by Nelson Abreu
The International Academy of Consciousness is a non-profit research and education organization dedicated to the scientific study of the consciousness beyond the conventional limitations of materialist science. The IAC had its roots in the International Institute of Projectiology, which was founded in 1988 in Brazil. Since 2002, IIPC offices outside of Brazil became IAC – today a truly global organization with broad objectives in education as well as research, having a permanent presence in four continents and having presented in 20 countries around the world.
The IAC is developing the science that studies the consciousness (intelligent principle, soul, spirit, ego), taking into account all of its attributes, its psychic capacities, its ability to manifest itself outside of the physical body (out-of-body experiences, OBE, astral projection) and actively researching the hypothesis of sequential lives (popularly known as rebirth, reincarnation).
A scientific approach to non-local consciousness research was presented in 1986 by Waldo Vieira, MD, a renowned Brazilian consciousness researcher. Vieira introduced the foundation with the tome Projectiology: a Panorama of the Experiences of the Consciousness outside the Human Body. Projectiology is a science that studies the projection of the consciousness outside of the physical body, as well as correlated parapsychic and bioenergetic phenomena. Later, Vieira published the foundations for the an integral science of consciousness in his second treatise 700 Experiments of Conscientiology (1994).
IAC does not follow the traditional Newtonian-Cartesian research paradigm (worldview or theoretical construct) that is predominant in mainstream science, which considers reality to consist solely of a physical universe operating under physical laws. Instead, our research is conducted based on a new paradigm or view of reality that is inclusive of the genuine multidimensional, psychic, 'spiritual,' and 'transcendent' experiences had by millions of people around the world. When these experiences are investigated in an unbiased, rational, and objective manner, they point to the conclusion that we live within a greater, multidimensional reality that, to date, has been largely ignored by mainstream science.
Clearly, a new science, a new paradigm, distinct expectations and rules must apply to phenomena that go beyond physical reality. Projectiology treats psi phenomena in a holistic model by recognizing that they are all linked to the OBE and subtle energy, which cannot be experienced, investigated, and understood with physical senses and technology. The consciential paradigm suggests that most scientists are having such a hard time because they are asking the wrong question, based on an inadequate perspective. Experiences like clairvoyance and the out-of-body experience can reveal to the researcher-observer that he or she (the object of the observation) is not limited to the physical body or dimension, can survive biological death, and hence is not of physical origin. Corroboration with the experience of other researchers and shared or joint experiences allow scientists to reach more objective, scientific conclusions akin to the multiple, subjective observations and analyses of conventional science. The consciential paradigm could be seen as a multidimensional logical positivism, because it is still based on the use of logical tautologies and first-person observations from experience, but without restricting the kind of experience to the physical perception.
To conduct scientific investigation in non-physical dimensions, IAC relies on the capacity that each and every human being has of leaving their physical body with lucidity. The out-of-body experience is thus our main research tool, allowing us to access the extraphysical dimension and derive conclusions about their multidimensional nature. Great importance is placed on personal experience as a definitive tool for proving the OBE phenomenon to oneself. Individuals who have been through a conscious projection know the veracity and authenticity of their experience, making it seem academic to prove to others that their experience was real.
Based on the research of many conscious projectors from the four corners of the world, a few fundamental principles have been arrived at about consciousness, which constitute the foundation of our consciousness-centric research:
1) The consciousness is multidimensional, that is, it is able to manifest itself in several dimensions.
2) The consciousness is multi-vehicular, that is, it has a number of vehicles, each one of them designed to manifest in its specific dimension: the physical body for the physical dimension, the psychosoma (astral body, spirit body) for the extraphysical (non-physical) dimension, and the mentalsoma (mental body) for the mental dimension.
3) The consciousness is multi-existential, meaning that it has existed before physical birth and will continue to exist after physical death. In fact, it alternates in a serial fashion between periods in the physical dimension (lives) and periods in the extraphysical dimension.
4) The consciousness is engaged in an evolutionary process. We propose a fundamental scale of evolution, which encompasses the most basic expressions of conscious life up until the most evolved type of consciousness that still undergoes serial existences. It not only identifies and studies the different levels along this scale, but also provides strategies and techniques so that the motivated consciousness can apply them to evolve more efficiently.
In essence, there is are logical and practical answers to the basic questions of life - who are we? where do we come from? what are we doing here? where are we going? - in order to shed light on our reality as consciousnesses in evolution and to enable us to advance our evolutionary process with more awareness and efficiency. The Consciousness Development Program (CDP), which is IAC's core curricular program, offers information about this fundamental questions. The CDP was recently awarded the UK Kindred Spirit magazine's Life Transformational Award.
The flagship for our education and research program, the IAC Campus, is our most significant installation worldwide. It is nestled among 98,000 m2 (25 acres) of cork and oak tree groves near the town of Evoramonte, in the beautiful Alentejo region of Portugal. The center is a hub for those conducting consciousness research using traditional and multidimensional approaches, whether formal researchers or the general public. A key feature of the complex is its innovative, leading-edge consciential laboratories, each designed to provide an ideal environment for self-experimentation and research on a specific theme. At the moment there are four self-experimentation laboratories built: the Projectarium, the Cosmoconsciosness lab, the Waking Physical Immobility lab, and the Phytoenergy lab. Self-experimentation engages the individual as the study's subject matter, and also as its researcher, observing and analyzing their own psychic experiences. Overall, the campus provides a unique combination of optimized physical infrastructure and a specially cultivated energetic atmosphere or field, resulting in an ideal environment for individuals wishing to have parapsychic experiences and increase their self-awareness. The research Campus also offers major scientific symposia and conferences and major educational events and workshops. Convergence on Consciousness is an example of an annual multi-day event held at the picturesque, energetically pristine IAC Research Campus. It always features an exciting line-up of deep, experiential courses, as well as some intellectually stimulating courses, with the participation of many students and volunteers from different nationalities. A binary event of great importance taking place at the campus is the Internacional Symposium of Conscientiological Research, an event that is dedicated to addressing research methods, principles, and epistemological themes related to studying the consciousness based on a new, non-mechanistic paradigmas.
IAC also has a scientific journal, the Journal of Conscientiology (JofC), which is an ongoing compilation of leading-edge research and is an incisive publication that keeps researchers and members up-to-date with recent theories and findings in its area of investigation. It is the ideal resource for those who wishing to study more deeply in this field of knowledge. It is a quarterly publication with published contributions from a spectrum of individuals, including IAC researchers and members, as well as scientists and researchers affiliated with other organizations around the world. The JofC is published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is the official international means of communication in the area of conscientiology and projectiology. It is collected by psychical research organizations, specialized libraries, researchers, and the interested public.
IAC offers a broad range of courses to their students. Besides the CDP, IAC's core curricular program, there are also courses aimed at developing energetic capacity: Bioenergies in Nature and Bioenergetic Workout, as well as 3-day immersion courses like CDP Advance 1 – Self-knowledge and CDP Advance 2 – Assistencial Energetic Field. Furthermore we provide several thematic short and long courses and free introductory seminars regularly.
The IAC is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. For more information, visit the IAC website at www.iacworld.org.
Posted: 01/25/2010
