Dear CIHS Community Members,

Happy Halloween!

We had a great 20th anniversary ceremony on September 15. Thank you for those who came to celebrate with us, and thank you for those who could not come but who support us in many ways. CIHS really appreciates your presence and support.

This newsletter contains several articles. First is the President's, Dr. Motoyama's, 20th Anniversary Address, presented by Dr. Hope Umansky. Regretfully, Dr. Motoyama could not come to the ceremony, but his address is duplicated here. The second article, from Dr. Umansky, reviews the 20th anniversary celebration as well as a future CIHS community event. In the third article, we announce a CIHS community event with Matt Venuti, a gifted player of the Hang, a unique indigenous instrument designed to raise consciousness. Finally, yet importantly, is an event announcement of a Subtle Energy Retreat at Blue Sky Ranch with Dr. Thornton Streeter, organized by Cristina Smith (http://heal-thyself.com/). CIHS students (current and alum) receive a discount for attending.

We already sense positive changes in CIHS, especially after the 20th anniversary ceremony. Each month in the newsletter and our website, we will let you know our progress as a growing and active learning community committed to holistic health and the progression of consciousness in the fields of psychology, integral health, comparative religion and philosophy, and subtle energy studies. We also have a Facebook page. We greatly appreciate your support and welcome your inclusion as part of our community, either as a graduate student, researcher, or by simply attending one of our workshops.

Sincerely,

I really appreciate your presence for today's celebration of CIHS' 20th anniversary.

It was 60 years ago when I first decided to found CIHS. The purpose of CIHS is to elucidate, from various academic fields, the truth that the essence of the human being is the soul, that our soul can evolve to the realm of God, and that the soul is given to humans from God. Through academic research and the study into the essence of human beings, I hoped that people around the world would gradually awaken to the essence of our being, which is the soul. I also wished to create a learning environment that would contribute to the emergence of a peaceful global society in the future through our efforts to work in cooperation with those people who share the same mindset, with the souls of human beings throughout the world, and with the soul of the earth.

The Institute for Religious Psychology in Japan was the first institution that I founded to actualize this purpose. I opened this research facility in a corner of the Tamamitsu shrine in Japan in 1959. At this Institute, I investigated and clarified the physiological characteristics and differences among three groups of people: spiritual people with definite and demonstrable psychic abilities, unstable people with moderate psychic ability, and ordinary people with no measurable psychic ability. Toward this end, I studied the subjects' muscle movement, brain waves, and autonomic nervous system function using medical and physiological devices such as the EEG, ECG, respirometer, derometer, and plethysmograph. Using these instruments, my colleagues and I sought to verify the existence of the soul, which is not restricted by physical space-time limitations, and which differs from our ordinary physical and brain functions that are restricted by physical space and time.

  In 1960 and again in 1962, this research got Dr. J.B. Rhine of Duke University's attention, and he invited me to work as a researcher in his parapsychology laboratory. When I had to go back to Japan, he offered me $5,000 as a research grant; in addition to that he had sent me money that is equivalent to my salary at Duke University as a researcher in his laboratory for a few years. I still really appreciate his generous offer.

Because of this ongoing financial support from Dr. Rhine, I was able to proceed with my own research and invent the AMI, a device which allows us to measure acupuncture meridian function by monitoring the electrophysiological response of the skin. With the AMI, I worked to elucidate the existence of the soul in new ways, for instance by comparing the data of subjects engaged in ordinary modes of living, such as thinking or seeing, and with the data of subjects engaged in spiritual activities, such as perceiving extra-sensory objects with their ESP or PK abilities.

At the same time, I wrote many articles and books based upon the results of this research and upon the direct experience I acquired from my ascetic religious training. Many parapsychologists, neurophysiologists, and philosophers at major universities, as well as religious practitioners throughout the US and Europe, understood through these works of mine that the human being is a multi-dimensional being consisting of body, mind, and spirit, and they offered to collaborate with my research. With the cooperation and help from these people, CIHS could finally be founded in 1992.

