About us
This group is for explorers of consciousness--whether from a personal or scientific perspective. We focus on a wide variety of consciousness topics from lucid dreaming to out-of-body experience, meditation to energy healing, remote viewing to reincarnation, quantum physics to ancient rituals, near-death experience to paranormal and psychic abilities. Although we explore many topics some consider fringe or "way out," we always try to understand each from both a personal and scientific vantage point--striving to fathom what each of these varieties of conscious experience can tell us about ourselves and the nature of reality. To fully benefit from this group, an open and curious attitude plus a desire to share one's thoughts and experiences with others is crucial.
This group is sponsored by the Institute for Neuroscience and Consciousness Studies, otherwise known as INACS. INACS is a local Austin 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization dedicated to both scientific investigation and public education into human consciousness. We're a membership organization that was incorporated in Austin, Texas, in 1990, and are currently celebrating our 25th year of consciousness exploration. If you enjoy the Meetups, please consider joining INACS as a member. If you'd like to get more involved, you can volunteer to help shape the future of INACS. You can find out more about us at www.inacs.org.
Upcoming events
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Ayahuasca Journey with Leanne Venier
Location not specified yetINACS is pleased to present a new free 2-part video series entitled Ayahuasca Journey with Leanne Venier.
Disregard the date--You can access this video series now at the links below.Ayahuasca: Part 1--Exploring the Healing Science and Ritual, with Leanne Venier
Ayahuasca: Part 2--Journey Through a Peruvian Ayahuasca Retreat, with Leanne Venier
In this outstanding 2-part video presentation, Leanne Venier, an artist, engineer, and eastern medicine practitioner, offers a comprehensive exploration of ayahuasca including its healing properties, ceremonial practices, preparation, and the importance of guidance by qualified shamans. This video series serves as a comprehensive introduction to the practical, emotional, and visionary dimensions of Ayahuasca healing within an authentic Amazonian context, illuminating the profound potential for transformation through indigenous plant medicine and community support.
In Part 1, Leanne draws upon her personal experience and extensive study to demystify common misconceptions, contrast ayahuasca with recreational drugs and isolated DMT use, and emphasize the profound physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of this Amazonian plant medicine. She makes extensive use of slides to illustrate her main points. Leanne underscores ayahuasca’s role as a powerful, ancient plant medicine requiring reverence, preparation, and expert guidance for safe and effective healing. Leanne’s personal stories and research-based insights highlight both its transformative potential and the importance of cautious, informed practice.
Part 2: Journey Through a Peruvian Ayahuasca Retreat: Intuition, Healing, & Visionary Insights
In Part 2 of this series, Leanne Venier recounts her personal journey into the Amazonian rainforest of Peru to participate in a Shaman-guided ayahuasca healing retreat involving several ceremonies. Leanne describes how intuition guided her decision to travel to Peru, culminating in the discovery of a donation-based retreat run by La Familia Medicina, a shaman-led family organization that is known for their authentic, safe, and community-focused approach. (PLEASE NOTE: La Familia Medicina has since ceased operations.) Emphasizing the retreat’s intimate setting, traditional ceremony protocols, and supportive environment, Leanne provides detailed insight into the intense physical, emotional, and visionary experiences encountered during multiple ceremonies.
The ceremonies involved intense purging, and energetic healing facilitated by the shaman and helpers, as well as a strict diet excluding salt and stimulants. Key highlights include vivid visions of geometric patterns, snakes symbolizing the kundalini and DNA, and an intricate spiderweb motif representing interconnectedness. Leanne describes how the retreat’s aftereffects led to enhanced creativity, emotional clarity, and a notable reduction of lifelong anxieties. The talk also explores the scientific and mythological symbolism behind the visions and concludes with a reflection on the transformative power of such deep shamanic work.
Leanne’s rich and detailed account not only offers an insider’s perspective on participating in an authentic ayahuasca retreat, but also frames psychedelic experiences through multidimensional lenses—intuitive, cultural, healing, scientific, and symbolic—making it a valuable resource for those interested in spiritual plant medicine, transformational healing, and consciousness expansion.
About Leanne Venier
Leanne Venier is an engineer and former submarine designer, multiple medical-award-winning inventor of REDjuvenator™ Therapy, Eastern Medicine physician, international award-winning artist, and pioneering expert in the science behind the healing effects of color, light and Energy Medicine.
Her internationally recognized, science-based teachings helped pioneer and catalyze the modern global Light Therapy industry, bringing together science, Energy Medicine, consciousness, and ancient healing wisdom to help people reclaim greater power over their own health and healing.
Leanne is the founder of Catalytic Color and creator of REDjuvenator Therapy, now used by tens of thousands of people around the world in their pursuit of root-level healing, wellness, and age reversal. REDjuvenator has received multiple international medical awards and was named Top Red Light Therapy Product by MedTech Business Review in both 2025 and 2026.
Leanne has also been recognized as an Honored Listee in Marquis Who’s Who and recipient of its Top Executives Award. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Men’s Health, NBC-TV, and international media, and she has spoken and taught at major medical institutions and conferences including SXSW Interactive, MENSA, and Bulletproof.
To learn more about Leanne and her work, visit https://CatalyticColor.com.
This presentation is organized and sponsored by the Institute for Neuroscience and Consciousness Studies, Inc. This video series was filmed at INACS in Austin, Texas in March 2014.
The Institute for Neuroscience and Consciousness Studies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas, that is dedicated to supporting scientific research and public education into human consciousness. Explore INACS.org.
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Past events
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