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Enjoy this except from Chapter One of Dawson Church’s new book, Spiritual Intelligence.

IONS is celebrating a groundbreaking achievement in the field of psychiatry and spirituality. Our esteemed colleague, Dr. Alexander Moreira-Almeida, has been awarded the 2025 Oskar Pfister Award by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This prestigious award recognizes his exceptional contributions to the scientific study of spiritual experiences and their profound implications for our understanding of consciousness and the survival of consciousness beyond bodily death.

The scientists at IONS continue to advance the field by mentoring fellow scientists dedicated to consciousness research. Director of Research Helané Wahbeh is on the dissertation committee of Ivana Gligoric at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), who is doing a study of the Magic of Death.

What is the relationship between our mind and our immune system? Do major lifetime experiences have an effect on our health?

Enjoy this excerpt from Chapter 10 of Why Our Minds Wander: Understand the Science and Learn How to Focus Your Thoughts .

For thousands of years, mystics, shamans, and seekers have claimed to channel wisdom from beyond—supposedly connecting with divine beings, ancestral spirits, or universal consciousness. Trance channeling, also known as oracle communication or prophecy, is woven into the history of humanity, from the sacred temples of ancient Greece to the mystical traditions of the East. Even today, across cultures and continents, this phenomenon continues to intrigue, inspire, and mystify.

Can the human mind influence physical matter in ways we’re only beginning to understand? Groundbreaking research has shown that if mental intention is directed and focused on a physical object, it can alter its properties. For example, chocolate and tea treated with beneficial intentions can further enhance their mood-elevating properties, while treated water can improve plant growth and enhance cell activity. But can this interesting effect extend to something as complex as cancer cells? 

This is a continuation of the series I’ve been writing about the Dark Night of the Soul/Phoenix Era. Read previous posts here, here, here, and here.

Occasionally, we feature guest bloggers and stories from our collaborators. This personal story is from Katie Miranda, who recently interviewed Helané. We hope you enjoy it!

The Telepathy Tapes is a podcast series hosted by filmmaker Ky Dickens, featuring Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell discussing her research on telepathic communication with non-speaking autistic participants.