Over 50 years ago, Dr. Edgar Mitchell became the sixth person to walk on the moon. As a member of the Apollo 14 mission, his purpose was to conduct in-depth research on the lunar surface. As his mission came to an end, however, an entirely new purpose emerged—one that would define his life for decades to come and contribute to the awakening of the planet.
As his spaceship traveled back from the moon amidst the vast darkness of the cosmos, Dr. Mitchell’s eyes became fixed on the blue sphere we call home. As he neared Earth, he was enveloped by a profound sense of universal connectedness.
I realized that the story of ourselves as told by science—our cosmology, our religion—was incomplete and likely flawed. I recognized that the Newtonian idea of separate, independent, discrete things in the universe wasn’t a fully accurate description. What was needed was a new story of who we are and what we are capable of becoming.Dr. Edgar Mitchell
Honor the Legacy of Edgar Mitchell
Dr. Mitchell’s transformative experience led him to establish the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in 1973. He understood that by applying the scientific rigor used in his explorations of outer space, we could better understand the mysteries of inner space—the space in which he felt an undeniable sense of interconnection and oneness. Our dear friend and founder, Dr. Edgar Mitchell passed away in February 2016.
At IONS, we continue this work today. We use the power of science to explore our inner space, understanding that both objective knowledge and subjective knowing are necessary for a more complete understanding.
The mission of the Institute of Noetic Sciences is to reveal the interconnected nature of reality through scientific exploration and personal discovery.
We trust that individuals who have had their own transformative experiences will learn from our research – both our scientific experiments and our opportunities for personal discovery – and gain a deeper sense of their own purpose. We believe that by accessing that same sense of interconnectedness Dr. Mitchell felt on his return from the moon, we can all contribute to enhancing the quality of life on Earth.
We need to make the world safe for creativity and intuition, for it’s creativity and intuition that will make the world safe for us.Dr. Edgar Mitchell
