SAC 37th Annual Conference
March 22th –25th, Palo Alto, CA
Altered States, Sound, Ritual and Healing Today, Both in Traditional Cultures and Non Traditional
Healing is one function attributed to shamanic practice and is fundamental to many of the esoteric principals of ritual and spiritual healing beliefs that have been part of our world’s cultures. Sound weather chanting, sacred sounds, and instruments of varying types are also used to form the vessel of healing. Exploring the various uses and meaning of ritual, sound, and altered states invites a deeper understanding of way these elements are conflated into the healing arts of many ancient cultures and newly forming sub-cultures around the world. The theme of the 2018 conference concerns the diverse ways in which these healing practices are used and being transformed by technology and modern world philosophy; and how these modalities of sound and ritual have significance in healing practices around the world today.
We invite papers, panel proposals and workshops on topics such as:
Rituals, spiritual traditions & techniques that transform consciousness for healing
Transformative healing and other energy healing modalities
Phenomenology, transpersonal psychology and subtle energy research
Transformative power of myth and archetypes, including modern myths
Entheogens and psychoactive substances, music and festival as healing practice.
Liminal states, chanting, and sound, including electronica and dance
Mind-body interaction / Interface between spirit and matter
Shamanism as a path of transformation
Anomalous human abilities (clairvoyance, psychokinesis, levitation, etc.)
Addiction and altered states research and practice
Entheogens and psychoactive substances in ceremony and phenomenology of sacred sound; Ayahuasca song, drumming, Buddhist chants, Vedic mantras and Peyote ceremonial songs
SAC also invites submissions of experiential and learning workshops that will benefit personal and professional growth, exploring the interrelationships among subtle energy, consciousness and healing.
Workshops will be open to presenters from many disciplines as well being open to general public for a nominal fee which will be shared with presenters.
Instructions
Proposals for individual papers, panels, workshops and special events should be submitted by February 15th, 2018 to conferencesac@gmail.com. Registration fees should be paid to AAA before submitting abstracts. If your paper is not accepted, you may request a refund of your registration fees. Submissions will not be accepted unless registration is completed by the submission deadline. Acceptance notifications will be sent by March 1st, 2018.
Limit: one paper or presentation per person, unless prior approval has been obtained from the Program Chair. Session organizers may submit individual papers for inclusion in their sessions. Please indicate whether you will require audio-visual equipment for your presentation. A projector, screen and laptop will be made available.
HOTEL REGISTRATION: The 2018 conference will be held at the Sofia University in Palo Alto, CA. (on the San Francisco Peninsula) Conference participants can stay at the nearby Dinah’s Garden Hotel Palo Alto 4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Please contact the reservation desk and mention that you are with SAC to receive a special room rate: http://www.dinahshotel.com/ Phone: (650) 493-2844
Questions? Please contact Program Coordinator Sean Hinton at conferencesac@gmail.com
Special Announcements
SAC is excited to announce a new membership discount. Up until the Spring 2018 conference, anyone can join SAC as an Associate member or student for 10% off. New members enjoy full access to the Anthropology of Consciousness journal, discounted registration rates to meetings, and the full benefits of AAA membership. You can begin to enjoy these benefits by joining SAC before registering. Details:
Promo Code: SACAS18
Discount: 10% off Associate and Student (graduate and undergraduate) memberships
Timeline: December 15, 2017 – March 25, 2018
The code should be entered at checkout on the join/renew form.
This year the Board and the greater membership of SAC will be re-visioning SAC’s Mission and Future Vision during the conference. We invite you to contribute to this dialogue by attending the 2018 conference Visioning Circle. The day following the Visioning Circle, we will host a Participatory Action Planning session for those interested in being part of the new future. This is a unique opportunity to join the leadership of SAC, so bring your ideas and energy with you.
