With Chris Bache, Ph.D.; Jeffrey and Cielle Backstrom; Talat Jonathan Phillips; and Rak Razam

Chris Bache, Ph.D., is professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University where he taught for over 30 years in the psychology of religion, transpersonal studies, Buddhism, and world religions. He is also an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and for two years was the Director of Transformative Learning at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, CA.

An award-winning teacher and international speaker, his work explores the philosophical implications of deep non-ordinary states of consciousness, especially psychedelic states.  He has written a pioneering book in psychedelic philosophy and collective consciousness, Dark Night, Early Dawn: Steps to a Deep Ecology of Mind. In addition, he has written Lifecycles: Reincarnation and the Web of Life, a comprehensive study of reincarnation and karma in light of new information emerging in contemporary consciousness research.  In his book The Living Classroom: Teaching and Collective Consciousness, Chris presents his revolutionary ideas concerning the transpersonal dimensions of teaching.  In addition to working with sacred medicines, Chris has been a Buddhist practitioner for many years.

* Christopher Bache at SkyBlue Symposia - Pt 1 of 2

* Christopher Bache at SkyBlue Symposia - Pt 2 of 2

* BatGap interview with Chris Bache and Michael Pollan

Jeffrey and Cielle Backstrom call their work "Stepping Into Freedom", explaining that "with each step we release or transcend old, limiting patterns of being-seeing-acting... and open to the beings our souls are calling us here to become." They offer shamanic healing work and deep practices to facilitate embodied awakening and opening to the soul's calling.

In the past several years, Jeffrey and Cielle have studied with indigenous medicine workers and teachers in the Andes and the Amazon basin, who represent ancient traditions grounded in the Sacred Feminine and Mother Earth. Since 2009 they've been welcoming their students to accompany them to experience these connections for themselves.

These traditional practices include the use of sacred plants in healing, divination, and spiritual transformation.

Websites:

* ciellebackstrom.com

* steppingintofreedom.com