Richmond IONS January 2024 Meeting

Richmond Ions 2023, Tom CoatesRichmond IONS January 2024 Meeting (January 20) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Thomas Coates and a celebration of our group’s 28th Anniversary.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, November 18, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program. Also remember our FREE BOOK EXCHANGE.   Bring books you’re done with to our meeting and take home all you like.

Richmond IONS January 2024 Meeting

“The Evolution of God in Human Consciousness and Implications for Humanity.”

Ideas about God or Gods have evolved substantially during the course of the current cycle of human history, which began roughly 6,500 years ago. Traditional indigenous cultures were more organically aligned with their natural surroundings than we are today.

They were animistic in their orientation and connected with spirits everywhere, which most often were mediated by tribal shamans. We are taught to believe that animistic/shamanic belief systems and practices later evolved into polytheistic religious belief systems, as illustrated by the various pantheons of gods of cultures throughout the ancient and
“classical” world, including the cultures of India, Babylon, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome and many others.

We are also taught that starting between three and four thousand years ago, the Hebrews (later to become known as Jews) began developing the concept of monotheism, quite a novel idea at the time, and that it eventually gave birth to the two great monotheistic religions of Christianity and Islam, whose combined followers today comprise more than half the world’s population. There are many misconceptions about this which we will explore.

Notwithstanding humanity’s so-called evolutionary advances with respect to notions of God, the state of our modern world makes two matters crystal clear: First, the planet-wide chaos, conflict and environmental degradation we continue to experience is directly related to our conflicted concepts of God.

Second, in order to resolve such problems going forward, our concepts of God will have to evolve further still – from ideas which foster separation (among us as humans, between us and our environment, and between us and God) to one which fosters Unity with all-that-is.

This talk will build on the talk given in May 2023 by Robert Bushman (entitled “Who Is God? A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament”), and will offer suggestions about where we may go from here to initiate this next evolutionary leap in our consciousness, in order to save both ourselves and our environment.

About Tom Coates, our Richmond IONS January 2024 Meeting Presenter

Tom Coates is a Richmond-based lawyer who has represented numerous spiritually oriented and public interest groups throughout his career. He was a co-founder of Richmond’s Ekoji Buddhist Sangha in 1985, and has been a member and contributor of the Richmond IONS chapter since its formation in early 1996.

In his spare time, he enjoys reading, creative writing, painting, woodworking, alpine skiing, biking, backpacking, sailing, time travel, metaphysics, and relaxing with his family at their ancient Outer Banks beach cottage and their Colombian Andes Mountains retreat. He now is looking forward to undertaking a new role as an ambassador for Earth in the Galactic Federation.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Richmond IONS December 2023 Meeting

Richmond Ions December 2023, Sunny BeachRichmond IONS December 2023 Meeting (December 16) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Sunny Beach.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, November 18, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.


Richmond IONS December 2023 Meeting

“The {He}Art of Shamanism.”

Our December 16, 2023, program will feature a talk by Sunny Beach a/k/a Suun Eater, a Baltimore-based metaphysician and urban shaman. In his own words, his talk will be about the following:

An exploration into the wisdom, power and mysteries of wholistic medicine, mysticism, magick, alchemy, nature, intention, ascension, our multidimensional reality, consciousness and creation.

These are a few of the topics we will be discussing and exploring together: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual bodies; non-duality (s.t.o./s.t.s.), heart centered alchemy; the 12 universal laws; the 12 laws of karma; the laws and application of magick and alchemy; wholistic medicine and wholistic healing modalities (psychospiritual, emotional and physical wholistic medicine through healing personal, ancestral, planetary and galactic karma)

In addition, we will address the ego (including temperance, attachments, and archetypes); shadow work (negative ego death of the false self and polarity integration); and astro theology and cosmology; chakras, nadis, meridians, ley lines, densities and dimensions.

We will also touch on empathy, clairvoyance, intuition, claircognizance, telepathy, telekinesis, OBE, astral projection, psychic abilities and paranormal aspects of consciousness (ordinary, non-ordinary consciousness, higher states of consciousness and awareness).