At this reception, I would really love to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of these likeminded people who have cooperated with me over the years, and who have thereby helped to establish CIHS. To those that are present today, and to the many others who have collaborated with us over the years, I would like to express my sincere thanks. Without your effort and enthusiasm, it would not be possible for CIHS to be celebrating its 20th anniversary today.

Recently, I gave a memorial lecture at the Motoyama Study Association in Japan, which was initiated by professors from universities in Japan, including the national universities, in order to deepen the study of my works. Through the course of many active discussions with them and with the other participants, I felt that they really understood that the essence of the human being is the soul, which is immortal.

It has been a long trip for me over these last 60 years, but I can honestly say that the motivation that originally led me to this field is as strong today as it was when I first set out on this path six decades ago. I still wish to study, research, and discover more about the soul, which is our essence, and about the essence of the soul, which is love. Through your cooperation and passion for this field, I am hopeful that this wish will continue to grow and prosper.

I am very regretful that I could not attend the 20th anniversary with you today, but again, I am deeply appreciative to all the people who so generously support CIHS. It is through your efforts that we are able to celebrate our 20th anniversary today. And, I wish from the bottom of my heart that all of you will continue to work together to make CIHS a great institution where students can study and research the essence of the human being and contribute to the actualization of a peaceful global society in the future.

"I am looking for a program beyond the edge of reason for what I can logically explain with what I know now." This is a real inquiry from a prospective student who decided to enroll in CIHS. This student has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and has practiced at that level for 15 years. She stated that she now knows that there is a whole world of knowledge and practice beyond what she can logically explain and what her previous studies have taught her. I wanted to include it in the newsletter as it so aptly represents what many of our prospectives are seeking. Overall, they are actively pursing an education that will push the envelope of what has been conventionally known and practiced in many fields, especially psychology. What was particularly attractive to this student was the opportunity to take clinical psychology classes not based on the medical model or a traditional clinical viewpoint of single or multiple entity client pathologies creating a particular problem. Rather, she was captivated by the idea that there is a program that not only attests to the idea that psychology is only one of the possibilities for healing but that complementary medicine or models are not alternative but, rather, a gesture toward growth and wholeness. Upon making her final decision to enroll at CIHS, this graduate student expressed that her determining factor for pursuing a PhD in Integrative Psychology at CIHS is that she "wanted and found a graduate school with heart."

As the Dean of CIHS that statement makes me so happy and proud of the hard work and dedication of all the CIHS staff, faculty, students, and administration. It is not always easy to go against the grain. It takes courage and mettle, not only for students but for us as administrators and faculty as well. This truth comes particularly in focus upon the recent success of CIHS' 20th Anniversary Celebration. We truly want to honor Dr. Motoyama's vision to have a school where students could pursue the integration of science and spirituality. Dr. Motoyama is a remarkable pioneer, and what was edgy, unconventional, or alternative when he founded the school is now becoming part of the mainstream vernacular and consciousness. In every communication I receive from Dr. Motoyama where I report on registration, enrollment, and all the other earthly bound tasks of an administrator running a school in this material world, he always, without fail, writes to remind me that, "Above all, make sure that with everything you do, you do not forget that the essence of being human is the soul. Make sure they all know that." It really is a beautiful testament to Dr. Motoyama's passion and lifework that he is not focused on success in terms of the bottom line. He wants to know that the people leading the school never forget to impart that the essence of being human is the soul. We, at CIHS, underscore all of our curriculum and programs with this belief and value while imparting an academic foundation dedicated to the integration of this belief with a rigorous graduate education. Clearly, this provides a very unique opportunity for people who have a certain call, a certain consciousness, to explore the absolute potential of their careers and hearts.

