What are the risks of consciousness raising? Consciousness raising is usually a good experience and it might be tempting to pursue without considering the consequences. In this meetup, we will use the Lean Coffee format to discuss aspects of consciousness raising, including:

• What do you see as the benefits of CH? What about the costs?

• How do you experience NOSC?

• Have you used technology to increase your awareness? If so, what have you used? What was your experience?

• Have you used other methods (non-technological) to increase your awareness?

• The CH movement is focused on technologies that raise/alter consciousness. What would you include in this area? Are there consciousness-raising techniques you’d like to include, even if they aren’t related to technology?

What is the Lean Coffee discussion format? Check out the Lean Coffee website here.

In this discussion, participants set the agenda. Our last 2 meetups have generated vibrant discussions of consciousness hacking, what it is, and how it works. Tonight we want to personalize it. How does it work in your life? Are there any methods you want to try? What consciousness-raising topics would you like to discuss tonight? Are there other topics you’d like to learn more about in the future?

Come join us, meet other Consciousness Hackers, and have a tasty dinner at Shut Up and Eat.

Jeff Carreira, author of /Radical Inclusivity/, Zooms in to speak with the local co-hacking meetup 7/27 at 7p.

xcerpt from the Introduction to /Radical Inclusivity: Expanding Our Minds Beyond Dualistic Thinking/

I believe that we stand in much the same relation to the whole of the universe as our canine and feline pets do to the whole of human life. They inhabit our drawing rooms and libraries. They take part in scenes of whose significance they have no inkling. They are merely tangent to curves of history the beginnings and ends and forms of which pass wholly beyond their ken. So we are tangents to the wider life of things.-- William James

This book is an invitation to a level of philosophical inquiry that you might not know exists.

Our journey begins with a description of some of my experiences of profound states of consciousness and the ways I have come to understand them. We go on to discuss how such dramatic shifts occur and how they can be catalyzed. We conclude by exploring the significance of experiences like these in terms of a larger shift in consciousness that many of us seem to be in the midst of.

You will notice that the writing style used is personal, fluid, fast moving, and at times poetic. That is because I want to avoid giving the impression that a new consciousness can be captured in words. What I am sharing is not knowledge or information. It is not meant to explain how you should think. My intention is to use my experience to initiate an inquiry that will inspire you to think about your own experience and open up some questions worth thinking about.

Bio Excerpted from Jeff’s Site

If you ask Jeff Carreira what he’s most excited about he will reply without hesitation—“cultivating the conditions for the emergence of a new paradigm by supporting as many individuals as possible to articulate their deepest realization of truth.” Mystical philosopher, spiritual guide, teacher, writer and lecturer —are just a few descriptors that come to mind when describing Carreira and his extensive career as a seeker, student and teacher.

Early experiences of cosmic consciousness left deep childhood impressions. After he lost access to those glorious experiences his life as a seeker began at the tender age of about five. From then on he always felt as if he were living two lives, one in the world and one constantly seeking to go beyond it. He received a graduate degree in education, embraced a career as an educator, married and never the whole time he never stopped seeking spiritual wisdom through study and practice.

He has spent decades studying, practicing and teaching mystical traditions especially of the East and studying the deep philosophical tradition of the West. This unique combination of Eastern Mysticism and Western Philosophy characterizes Carreira’s work as a writer, teacher and philosopher.

Extensive spiritual practice and profound experiences of awakening make Carreira’s articulation of subtle philosophical insights both deeply personal and broadly accessible. In fact the thing most often praised in Carreira’s work is his ability to make even the most intricate insights and ideas comprehensible and impactful to a wide audience of people.

“Philosophy is not a luxury,” Carreira states, “because deep philosophical inquiry is critical if we want to understand who we are as human beings in the 21st Century.” His own ongoing philosophical investigations are chronicled in his blog posts and books. He has lectured at such prestigious institutes of higher education as Harvard University, The University of Pennsylvania, Bennington College, Oglethorpe University and the University of Western Australia.

Before embracing spiritual life Carreira received his undergraduate degree in physics and worked as a research engineer designing, building and testing electro-optical laser devices. After five years he decided to move into a more humanitarian field. He received an M.E.D. and taught special needs and directed a school for adjudicated youth.

Carreira’s passion for large scale change and his conviction that the highest realizations of spiritual inspired individuals can be the catalyst for that change is inspiring thousands of people around the world. Carreira spends his time writing blog posts, essays and books that share his most recent thinking and realizations. He teaches in-person and virtual courses including a yearlong collaboration with his spiritual compatriot and friend Craig Hamilton. He also leads retreats and workshops in American and Europe.

