IONS is pleased to announce a new collaborative partnership with the Worldwide Initiative for Super Experiencer Research (WISER), an independent research initiative sponsored by the California Institute for Human Science. The partnership creates a framework for collaboration that includes ethical oversight, secure de-identified data sharing, research coordination, and opportunities for joint analyses, publications, and future studies. The collaboration begins with the WISER Phase 1 Super Experiencer Survey and lays the groundwork for broader research on anomalous and noetic experiences.
WISER is a multi-year, multi-phase, mixed methods study dedicated to exploring and honoring extraordinary experiences and those who live them. The WISER Super Experiencer Survey is open to individuals who have personally had multiple types of anomalous or noetic experiences—ranging from moments of mystical union and near-death or out-of-body journeys to encounters with nonhuman intelligences and many others. It typically takes 2–4 hours to complete (sometimes longer if you have many experiences or prefer to elaborate) and must be done in one sitting.
The WISER Project is led by Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, PhD, Program Director of the online MA/PhD program in Integral Noetic Sciences (INS) at the California Institute for Human Science (CIHS). The new survey marks a big milestone for the project and is made possible through the insight, encouragement, and belief in the importance of this work. IONS President Thomas Brophy and IONS Director of Research Helané Wahbeh serve on the Advisory Board for this WISER Project, contributing their expertise, scientific leadership, and longstanding commitment to exploring the full spectrum of human experience.
The WISER Project is committed to making the world wiser through exploring our wild experiences. At its core, the Worldwide Initiative for Super Experiencer Research centers people who have experiences that defy explanation—experiences that point to a world beyond the five senses, beyond our current understanding, and in some cases, beyond our wildest imaginations. These experiences offer glimpses into the possibility that we live in a multidimensional multiverse: a participatory, relational reality where consciousness and matter are deeply intertwined.
Over the past several months, enormous care has been poured into refining every aspect of the study: tightening the design, improving the logic flow, and making sure the language honors the diversity of extraordinary experience while staying scientifically grounded. The result is a comprehensive instrument that can meaningfully advance understanding of anomalous and noetic experiences at scale. The new survey was designed with the hope that participants find it to be a powerful, reflective, and integrative tool for making deeper sense of their experiences.
Visit superexperiencer.org to learn more about the project and to download a reflection sheet to help prepare to take the survey. You can also read super experiencer stories and access resources to help orient you to the expansive research and writings in this field. Please consider sharing the survey with your network to grow the impact of this important research.
Learn more at superexperiener.org & TAKE THE SURVEY
