Parapsychological Association Convention 2005
IONS, Petaluma, CA
August 11-15, 2005

THIS PAGE WILL BE FREQUENTLY UNDATED AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE
Updated 4 Aug 2005

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The 2005 Annual PA convention will be hosted by and held at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, California, USA, from August 11 - 15, 2005. [map] [satellite view!]
MORE INFO ON IONS

Louie Savva will serve as Program Chair.




Shuttles to and from airports (OAK / SFO) IONS:
Marin Door To Door (MDTD) (415) 457-2717
It is significantly less expensive (p < .05) when you do the shuttle with other people (not alone). You should have advance reservations to ensure that you will be able to get the shuttle time of your choice. If you know of someone to travel with, tell MDTD that you are traveling together, as you will get a lower rate. Please Note: At www.marindoortodoor.com be sure to select "Novato" as the city you wish to go to and put "Institute of Noetic Sciences" under "Special Instructions". If you call the Marin Door to Door people, the person answering the phone might think that Petaluma is outside of their driving range, but IONS is indeed within Marin County, and their buses do come here all the time.

Cell phone reception (ET: Phone Home)
Cell reception for all carriers is fine in the main campus. We are surrounded by cell phone towers on nearby mountains, but there may be no cell service in some of the deeper woods on the campus grounds. If you get lost while wandering on the trails, you may not be able to phone for help.

Wireless internet will be available in the dorms.
It is provided by an outside service that IONS uses. The coverage area is only in the dorm area. Service can be purchased in 24 hour blocks of time or by the hour, and can be bought as needed at IONS.

Weather:
The meeting hall we're in is air conditioned, as is the dining commons, but you have to walk a fifth of a mile or so to get from one to the other. So layered clothes and sturdy shoes are best. High heels and fancy dresses, for men or for women, are not advisable.

You can check the long range weather forecast for IONS before you leave to ensure that you are packing the correct clothing: As of 4 Aug, the prediction for Aug 11-15 is for temperatures of daytimes highs of around 70-80 degrees F (21-26C) and nighttime temperatures in the 40s (8-9C)! This could abruptly change to much warmer weather so you will want to take a last look before you leave to make sure you have warm enough (or cool enough) clothing! The fog here in the morning often makes it quite brisk (50 degrees F, 10 C), but as the fog burns off it can heat up to 90 degrees F (32C) by late afternoon.

Other notes:
There are snakes, poison oak, ticks, spiders, wasps, mountain lions, bobcats, and other mildly dangerous creatures in the woods. For those who insist on bushwhacking through the wilds or creating new trails, please prepare for such eventualities. On the trails and the main campus, it's pleasant and safe. You might run across a stray cow or deer now and again, but even that is rare.

Dorm rooms do not have alarm clocks, so bring your own! It might also be a good idea to bring a small flashlight. You probably won’t need one, but the Retreat Center is in the woods, so if for some reason you need to go outside late at night, it’s useful to have a flashlight.

Food is provided for conference attendees staying on campus for 3 meals a day, catered and served buffet-style. For people staying off-campus, lunch and dinner are provided. You must buy the food package, even if you’re staying off-campus, as the price also covers the use of the meeting hall facilities, A/V equipment, etc. We’ve strived to make this one of the cheapest PA conferences in recent years, and we’ve succeeded. So if you don’t wish to eat anything, then please consider your food costs as a generous donation to the PA and IONS. The food here is excellent, and is served only during certain hours: Breakfast (8 – 830 AM); Lunch (12:30 – 130 PM) ; Dinner (6 – 7 PM). The conference program is wrapped around these times. If you have any special food needs, contact Dean Radin at dean@noetic.org. The caterer is used to making food for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans.

An excellent overview of what to expect at the IONS campus can be found here.

The local host at IONS is Dean Radin.

For specifics about the convention program, contact the Program Chair, Louie Savva (email), Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes, University College Northampton, UK.
 

Final cost: add up room and board, registration and proceedings fees
 

NOTE: There is no per day rate fee yet. Our campus can support a limited number of people, and the meals are prepared with known numbers of people in advance, so we can't tell yet whether we'll be able to accommodate drop-ins. Thus, early registration is encouraged. For a list of local hotels for those who wish to commute, please see www.petalumacahotels.worldweb.com

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