In this presentation Jeff Carreira will share insights ad wisdom from his forth coming book Paradigm Shifting. Many would agree that we need to shift out of the paradigm we currently live in and move into something new. But few truly understand the depth of change that implies. We live inside a set of beliefs and assumptions that shape our perception of reality. A paradigm is a story about the way things are that influences our perception so that our we always see what the original story describes. Too often the way it works is that the harder we try to get out the more deeply entrenched we end up. Join Jeff Carreira as he shares insights that reveal how it is possible to let go so deeply of the current paradigm that we become available to be lived by a new one.

RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/Consciousness-Hacking-Portland/events/242180189/

Solar eclipses have long been observed as having subtle influences on the humnan mind, body and spirit, even if science does not fully understand the mechansisms behind these effects. Correlations can be drawn in astrology, religions that worship the Sun and even changes in electromagnetic fields that may influence our brains and nervous systems. From a metaphorical perspective, an eclipse is ripe with meaning, exploring the relationship between light and dark.

Not everyone will be able to get out of town to watch the total eclipse of the sun. Some may not even be able to get outside. The eclipse happens starts at 9:06a and ends at 11:38a: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/portland-or

From Portland we will see a near total eclipse. If you are able to get out of town and come back to report what you saw, great! We'll show a recording and be interested to hear what you saw around you, how people and animals behaved, whether your experience was different if you were in a place where you couldn't see the sun, and anything else you observed. We'll also be talking about historical connections drawn between the eclipses and human consciousness.

Note the change in location for this special event in addition to our usual monthly meetup. We expect Caldera to be a great location for this conversation! http://www.calderapublichouse.com/

Due to limited space, RSVP's are required at https://www.meetup.com/Consciousness-Hacking-Portland/events/242094974/

We’ve always known the art and craft of software development was frustratingly fun, potently world-driving, and part of an ever-expanding set of skills important to living in the modern world. But, now, there’s a field of study and experimentation that appears to show that the consciousness of the teams that develop software inform the software itself.

And, there is software that is designed to heighten our consciousness. What if we used software to heighten the consciousness of software developers to build better products? And why would we care? Well: throughput, quality, humane work environments—and things like that. Our panelists will speak to these and related issues of interest to the co-hacking community.

Jean Richardson is a member of the AgilePDX Coordinating Committee, an Agile coach and consultant, developer of the Pervasive Leadership theory, and co-author of “Technical Practices as a Hack on Consciousness: Why to Hack Yourself” published on InfoQ on September 1, 2016 as well as the forthcoming book /The Preservation of the Agile Heart/. In the course of her career in software development she has progressed through the software development specialties of user and technical documentation, field-based ethnographic usability research, testing, instructional design, business analysis, project management, and spent a stint as the Director of Customer Learning for a small healthcare company. Her client lists include such local luminaries as Cambia Health Systems, Portland General Electric, the City of Portland, the Oregon Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority, Intel, and Tripwire. azuregate.net @JeanAtAzureGate

Julie Nelligan is a personal development coach and psychologist in North Portland. Julie started her career as a coder in the early 90’s focusing primarily on managing large databases before transitioning into coaching. She is also the founder of the Portland Chapter of Consciousness Hacking, a new movement to explore the use of technology in facilitating the process of elevating consciousness. Julie brings a scientific, analytical approach to considering the interface between technology and consciousness. Her work with entrepreneurs combines neurofeedback and coaching to empower them to achieve their goals and aspirations as business owners and individuals. cohack.life eeginfo.com

Aaron Vannatter works as a senior software development consultant with Shiftwise in Portland, OR. With a decade of professional experience, Aaron has found his niche in full stack .NET web development. He is passionate about championing Purpose-Driven Development, an emerging way of developing software that seeks to be more integrated and life-affirming and to foster the human spirit within the domain of information technology. This work is inspired by Aaron's transformational experiences after a decade of training in the tools, practices and techniques offered by The Way of the Heart™, an international organization dedicated to empowering personal and collective life mission. purposedrivendevelopment.org aaronvannatter.com thewayoftheheart.com

Shamanism is an ancient technique for waking up so you can grow up and show up.

Our discussion leader, Sara Violante, is a Shamanic Practitioner who specializes in normalizing Shamanic practices that can often feel uncomfortable or foreign in our modern, western culture. She approaches her work with kindness, caring, and compassion, but also a great deal of laughter and fun. She is grounded and down to earth and is sensitive to how uncomfortable people new to Shamanic work can feel.

If you are unfamiliar with Shamanic work, or uncomfortable with spiritual work, come and learn a little about it in a relaxed atmosphere with no judgment.

Sara’s training has included individual instruction with a Shamanic Practitioner, mentoring by an energy healer in Europe, and formal training through a Shamanic Practitioner Program that included vision quest. Her practice is based in Portland, Oregon. https://saraviolante.com/