(Institute of Noetic Sciences, July 2017). A panel with Cassandra Vieten, Dacher Keltner, Rave Mehta, and Loren Carpenter, discussing the nature and transformative potential of awe, aha moments, and flow states.

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell was inspired to create IONS after he saw the earth from outer space and experienced an awe that forever transformed his perspective. We can’t all go to space, but in the course of our own lives, we can still experience extraordinary moments that also stretch our understanding of reality to accommodate new possibilities. In a noetic experience, we tap into a limitless wellspring that holds creative ideas, healing energy, and information that was previously unavailable to us. These experiences often hit us randomly, like lightning bolts—or they seem to be random—but science is beginning to discover how we can access them intentionally. In the first part of this session, we’ll explore the science of awe, aha! moments, and flow; in the second part, we’ll learn how spiritual practices, augmented by virtual reality, can harness the power of the mind for healing, flow, love, and compassion.