Furthermore, we will address plant medicine, allies, vision quests, working with power and understanding nature (mineral, plant-animal, human, angelic, elemental and devic kingdoms).

In addition, we will address individual, planetary, solar, universal, galactic and cosmic consciousness; the power of thoughts, emotions, intention, intonation (communication), (s)words, spells, sigils, symbols, shapes and colors upon “reality” as we experience it.

Moreover, the areas of DNA, quantum physics (the morphogenetic field and multidensity/multidimensional nature of consciousness as reality); soul retrieval, spiritual sciences, Christ consciousness and unity consciousness are. also included.

About Sunny Beach, our Richmond IONS December 2023 Meeting Presenter

Sunny Beach, aka Suun Eater, is an auto-didact metaphysician and urban shaman whose home base is Baltimore, Maryland.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Richmond IONS November 2023 Meeting

Richmond Ions November 2023, Jeffrey LongRichmond IONS November 2023 Meeting (November 18) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Jeffrey Long, MD.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, November 18, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS November 2023 Meeting

“God and the Afterlife.”

Dr. Long will address our group on his more than twenty-five years researching the NDE phenomenon. In 1998, Dr. Long and his wife Jody established the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) with the goal of creating a forum for near-death experiencers to share their stories.

Since then, more than 5,000 people have done so, and the Longs’ NDERF website has become the largest platform in the world for personal accounts of NDEs.

Dr. Long has authored two books on this subject, the first entitled Evidence of the Afterlife – the Science of Near-Death Experiences, in 2010, the second God and the Afterlife, in 2016. Dr. Long’s conclusions are based on accounts from thousands of near-death experiencers from diverse backgrounds and religious traditions, including non-believers.

In Evidence of the Afterlife, Dr. Long showed us compelling scientific evidence of life after death. God and the
Afterlife goes further, revealing evidence that God is real.

Here, Dr. Long presents startling evidence that a Supreme Being exists – and there is amazing consistency about what the Supreme Being is like. God and the Afterlife is the first intensive exploration of the people who report having gone to the frontier of heaven, met God, and returned to share. their journey.

Dr. Long studied thousands of stories of people who journeyed to the afterlife. Despite a wide variety of differences in how people experience NDEs, he discovered remarkable similarities in their descriptions of God – a Supreme Being who radiates love and grace.

God and the Afterlife expands on the analysis begun in Evidence of the Afterlife, is groundbreaking and profound,
and provides new insights into the human experience. It transcends our notions of mortality, and offers hope,
comfort, and the possibility of eternal life. We are very grateful to have Dr. Long as our guest speaker.

About Dr. Jeffrey Long, our Richmond IONS November 2023 Meeting Presenter

Jeffrey Long, M.D., is a radiation oncologist and NDE researcher in Georgetown, Kentucky. He has appeared on
NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, FOX’s The O’Reilly Factor, and The Learning Channel.

Long has also served on the Board of Directors of the International Association for Near-Death Studies(IANDS) and established the nonprofit Near-Death Experience Research Foundation and the NDERF website, the world’s largest forum for NDE accounts.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Richmond IONS September 2023 Meeting

Richmond IONS September 2023Richmond IONS September 2023 Meeting (September 16) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by P.M.H. Atwater.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, September 16, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS September 2023 Meeting

“Edge Walker: The Many Lives and Deaths of P.M.H. Atwater.”

Our September 16, 2023 program will feature a talk by P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D., world-renowned Charlottesville author and NDE researcher, on her just published personal memoir, Edge Walker: The Many Lives and Deaths of PMH Atwater.

In her many books examining NDEs and other extraordinary phenomena, P.M.H. Atwater has, thus far, only revealed bits and pieces about her own life. Now, in Edge Walker, she finally tells us the whole story. This book explores, in great detail, her journey as a near-death experiencer, prolific author, wife, mother, and spiritual human.

