Deep Mind
Peter Russell, DCS

Consciousness: The Final Frontier

From quarks to quasars, Western science has done admirable work in understanding the world around us, but when it comes to the world within us science has very little to say. Nothing in current science can account for consciousness, yet consciousness is the one thing we cannot deny.

The exploration of this final frontier has now become imperative. It is clear that most of the problems we face today - global, social, and personal - stem from human thinking, perception, and values. The crisis is, at its roots, a crisis of consciousness. Now, more than ever, we need to understand our own minds, and how to liberate ourselves from the limiting egocentric modes of thinking so that we can achieve our true inner potential.

Peter shows how we can integrate Eastern understandings of mind with Western understandings of matter to create a more holistic worldview - one that can free us to act wisely and with compassion in these turbulent times.

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Presenter Bio: Peter studied mathematics and theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge (UK) supervised for a while by Stephen Hawking. Then, as he became increasingly fascinated by the nature of consciousness, he changed to experimental psychology, gaining a first class degree in the subject. He also has a post-graduate degree in computer science and conducted some of the early research on 3-D displays and what is now known as "virtual reality."

He was one of the first people to introduce human potential seminars into the corporate field and for the last twenty years has been lecturing and consulting to major corporations on creativity, quality management and personal development. His books include The Brain Book, The Global Brain Awakens, The Creative Manager, The Consciousness Revolution, Waking Up in Time and From Science to God. He also created the award-winning videos The Global Brain and The White Hole in Time.

Research In Prayer and Distant Healing
Elizabeth Targ, MD

Healing at a distance, also known as prayer, is one of the most exciting and controversial frontiers in modern western medicine. While central to many religious, spiritual, and indigenous healing traditions, until recently distant healing had long been considered to be "a fantasy" by the scientific establishment. In the last ten years, data from several laboratories have re-opened the question. In fact, the National Institute of Health has recently published requests for grant applications which include "Distant Mental Influence on Biological Systems" as a study category. Elisabeth reviews data from well controlled studies that support the efficacy of prayer and distant healing, discusses the limitations of current research, and describes in detail her laboratory's study of distant healing in advanced AIDS.

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Presenter Bio: Elisabeth was Director of the Complementary Medicine Research Institute at California Pacific Medical School, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. She was principal investigator for the study of integrative and psychospiritual support for women with breast cancer, and won an award from the National Institute for Healthcare Research for her curriculum on Spirituality and Psychiatry. In addition, Elisabeth was principal investigator for two well known studies of distant healing and prayer for people with advanced AIDS.

The Arts and Community Economic
Development Strategy
Bill Strickland

This is a narrative description of innovative programs and enterprises augmented with slides. Bill describes the way in which the arts and economic development have been used as a strategy for improvement in the overall condition of an inner city neighborhood and also as a way of redefining what the future could hold for a distressed and dislocated neighborhood.

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Presenter Bio: Bill is President of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and CEO of Bidwell Training Center. His work involves the retraining of displaced workers through inner city educational programs designed to assist single parents and economically disadvantaged individuals. He has specialized in using the arts and vocational education as an economic development strategy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.