With that being said, I invite you to see how being a CIHS community member can support you in your growth as a student, professional, or simply a person who is interested in consciousness and spirituality. If you have any questions about our unique graduate programs (or BA completion) programs, please do not hesitate to contact me (Hope_Umansky@cihs.edu). There are many ways to be a part of the CIHS community, even if you are not student.

In fact, we are having a community event on Friday evening, October 26, with a concert featuring Matt Venuti and a unique instrument called the Hang (pronounced, "hung"). This is a transformational instrument designed to raise your vibration and create a higher level of consciousness (see details below or flyer). We invite you to come join us to see what the CIHS community can offer you. If our mission and gesture toward expanding consciousness in a multitude of ways through education and practice resonates with you, we invite you to join us!

Sincerely,  

Hope Umansky, PhD

Hope_Umansky@cihs.edu

  Friday, October 26th  7pm~

to view the flyer, please click here. 

Renowned multi-instrumentalist/composer Matt Venuti is coming to perform a transformational fall concert at CIHS on Friday, October 26th, with a prompt start time of 7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm). Matt is of the world's premier players of the Hang, the most exciting new acoustic instrument of the 21st Century and one of the most captivating and versatile of all time. Better described as a sound sculpture than a typical instrument, Hang means hand in Swiss-German and in Matt's hands it is pure magic! While music aficionados appreciate Matt's diverse talents, there is a transformational element to his playing that reaches beyond the realm of music. Love flows through him that opens the heart, quiets the mind and deeply touches the soul.  

Matt's compositions and performances have been commended by worldwide fans of his original music as well as luminaries such as pop icon Thomas Dolby and jazz great Stan Getz, both of whom Matt has collaborated with. He has a history of performing at progressive happenings like the TED Conferences (multiple performances and also a TED presenter one year) and gala events worldwide, either as a soloist or with his San Francisco based ensemble, The Venusians. He is presently touring the US and Canada performing solo with his Hangs. To watch videos of Matt playing Hang please CLICK HERE

The following is an excerpt from Matt's website posting entitled:
The Hang, an Instrument For Our Time:
"My hands sometimes flutter over the Hang like raindrops, or wisp across the surface like the wind over a sandy beach or field of snow. The Hang is extremely sensitive to contact with the hands and the lightest touch can reveal the most profound effects. Like a magic lamp, I can summon a powerful genie from the Hang with a gentle beckoning, arousing the elements of earth, water, fire, air and the great expanse which are all elemental in the Hang. When I play the Hang, I'm an alchemist, transmuting a base element into an intimate encounter by allowing my hands to explore a new frontier of sound."

To read the entire posting please visit http://www.mattvenuti.com/

Subtle Energy Retreat

Join us for two intensive workshops, live music, fabulous food, and other extraordinary people in the sanctuary for extraordinary experiences, 80-acre Blue Sky Ranch in Lakeside, CA. The day's events will feature global champion for energy medicine, Dr. Thornton Streeter, who will be flying in to town just for our event. His workshop is entitled Karmachanics- Learning to Maintain a Vibrant Subtle Body. There will also be a Five Elements Energetic Experience workshop, crystal bowl concert, harp concert and more...www.SubtleEnergyRetreat.com The last event sold out well in advance so please RSVP early to assure you place and to get a $15 discount! CIHS students who purchase tickets in advance receive an additional discount if you mention CIHS.

Thanks- let's get together again sometime soon, ok?

Love,

All the best,

Cristina Smith

Heal-Thyself

Please "Like" us on Facebook for a chance to win a free pass to the Subtle Energy Conference in July!

We have just created a new Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/cihs.edu . By liking us, you'll :

- stay up to date on CIHS news and developments

- see photos of students & faculty (including you) at events

- feel even more a part of the community through the online experience

- stay connected to other students and faculty online

- have the support of CIHS information and insights integrated into your Facebook news feed

- enter into a dialogue with us and with our community.

For those of you who are already part of our existing Facebook group, we'll be removing that page shortly and will be notifying you there too!

Like us on Facebook today! Thanks!