A courageous trailblazer, P.M.H. has spent her entire life walking between worlds and trying to build bridges between them. Perhaps she sums it up best in her own words: “I’ll be almost eighty-six when this book is published. I leave you my laughter and my life and my books, and a host of questions still to be answered. No regrets. I did the best I could each step of the way.”

An international authority on near-death states, P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D., is the author of 19 books. Her writings have also appeared in numerous magazines, newsletters, and journals. Some of her research has been validated in clinical settings also mentioned in the Lancet Medical Journal. She has been given numerous citations, appeared on national television, and spoken twice to groups at the United Nations about her work.

She has donated both the copyright and all proceeds from her popular Big Book of Near-Death Experiences, an encyclopedic study of the phenomena, to the International Association of Near-Death Studies to aid in their work. Edge Walker is filled with surprises, as will be Ms. Atwater’s talk about it. We are blessed to have her back on our stage once again, and are grateful for it.

About P.M.H. Atwater, our Richmond IONS September 2023 Meeting Presenter

P.M.H. Atwater is the world’s most prolific NDE author, as well as one of its original, most indefatigable and highly respected researchers. Inspired by three NDEs of her own, Ms. Atwater began her research in the mid-1970s, almost 50 years ago, just after moving from Idaho to Virginia.

Since then, she has investigated over 5,000 NDE cases and others involving intense spiritual transformation around the world and authored nineteen books on this fascinating subject.

Ms. Atwater has won many awards, appeared on numerous TV shows and spoken at the United Nations and around the world – always inviting people to look beyond the surface appearance for the deeper truths underlying what we think we know.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Richmond IONS August 2023 Meeting

Richmond ions August 2023 Elia WiseRichmond IONS August 2023 Meeting (August 19) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Elia Wise.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, August 19, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS August 2023 Meeting

“The Spiritual Misconceptions of Our Time.”

Our August 19, 2023 program will feature a talk by Elia Wise, a Random House author based in Northern California. Elia is a seminal thinker in the field of metaphysics, and a private teacher of consciousness development and spirituality. Willis Harmon endorsed Elia’s book, Letter to Earth, saying “This book could change the world.” Below is a description of her talk, in Elia’s own words:

When Covid happened, the theatrical project I had been working on for a decade came to a full stop. As an empty-nester whose dear ones are far flung, I had unplanned and uncommitted solo time. I decided to use it to study the current public conversation around consciousness and spirituality. What were people saying to me on the phone, in professional forums, and on YouTube—in its array of academic discussions, astrology and Tarot readings, psychic channeling?

That study led me to this presentation. It also propelled me to begin writing a follow-up to my book, Letter to Earth (Random House, 2000), something I had not previously imagined. Here is what I learned. . .

We are on the verge of making an old mistake again, one that has already taken us 2,000 years to begin to acknowledge. A set of popular beliefs about spirituality and consciousness are being established as the foundation for a non-religion to replace religion.

Their frequent repetition and truthiness (truthiness being a sickness of our time—if in politics, why not in spirituality and consciousness?) makes them hard to discern from truth. They are compelling in their almost-resonance with what we almost recognize within us. An almost-truth has limited magnetism, limited potential to unfold a larger and deeper understanding.

It may draw in related ideas and people who share in those related ideas, but then it fizzles out. A spiritual Truth proves itself to you. It demonstrates its efficacy, perpetually, possessed of its own vitality. And, above all, it has the fractal’s inherent capacity to reveal the Whole.

In our meeting on August 19, I will offer insight into the emerging spiritual misconceptions of our time. More importantly, I hope to offer an angle of vision that can help you see  ore exquisite, and more resonant with your Soul’s knowing.

Another not-to-be-missed program for all who can attend!

About Elia Wise, our Richmond IONS August 2023 Meeting Presenter

Elia Wise is the mother of a sterling 30-year-old. She is self-educated, advanced by the tutelage of a profound spiritual teacher, a librettist, Journey to the Heart of the Matter, author, Letter to Earth,  Who We Are Becoming…What We Need to Know (Random House); For Children Who Were Broken (G.P. Putnam); and Artifacts of Intimacy (Inspired Company).

