When you have worked at IONS long enough, you get used to the look when people ask where you work and you say the “Institute of NOETIC Sciences.” If they don’t know our work yet, you often get a sort of a head cocked to the side, squinted eyes look of confusion, or you may just get the question, “Noetic? What does that mean?!”
The truth is that it is hard to put into words because the concept is fairly ineffable. It’s also because the concept and understanding of “Noetic” has really evolved over time. So, we thought we would take some time to dig into where the concept came from and where we believe it has developed to at this point in time.
The Origins and Etymology of “Noetic”
The term no•et•ic: comes from the Greek noēsis/noētikos, meaning inner wisdom, direct knowing, intuition, or implicit understanding. Another translation of the word noētikos, is “intellectual,” as it is rooted in the verb noein (“to think”) and the noun nous (“mind”). Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle emphasized the noetic aspects of human understanding, associating it with intuitive and higher knowledge.
Today, if you look up the word “noetic” in an English Dictionary, it is used to describe things related to the “intellect,” understanding, particularly in the context of philosophy, psychology, and consciousness studies. But from the perspective of the work we do at IONS, just referring to the “intellect” doesn’t really begin to cover the scope of noetic experiences. If you have had them (and we assume you have if you are even reading this), you know what we mean. Those are experiences that are way more involved than simply the intellect. For example, “noetic experiences” might refer to experiences that involve deep insight or intuition beyond ordinary sensory perception.
William James and the Exploration of Noetic Quality
You may be familiar with the work of Dr. William James, the late 19th-century philosopher and psychologist who was considered the “Father of American Psychology.” James was also the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States at Harvard University.
One of the aspects of his work that set him apart from his colleagues in the field was that he explored the mind-body connection. His work extended into the realm of mystical experiences, which he extensively explored in his 1902 publication, “The Varieties of Religious Experience.” In this seminal work, James introduced the concept of “noetic quality,” a term he used to describe a key aspect of mystical experiences.
You can learn more about James’ work at IONS previously published blog: Exploring the Noetic Quality: William James’ Insights into Mystical States and Altered Consciousness, which delves into his perspective that an important part of noetic experiences is the actual subjective experience of it. He identified four primary characteristics of noetic experiences:
Four Primary Characteristics of Noetic Experiences
- Ineffability: Noetic experiences are inherently difficult to articulate. There is a sense of direct experience that cannot necessarily be fully conveyed through words, resembling states of feeling more than intellectual states.
- Noetic Quality: Unlike ineffability, the concept of noetic “quality” pertains to a state of knowing. Noetic experiences, despite their similarity to feelings, impart a sense of profound, direct insight and knowledge. These experiences often feel more real than everyday reality, carrying a lasting sense of truth.
- Transiency: Noetic states are typically short-lived. James explained that they can often feel intense but can also feel fleeting, and we may feel that we need to cultivate practices that support us in connecting back into a noetic state.
- Passivity: James described that although noetic states can be triggered by actions like meditation or the use of psychedelics, once they begin, they often take over the individual’s experience, leaving them passive observers of their own consciousness. Often, people describe it as feeling like a witness to their noetic experience(s).
Noetics as Part of IONS Mission
So, there are many components to understanding and having noetic experiences. There is the conceptual perspective in terms of what the language means, there is the subjective experience, and there is also the process of integrating noetic experiences into our entire human experience.
At IONS, we use the term “noetic” to describe a deeper, intuitive form of knowing beyond logical reasoning, a connection with information and energy that is beyond space and time and that we access in ways beyond our physical senses or rational mind.
We expand the concept a little further than what James described in the IONS guiding hypothesis, which is not only about individual experiences but also that “Everything is interconnected. By embodying an awareness of this interconnection, we can tap into information and energy not limited by space and time and profoundly amplify transformation, innovation, and well-being.” So, from that perspective, there are potentially significant implications on a global level for tapping into noetic experiences.
Noetic Experiences: Validity and Reality
The validity of noetic experiences often comes under scrutiny due to their ineffability and subjective nature and the fact that many ways of studying noetics are limited by the current scientific paradigm. Skeptics argue that altered states of consciousness are not “real” because they deviate from the perceptions provided by our five physical senses. However, the research that IONS has conducted over the last 50 years has demonstrated significant findings in areas such as psi, remote viewing, and mind-matter interaction (among other things), which point to the significance of these experiences. For some people, having scientific evidence of the potential significance of these experiences supports the validity of their subjective experiences; for others, their subjects’ experiences are what drive their conviction that their noetic experiences hold valuable information.
Noetic Sciences: Transforming Human Experience
William James’ exploration as well as the work of IONS and other thought leaders in this field, suggest that our ordinary perceptions and current scientific methods may not encompass all of reality. Noetic experiences offer insights that, while subjective, hold significant value for those who experience them. The growing interest in the therapeutic and transformative potential of these experiences highlights the importance of integrating noetic understanding into broader scientific and philosophical discussions. As we continue to explore the depths of human consciousness, the concepts and experiences of noetic inquiry remain vital concepts for expanding our comprehension of reality and the human experience.
