We’re counting down to the “Parapsychology and Consciousness” conference that starts at noon on October 14th! There are three really good reasons to register for this unique conference. And here they are:
1.) We won’t be doing a parapsychology conference every year …
Atlantic University is not going to be doing parapsychology conferences every year. Our Annual Conference series which starts with “Parapsychology and Consciousness” is conceived of as a way to feature aspects of our existing program in a unique setting. Our Masters of Arts in Transpersonal Studies has a number of tracks: Consciousness Studies in which parapsychology lives is only one of them. So if you think you can give our conference a miss this year because there will be another one next year, think again. Next year, our conference will focus on Leadership; the next few years after that it will focus on creative writing, dream studies and dream work, and/or transpersonal arts, among other possible topics. We don’t anticipate being able to return to scientific parapsychology for many years.
2.) October at the Virginia Beach Ocean front is really good value for money and so is our conference!
Because of the economy we have broken out our $395 ($375 for seniors/students) price into day prices and evening prices, so you can choose to attend the evening lectures ($30 each), or just Friday afternoon ($80), or just all Saturday ($160) or all day Sunday ($160) depending on which presentations interest you the most. And because it is off season here in Virginia Beach, rooms in our conference hotels — the Wyndham and the Holiday Inn Express — are less than $100 a night. The Holiday Inn Express also includes a hot breakfast in the room price in case the Continental breakfast we are serving at the conference is not enough, not to mention an ocean view. Try booking that during the season for less than $200! (Lots of other hotels are arrayed along both sides of Atlantic and Pacific Avenues and some of them are even less expensive this time of year.)
3.) The best reason to come to Virginia Beach for “Parapsychology and Consciousness” from October 14th through 16th is the line up of speakers!
We are featuring in this conference 16 speakers, many of whom are very well-known, cover very unique areas of interest related to psychic functioning from physics and psychology to dreaming and synchronocity, field investigations and mediumship. We have theory and research reports, paper sessions and panel discussions. Here are the details:
Atlantic University Scholar in Residence Dr. Carlos S. Alvarado organized the content of the conference. The speakers are as follows: Dr. Dean Radin (Institute for Noetic Sciences), Dr. Roger Nelson (The Global Consciousness Project), Dr. Edwin C. May (Laboratories for Fundamental Research), Dr. Julie Beischel (The Windbridge Institute), Drs. Jim Carpenter and John Palmer (both of the Rhine Research Center), Loyd Auerbach (Office of Paranormal Investigation and faculty member at both Atlantic University and John F. Kennedy University), Dr. Bob Van de Castle (faculty at both the University of Virginia and Atlantic University), Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore (with appointments at the Rhine Research Center, Atlantic University and the University of West Georgia), Dr. Doug Richards (Atlantic University faculty member), Dr. Frank Pasicuiti (clinical psychologist), Dr. Ginette Nachman (Rhine Research Center), Dr. Henry Reed (Atlantic University), David McMillin (the Meridian Institute) and of course, Carlos and I.
The conference kicks off at noon on Friday October 14th with a reception, registration and opportunities for book-signing in the lobby of the Visitor’s Center at Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) at 6700 Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kevin Todeschi, an Atlantic University (AU) graduate, and the CEO of both Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. and AU, will convene the conference proper in the Main Auditorium around 2pm with welcoming remarks, followed by comments from Carlos and I. The first speaker on Friday afternoon is Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore, with a presentation called “How do Synesthesias relate to Anomalous Experiences.” Her talk will cover an online survey of synesthesia experiences and a laboratory experiment in which strong synesthetes were compared with matched controls on an ESP task. For abstracts of both this talk and one Christine will give on Saturday click here.
Following the coffee break, Dr. Ed May is the next speaker up, giving an invited address called “Application of Fuzzy Sets to Natural Anomalous Cognition (a.k.a Remote Viewing) Targets.” For abstracts of both this talk and his contribution to a panel discussion later in the program click here.
On the evening of the first day of the conference (Friday, October 14th, from 7pm-9pm) we will hold our fourth quarterly Visiting Scholar Lecture hosted by Dr. Alvarado. Dr. Roger Nelson will update the audience with his invited address on the Global Consciousness Project. For an abstract of his presentation, click here.
