting : Recurrent phenomena reported to occur in particular locations that include apparitions, sounds, movement of objects, and other effects.
Poltergeist: Large-scale PK phenomena often attributed to spirits, but which are now thought to be due to a living person, frequently an adolescent.