Program Title: “Something New Under the Sun.” Our January 18, 2025 program will feature a talk by
Tom Coates, in collaboration with his sidekick, Taliesin St. Clair, along with a celebration of our group’s TWENTY-
NINTH ANNIVERSARY and the kickoff of our THIRTIETH YEAR!!!
Alfred North Whitehead, one of the most distinguished mathematicians and philosophers of the 20th
Century, famously quipped that, “All of Western philosophy is but a footnote to Plato.” Plato, an Athenian who lived from 428 to 347 B.C., was a devoted student of Socrates and also deeply influenced
by Socrates’ antecedents, including Pythagoras, Heraclitus and Parmenides. From this lineage, beginning with Pythagoras, who studied for years in Egypt and probably in India as well, came not only Greek mathematics and geometry, but also the Pythagorean/Socratic dialectic, Plato’s myth of the cave and his theory of forms, from which arose the Gnostic Demiurge and our 21st Century counterpart idea of The Matrix (as in the movie trilogy), and the idea that the reality in which we are living our lives may be an AI-generated computer simulation, behind which lies an authentic, real world.
What began 2,600 years ago with Pythagoras in Greece, Zoroaster in Persia, Buddha in Nepal and India, Lao Tzu in China, and later produced Jesus Christ, was a major shift in consciousness the world has not seen the likes of since – until now. But the shift underway now may well eclipse all that has preceded it, by awakening humanity to a new ontology of expanded awareness — an awareness that awareness itself, i.e., consciousness, is the most fundamental substrate and essence of All-That-Is, an awareness of the essential divinity and divine essence within ourselves,
within all other selves and within everything we can experience and perceive within our framework of reality, an awareness that all of Creation is but One Consciousness of which all of us are integral parts. The theme of this installment will be how to awaken to that expansion and how to make meaningful connections with the divine essence within. As always, Tom promises that some secrets known only to a few may be revealed.
Another not-to-be-missed program for all who can attend! See you there!
About Our 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). Central
VA IONS is not associated with any religion, religious organization, doctrine or set of beliefs or practices and is open to all. Central VA
IONS is entirely dependent upon voluntary donations of its members and friends to support its programs, mailings and other costs, and a
love offering is requested at each meeting from those attending in-person or online. Central VA IONS meetings are held each month at
locations announced in its program notices and are open to all. Our website is at richmondions.com.
Where/When: In person and online, through ZOOM (Meeting ID: 865 1815 1952, Passcode: 142841) and in
person at Unity of Richmond, 800 Blanton Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221, on Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10:00
a.m. to 12:00 noon, with Potluck Lunch at conclusion.
Upcoming Meetings:
February 15, 2025: Kimberly Barrett, Fairfax-based Psychic Medium, Starseed Activator and Quantum Energy Healer.
March 15, 2025: Sarah Norton, Ph.D., Richmond-based Depth Psychologist and Dream Interpreter.
April 19, 2025: Susanna Calvert, Ph.D., Richmond-based Channel, Healer, Teacher and Founder of Sanctuary of Earth.
May 17, 2025: Shruti Paskar, ND, Pawleys Island-based Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.