On Saturday morning, October 15th, the second day of the conference will start with a continental breakfast, late registration and then an invited address by long-time AU faculty member, Dr. Doug Richards. He will review the way in which scientific parapsychology has been intertwined with the history of Atlantic University and the A.R.E.. For an abstract of both of his talks click here. Following Doug’s presentation, James Van Auken, a faculty member at both Atlantic University and the Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy, will moderate a panel called “What a Masters in Parapsychology Should Look Like.” The panel presentations will be: “Designing a Curriculum for a Masters in Parapsychology” (my talk on our efforts to develop a graduate curriculum in scientific parapsychology); “Atlantic University’s Principles of Parapsychology Course” (by Dr. Richards on the course that has been taught in the Consciousness Studies track since 1985); History of Parapsychology” (Dr. Alvarado’s presentation) and “Psychology of Psychic Experiences” (Dr. Simmonds-Moore). Because of the recent ruling from our accrediting agency that makes it impossible for us to pursue the development of a masters degree in parapsychology, both of the last two courses described are back on the drawing board with the hopes that we can find a wider approach to the area that will be acceptable to the powers that be.
On Saturday afternoon in a paper session entitled “Parapsychology and Psychology,” Atlantic University’s own Dr. Henry Reed will talk about “Intimacy and ESP.” Henry is well-known in the International Association for the Study of Dreams and has been serving as a faculty member since before the University was reborn as a graduate school in 1985. (If you’re interested, you can view a powerpoint on the history of the school I put together in 2010 with the help of CEO Kevin Todeschi, in honor of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the school.) The second speaker in the paper session, Dr. John Palmer will tackle a persistent problem for scientific parapsychology, the “Source-of-Psi” problem. Dr. Jim Carpenter will introduce his “First Sight” theory of psychic functioning, and in the final paper of the paper session, Dr. Frank Pasciuti will examine the relationship of his discipline to parapsychology. (For Frank’s biography and abstract click here.)
Saturday evening, October 15th, from 7:30pm-9:30pm, Atlantic University will present Dr. Dean Radin who will deliver the invited address, “Before the Tipping Point: Reconsidering the Nature of Consciousness.” (For the abstract of Dr. Radin’s presentation click here.)
Sunday, October 16th is the last day of the conference and will begin with a paper detailing research that I conducted with Carlos and our colleague from the University of Virginia, Natasha Agee. The research, funded by the Bial Foundation in Portugal, looked into the relationship of psychic experiences, the psychological state/trait of absorption, and adult memories of childhood imaginary companions. My talk will be followed by a talk by Loyd Auerbach who, in “The Haunting of USS Hornet,” will provide an update on an on-going investigation. (For an abstract of this and Loyd’s other talk click here.) A panel discussion on the future of the field will follow with presentations by Dr. Bob Van de Castle, Dr. Alvarado, Dr. Ginette Nachman, and Dr. May. The talks will be: “The Mutlifaceted Nature of Psi Dreams: Some Suggestions for the Future” (Van de Castle), “Researching Out-of-Body Experiences” (Alvarado), “Biomedical Aspects of Psi” (Nachman), and “The Future of Psi Research: A Physics Perspective” (May). (Again you may have to scroll down the linked PDFs if the paper listed here is not the first presentation of the conference for that speaker.)
After lunch on Sunday, the final session of the conference will include two papers and an invited address. In the papers, David McMillin of the Meridian Institute will present a talk called “Edgar Cayce’s Psychic Process.” This will be followed by Loyd Auerbach’s “The Field Investigators’ Best Tech: Psychics and Mediums as Paranormal Sensing ‘Technology’.” Finally, Dr. Julie Beischel will present her invited address, “Modern Mediumship Research: Experiments, Experiences, and Explanations.”
The conference registration page contains prices for the entire conference ($395 full price, $375 for students and seniors), and for segments of the conference (Dr. Nelson’s Visiting Scholars Lecture and Dr. Radin’s Saturday evening lecture are $30 each, Friday afternoon attendance is priced at $80, and all day Saturday and all day Sunday at $160 each). The conference information page also has click throughs to the hotels, both of which are in the $80-$95 range in October. More information is available on the Atlantic University website. If you download the Media Press Kit you’ll find not only the conference brochure and schedule but also the abstracts booklet.
Come and join us! It’s going to be a unique and exciting conference in a wonderful venue!
No Comments »
Filed under: AU Annual Conference
