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RESEARCH SUMMARY AND CONSENT FORM AGREEMENT

STUDY: The IONS Discovery Lab + Out of Body Experience Workshop

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI): Garret Yount, PhD

FUNDED BY: Anonymous private donors

PURPOSE: The IONS Discovery Laboratory or IDL (Pronounced “Ideal”) is a long-term research program at the Institute of Noetic Sciences that assesses the outcomes and mechanisms of noetic practices. This study is part of that effort. This study aims to investigate the potential psychospiritual changes associated with self-initiated out-of-body experiences (OBEs). This study will prospectively evaluate these effects with greater rigor than prior research. You are being invited to participate in this study because of your interest in learning more about OBEs.

PROCEDURES: You may be eligible to participate in the study. After reviewing and completing this consent form, you will complete 3 questionnaires. The questionnaires will take approximately 30-50 minutes to complete.

You must meet the following criteria to participate:

Wifi access.
You can receive, read, and engage in email on your smartphone.
An ability to download and use Zoom on your smartphone or computer.
Are 18 years of age or older.
Are fluent in English.
Able to devote a whole weekend to the workshop.
You are NOT pregnant.
You do NOT have a clinical diagnosis of major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.
You are NOT taking sleep medication (e.g., Prazosin) regularly.
You have NOT experienced and OBE before (defined as a phenomenon in which a person’s center of awareness is seemingly detached from their physical body).
You have NOT had psychotic episodes in the past or are currently experiencing psychosis (for example, visual or auditory hallucinations).

Here are the steps included in this study:

Step One: Review this study summary and consent. If you choose to participate, you will indicate your decision and type your name in the space at the bottom of this form.

Step Two: Before the start of your event, you will complete a survey online. The survey typically takes 60 minutes to complete. It includes questions about yourself, general health, and beliefs (e.g., interconnectedness, compassion, transformation attitude and beliefs, paranormal beliefs and experiences). It also includes computer tasks that explore intuition, time estimation, remote viewing, precognition, psychokinesis, and perspectives on death.

Step Three: Attend an online 3-day experiential (Friday - Sunday) OBE workshop led by Jade Shaw via Zoom. During this time, you will be asked to record any OBEs that occur, noting details and circumstances.

Step Four: You will complete another online survey before the start of the event and another following it. The survey includes many of the same questions as the pre-event survey.

Step Five: You will complete a final round of surveys online three months after your event's completion and possibly again six months after.

ACCESS TO YOUR TEST RESULTS: You will not have direct access to your individual test results. The measures used in this study are exploratory and not intended for clinical interpretation. Sharing results could lead to misunderstanding or undue concern. The overall findings from this study are intended for publication in a scientific journal and will become publicly available.

RISKS AND DISCOMFORT: This is a minimal-risk and non-invasive study. Your comfort and safety are paramount, and protection against risk will occur at many levels. However, OBEs can be psychologically intense experiences. Some participants in previous studies and anecdotal reports have described emotional responses ranging from awe and curiosity to confusion or temporary disorientation. While serious distress is uncommon, the experience may bring up unexpected feelings. If you experience emotional distress, a licensed mental health professional on our team will be available to support you. You are free to pause or withdraw from the study at any time, though support may help you continue if you choose.

BENEFITS: The findings from this study may contribute to the potential application of OBEs as a healing modality. It will also serve as the basis for the ongoing refinement of a noetic healing curriculum – exploring what works, for whom, and under what conditions. If you participate, you will receive advanced training in inducing OBEs with Jade Shaw at no cost and receive financial compensation upon completing the follow-up survey.

ALTERNATIVES: You may choose not to be in this study, and you may also choose to discontinue the study at any time.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Your participation in this research study is confidential. We will not share your personally identifiable information with anyone outside the research team, and any information publicly disclosed from the study will not be tied to your personal information.

We may share information about the study with individuals and entities involved in organizing, participating in, or contributing to the study. Still, they will only receive information in a way that does not identify you personally. We may also share de-identified information with other researchers to advance knowledge in the field.

Methods of maintaining patient confidentiality will adhere to U.S. Federal guidelines for handling medical information (i.e., HIPAA standards). Hard copy data and subject contact information will be stored in locked files in locked offices at IONS headquarters. Digital data will be stored on a computer requiring a password to access it, and only IONS staff associated with the study will be provided the password. All relevant software programs and access to the computer systems will be password-protected with encrypted data transmission for enhanced security.

COSTS: Participation in this study will not cost you anything.

PARTICIPATION: If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this study now or in the future, please contact Dr. Helané Wahbeh by phone at (707) 779-8230 or by email at hwahbeh@noetic.org. This research is being overseen by an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”). You may talk to the IRB Co-Chair, Dean Radin, Ph.D., by phone at (707) 779-8233 or by emailing him at dradin@noetic.org if:

• Your questions, concerns, or complaints are not being answered by the research team.

• You want to talk to someone besides the research team.

• You have questions about your rights as a research subject.

• You want to obtain more information or provide input about this research.

You do not have to join this or any research study. If you join the study and later change your mind, you can quit anytime. If you choose not to join any or all parts of this study or withdraw early, there will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

If in the future you decide you no longer want to participate in this research, we will remove your name and any other identifiers from your data. Still, it will not be destroyed, and we may continue to use it for research.

Question Title

I have read and understood this research consent and authorization and agree to participate in this study. All of my questions have been satisfactorily answered, and I want to take part in the study.

Yes

14% of survey complete.