She is also the co-founder of Light Works Magic, television and film production, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., and Creator/CEO of PeoplePaper.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Richmond IONS July 2023 Meeting

Richmond Ions-July-2023-Howard-BatieRichmond IONS July 2023 Meeting (July 15) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Howard Batie.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, July 15, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS May 2023 Meeting

“The ETs Speak: Who We Are and Why We’re Here.”

OurJuly 15, 2023, program will feature a talk by Howard Batie, retired Naval Officer and Certified Hypnotherapist, on his book, The ETs Speak. Are we alone in the Universe?

That question has been answered definitively by the thousands of UFO sightings that are reported around the world every month, and the answer to the question is No. The bigger questions we should now be asking are: Who Are They? Why Are They Here In Our Skies? What Are Their Intentions?

These are the really important questions that can be answered only by the ETs themselves. With the help of an advanced form of Hypnosis developed by the author, we are beginning to receive the answers to these and other related questions by “interviewing” the ETs directly.

What we are told is that they, the ETs, have come here to assist us by working alongside us humans as we, with their advanced technologies and training, use new devices gifted by them to remove the radioactivity and pollution from our oceans, cleanse our atmosphere, teach us new methods of physical and emotional healing, strengthen our bodies and increase longevity through natural nutrition, and many other improvements.

In order to work alongside us, the ET races have decided to introduce themselves to us physically in several First Contact events in many countries around the world. Humanity will soon be asked to leave its childhood behind and quickly mature into a civilization that reaches for the stars in concert with its Galactic Brothers and Sisters.

The real purpose of Howard’s book is to introduce humanity to some of the ET civilizations we will physically meet during First Contact by providing us with advance information about who they are, what star systems they are from, why they are here, and how they are planning to assist humanity as we, with their help, ultimately join our Galactic mentors and friends and emerge into a space-faring civilization.

About Howard Batie, our Richmond IONS July 2023 Meeting Presenter

Howard Batie is a retired Naval officer, a retired satellite communications Program Manager and a Certified Hypnotherapist specializing in Spiritual Hypnotism. He is also an internationally-published award-winning author.

His books include Awakening the Healer Within, 2000; Healing Body, Mind & Spirit: A Guide to Energy-Based Healing, 2003; Spiritual Journeys: A Practical Methodology for Accelerated Spiritual Development and Experiential Exploration, 2014; Trans-Scalar Healing, 2017; and The Art of Metaphysical Communication, 2018).

He has also authored over 25 technical articles in the computer and electronics fields. Mr. Batie has received national recognition from the Johns Hopkins Institutes for development of innovative and practical techniques for using personal computers to aid the severely physically handicapped.

He also designed, developed and constructed several custom environmental telemetry systems (Volcano Monitors) for the U.S. Geological Survey. He is now in private practice as the Director of the Evergreen Healing Arts Center in Chehalis, Washington.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Richmond IONS June 2023 Meeting & Spring Fling

Richmond-Ions-June-2023-Spring-Fling First, about our Richmond IONS June 2023 Meeting…

Unfortunately, it had to be canceled due to the illness of a family member of the guest speaker. However,  regular programming will resume on July 15.

On the good news front, our annual SPRING FLING will take place THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2023, FROM 6:00 p.m., until … at 525 Sleepy Hollow Road, Richmond, Virginia 23229.

Bring a potluck dish to share and enjoy the good company, good food, and good music by Dan O’Neal and Claudia Carawan.  Wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

I look forward to seeing you at the party on Saturday! More details are below:

Spring Fling June 2023

Spring Fling continued

 

 

 

 

Richmond IONS May 2023 Meeting

Richmond Ions May 2023, Robert BushmanRichmond IONS May 2023 Meeting (May 20) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Robert Bushman, Ph.D.

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, May 20, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS May 2023 Meeting

“Who is God? A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament”

Our May20, 2023 program will feature a talk by Robert Bushman, Ph.D., long-standing member of IONS and applied linguist.

