Notis 71, 05-01-2010, Mer om ”The lost symbol” från IONS, om nya filmer, böcker mm, från the Institute of Noetic Sciences.  /GB

*** Noetic Research
On Tuesday, September 15, Dan Brown’s long-awaited next novel was finally released. ”The Lost Symbol” rose immediately to #1 on Amazon, sold one million copies overall the first day, and broke nearly all historical sales records for fiction. So imagine our surprise when it turned out that the female protagonist in the book, Dr. Katherine Solomon, is a noetic scientist, and that the focus of her study, noetic science, is positioned in the book as the research that will save humankind! As noted in The New York Times’ review of the book (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/books/14maslin.html?_r=1&hp),
”Dan Brown [author of ’The Da Vinci Code’] is well aware of how widely read and closely scrutinized ’The Lost Symbol’ will be. He even lets a character joke about this book’s guaranteed popularity. Dr. Katherine Solomon specializes in noetic science, with its focus on mind-body connections. She admits that her field is not widely known. But when her story comes out, she suggests, noetics could get the kind of public relations bump that Mr. Brown gave to the Holy Grail.”
That may or may not be true, but what is true is that the field of noetic science will receive considerably more scrutiny than it has in the past. What is noetic science?, they will ask. Why does it matter? ”The idea of universal consciousness is no ethereal New Age concept,” says the fictional Dr. Solomon, describing just one aspect of this field. ”It’s a hardcore scientific reality. If we as humans can grasp this one simple truth…the world will change overnight.”
Here is the Institute’s press release (http://www.noetic.org/emails/ishift/articles/Leading_Authority_on_Noetic_Sciences_Hails_Dan_Brown.pdf) on the phenomenon of Brown’s new book, and a related report (http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6700194.html) by the trade magazine Publishers Weekly. Stay tuned for an NBC ”Dateline” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/) special airing October 16 that will focus on the symbolism in ”The Lost Symbol” and feature IONS scientists Marilyn Mandala Schlitz and Dean Radin and the work of IONS. Discovery Channel (http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=1.403.26122.0.0) is planning to air a similar episode; check your local listings. IONS is launching a new teleseminar series for members on Wednesday, October 7 (today!), that will explore the science behind the book. Go here (http://www.noetic.org/research/science_audio_course.cfm) for more information, and here (http://www.noetic.org/membership/join.cfm) for how to join.
And finally, speaking of universal consciousness, consider the following technical paper (http://noosphere.princeton.edu/papers/pdf/GCP.Events.Mar08.prepress.pdf, page proof) summarizing results from the Global Consciousness Project (GCP). It’s dense and cautious but suggests a crack in the dominant paradigm worth further study. The final version will ultimately be published here (http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal.html). Check out this video presentation (http://www.scientificexploration.org/talks/27th_annual/27th_annual_nelson_global_consciousness_events.html) on the project. More information about the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) program (now the International Consciousness Research Laboratories), which sponsored GCP, is available here (http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/).
*** Media Spotlight
* Film Highlights
Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival (http://svspiritualfilmfestival.org/index.php). There were too many exceptional new films in this rich event (which took place last month) to single out any one of them, so go to the website and see for yourself.
”For the Next 7 Generations” (http://www.forthenext7generations.com/home.php). This is the moving story of how 13 indigenous grandmothers from around the world came together to help return balance to a planet that desperately needs it. For more elder wisdom, check out the World Council of Elders (http://www.worldcouncilofelders.org/).
”The Age of Stupid” (http://www.ageofstupid.net/). The title may be offensive, but this paean to opportunities potentially lost, in the countdown to the international climate summit in Copenhagen (http://en.cop15.dk/frontpage), is worth watching. For early reviews, check out abs-cbnNews.com (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/09/23/09/are-you-part-age-stupid) and care2 (http://www.care2.com/causes/global-warming/blog/is-this-really-the-age-of-stupid/).
* New Books
”Morphic Resonance: The Nature of Formative Causation” (http://www.amazon.com/Morphic-Resonance-Nature-Formative-Causation/dp/1594773173/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253828135&sr=1-1) by Rupert Sheldrake. The revised and expanded edition of the iconic researcher’s classic original, A New Science of Life.
”The Power of Collective Wisdom and the Trap of Collective Folly” (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Collective-Wisdom-Trap-Folly/dp/1576754456/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253750913&sr=1-1) by Alan Briskin, et al (foreword by Peter Senge). A masterful presentation of the power and pitfalls of working together, along with proven tools for collective engagement.
”The Passionate Mind Revisited: Expanding Personal and Social Awareness” (http://www.amazon.com/Passionate-Mind-Revisited-Expanding-Awareness/dp/1556438079/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253828082&sr=1-1) by Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad. A provocative challenge to existing worldviews and a celebration of ”conscious social evolution.”
”Awakening to Awe: Personal Stories of Profound Transformation” (http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Awe-Personal-Profound-Transformation/dp/0765706652/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254244095&sr=1-1) by Kirk J. Schneider. An original call to embrace the power of wonder and mystery. See also his Shift magazine feature article, ”Awe-Based Learning” (http://www.noetic.org/publications/shift/issue8/S08_Awe-BasedLearning.pdf).

*** In the News
* Alternative Medicine Research Criticized
A recent Associated Press story (”$2.5B Spent, No Alt-Med Cures,” http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=7804031) posted on ABCNews.com’s Money section took issue with what were felt to be ”disappointing” results from the government’s ten-year investment of $2.5 billion, mostly provided by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), into the efficacy of herbal and alternative health remedies. The writer concluded that there have been no definitive, breakthrough findings from this effort, and was especially troubled by the discovery that ”the government also is funding studies of purported energy fields, distance healing, and other approaches that have little if any biological plausibility or scientific evidence.” Scientists and physicians on both sides of the issue were interviewed, as well as new NCCAM director Josephine Briggs.
Responding to the article, IONS Director of Research Cassandra Vieten writes in her Huffington Post blog (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cassandra-vieten/25-billion-spent-no-alter_b_284137.html) that ”there are no ’unscientific’ topics, only unscientific methods….” An excellent overview of distant healing and energy medicine research-much of which has yielded positive results-is featured in the book ”Healing, Intention, and Energy Medicine” (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044307237X?ie=UTF8&tag=noeticorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=044307237X). If you’re an IONS member, you’ll read more on this topic in our new print bulletin, Consciousness Matters, coming out at the end of October. If you aren’t a member, please join us! (http://www.noetic.org/membership/join.cfm)
The Institute’s 2005 book, ”Consciousness and Healing: Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine” (http://www.amazon.com/Consciousness-Healing-Integral-Approaches-Mind-Body/dp/0443068003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253820637&sr=1-1), remains one of the most important and well-respected in the field. It brought together more than 60 authorities on health and healing to address the creation of a new, integral perspective on healthcare and how health professionals and patients alike are rethinking the nature of healing.