From Wink Franklin, President

I awoke this morning with the news of the horrific bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. On arriving at the office, we quickly gathered our staff, first just to sit together in silence, then moving into whispered sharing. Later in the morning our board decided to go ahead with a previously scheduled conference call in which we quickly cast aside our pre-arranged agenda in favor of personal sharing. Our time together was rich and comforting. At the close of our call, one member said what we all were thinking, "I wish we could share this time with a broader group of our members and colleagues." We didn't feel that we had any particular advice to offer, or even very comforting words, but simply knew we wanted to connect and be connected. So we have set up a chat room on the IONS web site where we can share our conversation more broadly and invite others to join in.

Now it is evening and I am sitting in my office having gradually absorbed the horror of these events during the course of the day. I don't have television so my news source has been via the radio. I am grateful not to have the more vivid images that television provides. As I look out my window at the peaceful, rolling hills and the soaring birds, I allow the sorrow and grief to enter, and gentle tears roll down my cheeks. I try to make meaning of this day.

I took a walk earlier in which I encountered the usual couple of deer, and this time, a small flock of wild turkeys. I lingered longer than usual with my wild friends, appreciating them, their beauty, their aliveness, and our connection. I have just finished reading a raft of email messages from friends and colleagues who are reaching out, sharing their love, thoughts and concerns, and offering prayers. I have spoken by phone with my wife, one of my brothers, and my daughter. In each case, I lingered, I appreciated their beauty, their aliveness, and our connection.

I reflected on the words of my friend and mentor, Willis Harman: "The people give legitimacy, and they take it away. A challenge to legitimacy is probably the most powerful force for change to be found in history." Is this the time when we, the people of the world, take away the legitimacy not just of terrorism, but of war and all forms of nation-state sanctioned violence?

From Edgar Mitchell, Founder

Although one's initial and momentary reaction to the events of September 10, 2001 may be one of fear, revulsion, anger, revenge, I believe we in the [n]oetic community serve society best by quickly marshalling our deepest instincts for connectedness, compassion, balance, forgiveness, inner peace and love. Only through these attributes can we individually best heal ourselves and thus be the greatest asset to society at large in these moments of global awakening; for this a common threat to the very core of civilization itself.

From Ian Watson, IONS Board Chair

I am speaking to you from London, and I know that Diana is in Vancouver, Canada,and Tamas in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and I am not sure what their media are reporting but I wanted to let you know the prospective of one of the commenters on the BBC. He said that although this is a tragedy that has occurred in America this is not an American tragedy it is a tragedy for all civilized people that happen to occur in America.

I wanted to mention to that I have been working on a television film based on the subject of forgiveness. In fact, for a few hours today I was reading the script outlining remarkable examples of human beings seeing their way through personal tragedies and having the ability to forgive those who caused the tragedy. However, when I heard the news today even with this exposure I found myself thinking of revenge. I caught my breath and was reminded of C. S. Lewis's comments "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive."

From Diana Cawood, IONS Board

Blessings and love to all, I felt supported and nourished to be in connection with all of you in the early hours today. What needs to be done now cannot be done alone. This unthinkable tragedy today challenges all of us to stay in charge as spirit - - to be aware of what we do with our energy, where we choose to go with our response, our intent, our conscious capacity to hold a space open for peace, compassion and non-violence. We do this best in connection -- starting with a wordless "hello" as spirit -- and listening to find how to keep making choices for an open loving space. I feel blessed to have had this opportunity today. I am meeting with my community group members tomorrow to provide a space for each other to create the same blessings and strength of spirit together. I think this is our role as part of the "noetics family of the heart."

From Paul and Diane Temple, IONS Board

The terrorist attacks are the emotional equivalent of Pearl Harbor. They are intended to disrupt the Western world's way of life, and they could easily do so. Our civilization faces an as yet undefined threat. Yet we shall all be the losers if our liberties are impaired in our quest for revenge or retaliation. In the minds of our attackers this is war. While we seek justice, however, we most avoid becoming weakened by fear. -- Paul Temple

How do I choose to react to the events of September 11th? After shock, horror, numbing anguish for the pain and suffering, fear for future uncertainty, comes the knee jerk temptation to hate, to rage, to assume guilt and punish. Then comes the question: What can I do in my infinitesimally small way to see things differently, to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem? I choose to intend love and healing. I choose to look directly into the eye of my "enemy" and remember that my "enemy" is not only my brother, my sister, but part of myself -- my fearful immature self. I choose to be willing to forgive and ask for God's help in doing this. At the same time, as an American who believes the American way of democracy, government, freedom and opportunity, as flawed as it may be, is still a great system, choose to stand behind the President and our national leadership to seek justice. I remember a lesson from A Course in Miracles that says it is loving to prevent a brother from doing harm to himself or others.

I pray we can each ask ourselves how can I take all my learning and growth in the areas of spirit and consciousness to create a higher field, a noetic field, of possibilities. What we intend in our hearts does make a difference. -- Diane Temple

From Barbara McNeill, IONS Board and Director of Communications

I was alone when I first heard about the tragedy. A feeling I couldn't recognize took form in my stomach and spread. Dread. And yet within half an hour the dread had abated, as utter strangers became instant companions offering comfort and support to one another. Later in the day I was able to connect with my noetic family as we meditated and prayed for our circle of members, colleagues, other loved ones and the world beyond. I have a deep abiding faith in an ultimate goodness in the soul of humankind. I pray we may all find strength and hope as we connect with friends and neighbors, old and new, around the globe, firm in our resolve to create a more just, compassionate, sustainable future for our planet.