In the common belief of our culture, God is thought of as a person – a wise and kindly old man, with a white beard, faintly Jewish, sitting somewhere up in heaven and directing human affairs. He is supposedly all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present.

Furthermore, He created everything – the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, all the stars, all the plants and animals, everything. Even us!

He knows what you’ve been thinking and doing. So, when you die, He will judge whether you go to heaven or hell.

Most of us, of course, have long since out-grown such naive notions, but the question persists: Who is “God,” anyway? Is “God” actually a person, or even a being at all? And how did the God-as-person idea ever get started?

Robert’s presentation will trace the origins of this idea, of the personification of God, and the beliefs which accompanied it, back to ancient Sumer in Mesopotamia, “the cradle of civilization,” and what we find will yield some big surprises. (Robert assures it’s not intended to shake your faith, only to clear things up.)

Robert previously has given talks to our group on exopolitics and remote viewing. They were among the most informative we’ve ever had, and we know this one will be as well.

Another not-to-be-missed program for all who can attend! See you there!

About Robert Bushman, our Richmond IONS May 2023 Meeting Presenter

Robert Bushman grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has lived in five other states, as well as in Europe and Asia. He is a retired Air Force Colonel and a Vietnam vet. His last military assignment was as a U.S. Embassy attaché in Stockholm.

He has a B.A. in Russian/Russian studies, an M.A. in applied linguistics, and a Ph.D. in instructional science. In the military, he retired as a senior intelligence officer with the rank of Lt. Colonel from the Air Force Reserve, and worked in that capacity for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington DC.

There he was being recruited into the Government RV program just before it was discontinued. As a civilian, he worked as a scientific linguist in translator evaluation and training and in language instruction, as well as a visiting professor of linguistics.

When the Soviet Union fell, he developed the first course in Estonian for the language school of the State Department. Robert is a long-standing member of IONS, and previously served as the community group coordinator in both Alexandria and Eugene, Oregon. with the world’s largest database on the subject.




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Upcoming Richmond IONS Meetings:

Looking for our upcoming meetings?  Please CLICK HERE.

To get on our mailing list, please click the “Menu” button and then the “Contact” button at the top right of this page and send us a message.

Richmond IONS April 2023 Meeting

Richmond-ions-april-15-glenn-weinerRichmond IONS April 2023 Meeting (April 15) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Glenn Weiner, Ph.D..

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, April 15, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS April 2023 Meeting

“Developing Our Meditation and Psychic Skills Through Neuromodulation”

Our April 15, 2023, program will feature a talk by Glenn Weiner, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Board Certified in Neurofeedback. Glenn describes his upcoming presentation as follows:

I have been grateful for the IONS presentations over the past few years and wanted to share the little bit that I know in hopes that I can help someone else on their path of growth.

My professional work has been in utilizing a blend of psychotherapy and neuromodulation to help reduce suffering for various clinical disorders. The intersection of science and spirituality is where I like to ponder, learn, explore, and discuss.

My intention is to help participants upgrade their meditation and/or psychic practices or develop one that works for them. I am hoping that there may be something of value in some of these topics that I am going to try to include:

Biofield imaging; EEG 101; Brain patterns of psychics and healers; States of Awareness/Consciousness; Entrainment; HRV Biofeedback; Neurofeedback; Intention/Manifestation; Energetic Healing; Meditation; and Journaling.

My intention is to share some of the science and rationale that underpins the various approaches that will be presented. Terms will be defined in a way intended to make “woo woo” make more sense. Building upon that, I will share some of the neuromodulation, behavioral and energy psychology approaches that individuals have found to be helpful over the years.

I want this workshop to lead to real world changes for the participants. Therefore, I will try to share clear and practical next steps participants can pursue at home.

All of us know meditation is good for us, and that we “ought” to be doing it more, and more deeply. The same applies to trusting our intuition, being mindful, connecting with others in a heart coherent state, etc. We all do the best that we can at the time.

