The 25th Anniversary Conference of the Institute of Noetic Sciences
I've just returned from one of the most extraordinary conferences I've ever had the privilege of attending -- as well as presenting featured workshops at. The Institute of Noetic Sciences is one of the leading organizations that is helping to explore and scientifically document vitally-important research in consciousness, education and health. At their 25th Anniversary Conference, the featured keynote speakers were a veritable Who's Who of the field, including Deepak Chopra, Larry Dossey, Rupert Sheldrake and, of course, Apollo 14 astronaut and founder of the Institute in 1972, Edgar Mitchell.
Just being in the audience seemed to bestow vibrational upliftment. But when I took the stage on opening night to perform a composition I composed in their honor, I literally felt like I was levitating! The energy in that conference room was truly exquisite.
Several of the speakers highlighted the healing power of sound and music, including Dr. Chopra. Hearing them speak and refer to the most advanced research in a number of fields, it was increasingly clear that life is not reducible to mere chemistry and molecules. There is a fundamental flaw in an approach to understanding how healing works (and, as part of that, how sound healing works) that limits the scope of the inquiry just to the physical effects of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, emotions and increased heart rate.
It appears that many of these markers are actually symptoms and manifestations of more fundamental processes that involve subtle energy fields and morphic fields -- which cannot be measured by traditional scientific equipment.
Not coincidentally, I have recently also met several inventors and scientists who are building upon the work of NASA scientists; they may provide a major breakthrough in allowing us to measure, observe and fine-tune our own subtle energy fields -- at home! More on this in an upcoming issue. I know many of you will be fascinated by what's coming through.
Speaking of NASA, I also had the pleasure of being invited to perform a private concert on the astronaut/explorer's personal Bosendorfer piano, in a private salon mini-concert for close friends and family. It was quite a kick to play in the presence of some objects that had been to the moon and back. Definitely, a high time was had by all! (Especially when Adam, Sheilah's and Ed's precocious son, jumped up from his seat to join me in a four-handed improvisation. It was the first time he had ever played without reading those little black dots written by dead white European composers . . . but I predict we'll be hearing more from him in the near future.)
In the meantime, I'd recommend taking a look at Ed's new book, The Way of the Explorers. It's a mind-opening, far-ranging read.
Speaking of space, NASA, etc., have any of you seen The Arrival, starring Charlie Sheen and Ron Silver? Look for it; maybe it's in rental stores by now. In addition to the overall premise, which will be of interest to all X-Files aficionados, check out the scenes in which one of this writer's All-Time Audio Offenders -- noisy gas-powered leafblowers -- are revealed for what they really are: the sonic weaponry of choice when you want to suck the contents of a particular laboratory into a black hole or some sort of virtual non-existence. (There were several of us in the audience who let out whoops of amazement that "the leaf-blower conspiracy" has entered a new level.)
Is your dog in tune with you? Let me give you a brief summary of one of the fascinating research projects that takes a common observation into the realm of scientific significance. Rupert Sheldrake described how a striking percentage of dogs will go to a door or window and wait for their owner to come through the door. What has been proven, in rigidly controlled experiments complete with video time-logs, is that the dogs are not responding to the sound of their owners' cars, or to the expected time of arrival.
By randomly choosing the exact moment of deciding to go home (the choice was made by a third party, in this case the on-camera video producer of an Austrian TV program), with a second camera filming the dog at home, it was clearly established that the dog responded immediately to his owner's intention to go home (even before the taxi arrived to drive him home).
There is no known scientific explanation for this. But intention clearly plays an important role in this non-physical communication that occurs at a distance. That was also the message shared by Dr. Larry Dossey, on the healing power of prayer. It can work, at a distance . . . even if you don't know you're being prayed for . . . and even if you don't believe in prayer! See Dr. Dossey's best-selling books, Healing Words and The Power of Prayer for a complete summary of over 150 research studies -- and a whole lot more.
And just in case you were wondering how this connects with the usual focus of this column, consider that one of my operational mantras has always been, "Music is a carrier wave for consciousness." Intention is a fundamental component of the life energy and overall effect that a musical selection brings to a listener, whether in live performance or on tape or CD. It's not just the notes, but the energy fields, that are recorded and to which we resonate.
All the more reason to consider with care the music you listen to, even at low volume, as background ambiance. Recall Brian Eno's complaint about New Age music: "It has no evil in it" -- and consider what might be encoded in the music that he recommends and records.
Until next time, stay tuned, and enjoy!
Copyright 1996, Steven Halpern
Steven Halpern has earned a reputation as one of the most influential New Age recording artists. With over three million units sold, he celebrates his 20th anniversary by revisiting his World/Jazz roots with Afro-Desia, also featuring Suru, medicine man and healer, and a special guest appearance of Jai Uttal. For free in-store play, contact your sales rep or: Steven Halpern's Inner Peace Music®, phone: 1-800-909-0707 / fax 415-485-1312 / e-mail: innerpeacemusic@metro.net. Australia: MRAEntertainment/Europe: Orende B.V. Visit his World Wide Web site at http://www. innerpeacemusic.com.