From Sandra Wright, IONS Board

Although my phone system, both cell and regular lines, are still not functioning even now, the electrical system and the TV is, and the scenes of shock and devastation have been horrendous. The sense of tradgedy runs deep throughout Washington, New York and the world. To retaliate is the immediate response but what is the right response? Is war the answer? Haven't we been doing that for eons? President Bush assures us that there will be retaliation. America needs to be defended but what needs to happen to begin to put an end to the causes of terrorism -- fanticism and fear? How do we address our religious and pholosophical differences? Whether on earth or in space the basic ideologies and attitudes which engender the act persist--i.e.:We press on with Space Weaponry and Starwars -- against who? Our space brothers? Lost in our own battles, the larger truth eludes myopic eyes.

We are one people, one Earth and one Cosmos! How can our noetic sense of justice, ethics and right-mind help to bring forth these truths, of higher conciousness and higher mind unless we educate our young people accordingly? This is one of the major arenas of action where we need to concentrate out efforts.

From Tamas Makray, IONS Board

Unconditional forgiveness.

From Austin Marx, IONS Board

Can there be messages from today's horrific events? I think so. The message of connectedness of all life as taught by Willis Harman many years ago is ever more urgent. That we are not alone, as we learned this morning spontaneously overriding our prepared agenda for our already scheduled board conference call, with physical and virtual arms around each other in mutual heartfelt warmth and support. And moments of silence as our hearts and love go out to all those directly and indirectly affected. We can connect with eachother and others through email and community groups for support to accelerate our connectedness and the commitment to positive change on the planet to accomplish a more wise, caring, and sustainable future.

From Chris Bache, Director of Transformative Education, IONS

In these painful and convulsive times, I encourage us to stay open and not contract around the many formulas we will be deluged with in the days and months ahead. It will be all too easy to opt for the simple insights and not learn the deep lessons history is teaching us. We honor the dead by learning as much as we can about the underlying historical forces that brought this much suffering into our collective lives. These events have very complex roots reaching deep into the political, religious, and economic policies of many nations, including our own. The transition to a global wisdom society will not be easy. It will call for great courage and compassion, but also great discrimination and self-awareness. Let us pray for the dead and for our enemies until there are no more enemies.

From Christian de Quincey, Associate Director of Communications, IONS

My First Response to the Tragic Events of September 11, 2001. At times like this it is important to feel and honor our connection with all humanity, with all living beings. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families of today's catastrophe. And I am moved, also, to try to understand the terrible pain of the suicide bombers, pain and anger that catapulted them to such insanities.

It is definitely a wake-up call for the entire world to pay attention to the deep, deep need everyone has for fair treatment and recognition. As I see it, we elect our governments, they respond to corporate pressures and make decisions based on questionable economic and geopolitical priorities. People, many millions of people, are often left suffering as a result of these decisions. Their deepest needs go unheard and unmet.

Today's events are a response to and consequence of that chain of responsibilities. If ever there was a time for a "global mind change," this is it. We need more than ever to shift away from fear and greed and hatred, and open our hearts to compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and love. If not, a likely scenario is that today, as horrible as it is, will be just a precursor to events even more unthinkable.

As always, it begins with each of us. Each of us has a choice to support those who run our lives from a base of greed and fear, or to support the deepest intentions alive in everyone's heart, I believe, for a civilization that honors and nourishes the wellbeing of us all.

From Christopher Lenz, Webmaster

The news radio wakes us up. My wife and I lie in bed, watching the TV pictures, listening to the fumbling anchors. How to comprehend all this, understand it, digest it? We just watch and cannot help feel that we have seen this before in special effects movies and at the same time feel ashamed because we can not grasp it, will not grasp it, feel the elation of being jerked out of a rut, feel the dread from beginning to know that we would be forever more vulnerable.

Our nephew who just graduated from Harvard this spring and worked in lower Manhattan is unreachable. The towers fall. What next? Where next? What, the WTC has 50,000 people in them this time of day? How can I fathom this?

Our nephew calls. From his office window he saw the plane hit the first tower and then he scurried to Times Square with friends. From two miles away, he says, he could feel the heat from the burning towers.

What could generate this degree of organized rage? Thoughts, my first defense, rumble in. I've heard that the largest and most organized terrorist group draws its rage from at least two sources. One, like all of us, they yearn for the more secure times of early childhood when all was right and all was taken care of. And like most of us, they equate much earlier historical periods with much earlier psychological periods. Bring back the seventh century when the caliphate ruled and all followed the correct rule from the correct book and all was right in the world. All that's keeping us from restoring this are the modernizing forces, particularly the lead modernizing force, the U.S., which is polluting even Islamic countries with its godless culture. Two, adding intensity to this rage is the overarching power of the U.S., making all others comparatively impotent. For those who already have great rage against the U.S., this impotency is a terrible thing to bear. Playing with American lives offers the most satisfaction and the more lives the better. And so on. The mind plays but underneath there's quaking.

What can I do? With degrees in American history and spending several years taking American professionals various places around the world, I am familiar with the American genius and the American provinciality both born from Americans living in a large, new country full of natural resources and few neighbors. I can hope this changed world will inspire us to greater interest in the world and how we are affecting it. I can hope the modern world will have a mature approach toward understanding and defusing terrorism worldwide. I can hope for a positive global mind change. But what can I do?

I find that all I can do for now, in this confused present, is resolve to keep asking this question and muster the courage to act on the answers as they come.

From Ann Andersson, Projects Manager for Communications

I have been thinking a lot about nonlocal field effects, and reading some of the scientific research showing that concentration, meditation, and prayer can have a real effect at a distance. We've just witnessed the effects of a concentrated effort of destruction. I think that concentrated mental intention on light and healing is a relevant, useful response to this disaster. Not only will it help us now, but it is part of the larger effort of shifting our entire consciousness, evolving so that someday our world won't be a battleground. In this situation, we are all truly connected, and what we think and intend will have a real effect.