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My mom was the kind of mom who wanted her kids to write “thank-you” notes. She adhered to a strict rule about gifts: Before you enjoy the gift, you must take a few moments to write a note of thanks.

IONS is committed to supporting the next generation of noetic scholars, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners in their professional lives. The IONS NextGen program weaves together direct experiential practices, scientific discovery, and community engagement to support emerging noetic explorers to thrive.

As the saying goes, there is a strength in numbers, which is true with meditation as well. There have been several studies on the effects of collective coherence on technical instruments such as random number generators (RNGs), including long-term meditators having a higher probability of increasing effect size. There are even studies of group meditators affecting crime rates. At the very least, it’s nice to just sit and “be” in community with heartfelt intention.

“Come Sheep!” Aaron Gilliam of SweetGrass Grazing calls out to alert his flock of nearly 200 sheep to follow his lead around the south hillside of the IONS Discovery Lab. Four years ago, IONS invited SweetGrass to graze sheep at EarthRise with the intention of encouraging biodiversity in our grasslands and managing the fuel load for fire safety. By bringing the sheep to graze year after year, we are promoting the participatory ecology that considers the life cycles of the plants and animals. The wildflowers are popping, the butterflies and songbirds are flying about, and the perennial grasses will only continue to replace the invasive species introduced by European settlers. The flourishing that is appearing due to these actions of ethical land care are evidence that the sheep are promoting a diverse and resilient habitat, increasing water retention, building healthy soil, and connecting community with nature.

The IONS Conference has spanned over 30 years, featured over 700 world-renowned speakers, and gathered over 15,000 people.  A conference that has inspired, ignited, and showcased new scientific discoveries and technologies. A gathering unlike any other where you can discuss cutting-edge ideas about consciousness, transformation, technology, extraordinary human capacities, and mind-body healing.

One of the most common experiences that people encounter during the practice of meditation is the tendency for the mind to wander. It can be especially noticeable when we meditate with an object of meditative focus (i.e. the breath or a mantra) and our mind drifts to the ongoing thoughts and ideas that surface. Mind wandering goes by many names including daydreaming or spontaneous thought, and generally occurs when the demands on our attention are quite low, such as during the practice of meditation, reading, or driving. IONS scientist Dr. Arnaud Delorme and Dr. Tracy Brandmeyer explored the nature of the wandering mind during meditation in their recent publication, When the Meditating Mind Wanders, and what happens when the wandering mind goes rogue.

Did you know that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women on our planet? Many researchers have been working to figure out why that is and what contributes to the onset of breast cancer. While these studies certainly help us understand breast cancer better, the precise cause of breast cancer is still unclear and is likely multifactorial, meaning that the cause is not just one thing. Much of the research has focused on the biological factors that may contribute to breast cancer, such as genetics, age, race, hormonal balance, diet, obesity, and the environment (Gray, Rasanayagam, Engel, & Rizzo, 2017). While these are clearly important, at IONS we are interested in looking deeper into the psychosocial, emotional, and even energetic nature of breast cancer and are doing just that in our active research study, Exploring Lifetime Experiences of Women with Breast Cancer.

Each year, IONS has the opportunity to take an overarching look back on the accomplishments of the past year and proudly share those with our community. It is our hope that the 2018 Annual Report supports you in seeing the difference you are making in the world through your relationship with IONS.

There is a lot of hype in the media about artificial intelligence with new so-called deep learning AI able to beat people at the Go and Chess Master games, and play video games, including some complex social games such as Warcraft and Dota 2. Some would think that the era of true sentient artificial intelligence is upon us – an intelligence that rivals the intelligence of humans – and this could be a threat or a blessing.

The IONS Discovery Lab (IDL) is looking for transformative practices for our large, multidisciplinary study. Through a series of highly-curated questions and tests, we will gain rich insights into profound human experiences including interconnectedness, extended human capacities, and well-being, before and after people engage in transformational practices (such as in workshops and retreats). Our goal is to learn how these experiences work and ways to maximize their values. IONS also provides workshop leaders who participate in the IONS Discover Lab with a no-cost, third-party evaluation of their work.