February  2016
 
IONS Community Group Network Newsletter

Noetic Travel Opportunities

Spend 5 days in Umbria, Italy with IONS CEO Cassandra Vieten
How do people, both individuals and groups, make foundational shifts in their worldviews that give rise to radically new ways of being in the world? We will examine what science, religious and spiritual traditions, and modern transformative practice movements have to say about how people change. We'll also examine how we can get stuck or lost, and how to shake free from periods of inertia or patterns that prevent our growth. 
 
Taking time for reflection and integration in Umbria, close to the land, people and customs of Italy, can be a strong agent for a shift in consciousness, potentially nourishing ourselves and shifting our worldview, our motives and priorities, and how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world.  Click here to learn more and register for this transformative experience.

Consciousness Cruise to Alaska
The Community Group Leadership Council invites you to join us on the cruise ship Legend for a 7 day/7 night sailing to Alaska full of seminars, presentations, sharing and community!  Enjoy discussions at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Listen to presenters, including visionary Peter Russell, M.A., D.C.S. whose books include From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness.
 
In addition, YOU are invited to find your voice and be a presenter onboard, sharing your wisdom, knowledge and passion.  Click here for full details!   We look forward to sailing with YOU! 
 
Noetic Video Resources
 
New IONS Overview Video 
Check out our new video, where we give an overview of IONS history, talk about where we are at now with our science and education programs, and what we are creating into the future. Please feel free to show this video at your meetings!
The Science of What Connects Us

IONS Consciousness Transformation Model Explained
Cassi joins us in this 15 min video to explain the IONS Consciousness Transformation Model which is based on a series of focus groups with transformation teachers, interviews with over 60 masters and teachers of spiritual traditions, religions, and modern spiritual and secular transformative practices. Cassi takes us through the various stages and also points out the pit falls that we can get stuck in along our journey to living deeply.
 

Deepening into  Conscious Aging 

Special Discount for Conscious Aging Workshop at IONS
Many of our IONS Community Group Leaders have expressed an interest in experiencing in the Conscious Aging course from a participant's perspective. 

You are invited to take part in a Conscious Aging Course at the Institute of Noetic Sciences Earthrise Campus from May 20th-22nd taught by Cathy Coleman. This is not to become a facilitator, but to take part in the course as a participant.

We are offering IONS Community Group leaders and their partner or spouse a $100 discount to our upcoming workshop. Use code  IONSCGL where it says "Discount Code".  Click here to register now!   

IONS Community Group Spotlight:
Suncoast Community IONS (SCIONS)
by Dottie Koontz from the CGLC
 
Suncoast IONS Community Group was started 20 years ago by Sharon Joy Kleitsch, founder of The Connection Partners, with a presentation by Edgar Mitchell. Douglas Bonar, who was present at that first meeting, took over leadership about 6 years ago. Sharon is still involved with the group. Douglas Bonar has a PhD in Altered States of Consciousness, an interest he has had since his spiritual awakening experience as a Marine in Vietnam and a long healing journey to recover from the effects of that war. He has been a licensed Mental Health Counselor for 37 years with a private practice centered around family violence issues. He teaches mindfulness, meditation and noetic concepts in his group counselling sessions. He is currently writing a book about his counseling model. Douglas has two grown sons and a beautiful grandchild. He is also a member of the Community Group Leadership Council and its Steering Committee.
 
Suncoast meets quarterly around the equinoxes and solstices. Meetings typically begin with a heart focused meditation, a brief discussion of Noetic Sciences, and include a presentation  and subsequent dialogue in the World Café format on a noetic or social change topic. One of their best speakers was Bob Staretz speaking on "Quantum Hologram". Average attendance is around 30 people. They also have a monthly "Conscious Cuisine Book Club", dubbed "Food for Thought".  An average of 10 people attend. They use the World Café format of three rounds of 20 minutes each, for each person to share a book or other inspirational reading they brought, followed by a whole group harvesting of the gems, patterns, synchronicities and surprises from the readings.
 