We will spend some time trying to help participants identify where they get stuck in pursuit of these experiences, and explore strategies to get back on the path of better spiritual self-care and spiritual development.

About Glenn Weiner, our Richmond IONS April 2023 Meeting Presenter

Glenn Weiner, Ph.D., earned his Ph.D. from Temple University in 1982. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and has spent most of his career in a multidisciplinary group behavioral healthcare practice in Chesterfield County, Virginia. He is Board Certified in Neurofeedback, also known as EEG Biofeedback.

Dr. Weiner has presented workshops and webinars on a variety of topics for the two major international professional neurofeedback organizations as well as locally for The Virginia Psychiatric Society, The Virginia Psychological Association, VCU/Medical College of Virginia, HCA Virginia, and others.

In 2016 he wrote a chapter: Evolving as a Neurotherapist: Integrating psychotherapy and neurofeedback. This appeared in The Handbook of Clinical QEEG and Neurotherapy .




About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

About Our Richmond IONS Facebook Page:

Please also visit and “LIKE” our  Richmond IONS Facebook page

Upcoming Richmond IONS Meetings:

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Richmond IONS March 2023 Meeting

Richmond Ions  March 2023, Christopher BacheRichmond IONS March 2023 Meeting (March 18) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Christopher Bache, Ph.D..

Where: In person and online. Through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in person at River Road United Methodist Church, Contemporary Worship Center, 8800 River Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

When: On Saturday, March 18, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a Potluck Lunch at the conclusion of the program.




Richmond IONS March 2023 Meeting

“Exploring the Cosmic Mind with Psychedelics”

Our March 18, 2023, program will feature a talk by Christopher Bache, Ph.D., Ohio philosophy professor, consciousness explorer and author, on his book LSD
and the Mind of the Universe.

In 1979, Chris Bache began a life-changing journey. Drawing on his training as a philosopher of religion, Bache set out to explore his consciousness as systematically as possible with the help of LSD.

Following therapeutic protocols established by Stanislav Grof, M.D., he conducted 73 therapeutically structured, high-dose LSD sessions over 20 years.

Journey alongside Chris as he describes the stages of his journey and the spiral of death and rebirth that took him into an ever-deepening communion with the universe.

He shares his experience of the Creative Intelligence that both embraced and crushed him in a series of initiations that became the philosophical adventure of a lifetime.

He describes the incalculable value of embracing the pain and suffering he encountered on this journey and the challenges he faced integrating his experiences into his everyday life.

At the center of his narrative are the visions he was given of humanity’s evolutionary journey and the turning point it has come to as it strains to give birth to the Future Human.

Pushing the boundaries of theory and practice, Chris shows how psychedelic experiences can take you beyond self-transformation into collective transformation, beyond the present into the future, and beyond space and time into the Divine Luminosity that lies outside cyclic existence.

About Christopher Bache, our Richmond IONS March 2023 Meeting Presenter

Christopher Bache, Ph.D., is professor emeritus in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at
Youngstown State University, where he taught for 33 years. He is also adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Emeritus Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and on the Advisory Council of Grof Legacy Training.

Chris’ passion has been the study of the philosophical implications of non-ordinary states of consciousness, particularly psychedelic states. An award-winning teacher
and international speaker, Chris has written four books:

  • Lifecycles – a study of reincarnation in light of contemporary consciousness research;
  • Dark Night, Early Dawn – a pioneering work in psychedelic philosophy and collective consciousness;
  • The Living Classroom, an exploration of collective fields of consciousness in teaching; and
  • LSD and the Mind of the Universe, the story of his 20-year journey with LSD.



About Central VA IONS Community Group:

Central VA IONS Community Group is an unincorporated association and a local community group of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, an international association based in Petaluma, California (www.noetic.org).

We do not promote any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and we are open to all. Central VA IONS entirely depends on voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs.

We appreciate a love offering at each meeting from those attending who are not dues paying members. Richmond IONS/Central VA IONS meetings take place each month at locations announced in its program notices (currently on Zoom) and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.

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Upcoming Richmond IONS Meetings:

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