They have 500 names on their mailing list and advertise their meetings on MeetUp. They meet in a Unity Church that also publicizes the meetings in their bulletin.  They regularly participate in Saturday Markets and other community groups to disseminate information about their group. They have no FB page or website at this time.  They build their mailing list through sign-ups at the events and at their meetings. Many of the members of Suncoast CG are also members of activist groups focused on global warming, Pachamama Alliance, and getting money out of politics.
 
Suncoast requests a $5-10 love offering at each meeting which they split with the church and also ask for a canned good or toiletry donation for the local homeless shelter. Last year they donated 1200 lbs of goods to the shelter. Their expenses are primarily for MeetUp and publicity, they haven't paid a speaker yet. They have a State Non-Profit designation.

Doug says their best idea has been partnering with other community groups and being able to share information on noetic topics and both personal and collective consciousness transformation with them. Standout themes for their meetings have included health and healing, consciousness in leadership, and now conscious activism.
 
Future planning includes experimenting with a new teleconferencing technology, "QiQo Chats" (quality in quality out) to be able to bring well known speakers, such as Bruce Lipton, to their group who are presenting from somewhere else. Douglas will keep us informed about the results of these experiments.
 
Douglas's email address is dbonar@tampabay.rr.com.
In This Issue
CG Leader Conference Calls!
Listen to the recording or read the summary of the February Leaders conference call now! 

Please join us for  the next community group leader call  on March 15th at 5PM PST. 
Join the IONS CG Private Group on Facebook
Like us on Facebook
Want more contact with other CG facilitators? Want to share your ideas and find more resources for your group? Join our private community group discussion page on Facebook!
Join our private community group discussion page on Facebook!
Community Group Updates

Arlington IONS hosted Eric N. Best, PhD who spoke of t he need for and emergence of a new, higher level of connection among humans, in conjunction with a merger of psychology, science, and spirituality.

Chattanooga/North Georgia IONS hosted Sandy Kurtz who was present during the COP21 negotiations in Paris, and together explored the agreement and how they can help it moving forward.

DFW IONS hosted After Death Communication with Dr. Janice Holden: a transpersonal approach to consciousness

Diablo IONS hosted an event in conjunction with Pachamama Alliance titled "Creating a Sustainable Future for Our Planet"

Marin IONS  hosted Jan Ögren to learn about time: the origin of linear time and other forms of organizing time that create more opportunities for healing. 

Las Angeles IONS hosted Swami Beyondanana who presented: "Wake up Laughing; Because there is Definitely Something Funny Going On"

hosted IONS fellow Marilyn Schlitz who spoke on "Emerging Worldviews:
Exploring the Interface of Science, Healing and Transformation".

Twin Cities IONS hosted Animal Communicator, Lena Swanson, who talked about the process of animal communication--how she connects and what she learns.

Tucson IONS hosted  Dr. Garland Landrith, best known for his appearance in "What the Bleep.. " who presented his life-changing Tapping on Acupuncture Points technique.

Santa Rosa IONS hosted an event with Maitra who shared about her own journey of becoming a  medium, a sensitive, and a psychic. 

hosted Mark Basham who hosted an open dialog centered around Sacred Geometry, the vibrational nature of our reality, our interconnectedness and more. Mark is the author of Lucid Awakenings.
Contribute Meeting Suggestions!

We are still looking for leaders who would like to contribute to our website! We are currently updating our  meeting suggestion page on the community group website. Please send over specific meeting ideas that you would like to contribute to alivingston@noetic.org.
Call for Participants
Would you like to take part in a scientific study on psychic phenomena? The current study explores the possible effects on psychic performance of the electromagnetic waves that surround all of us every day. Click here for more information
Contact Us
If you have questions or ideas for this e-newsletter, we welcome your feedback. I'm always just a phone call or email away and would love to connect with you!


Andrea Livingston
IONS Global
Community Liaison