The Monroe Institute (TMI) is a nonprofit education and research organization devoted to the exploration of human consciousness, based in Faber, Virginia, United States. Upwards of 20,000 people are estimated to have attended TMI’s residential Gateway program during its first thirty years, with consumers of the audio industry founded on its research running into millions. TMI claims a policy of no dogma or bias with respect to belief system, religion, political or social stance.

TMI was founded by Robert Monroe after he started having what he called “out of body experiences”, now also commonly referred to as OBEs. It comprises several buildings on 300 acres (1.2 km2) of land south of Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. One of its activities includes teaching various techniques, based on audio-guidance processes, in order to expand consciousness and explore areas of consciousness not normally available in the waking state.

In 1978, the U.S. military evaluated TMI and arranged to send officers there for OBE training. In 1983, it sent further officers.

I travel to an intriguing group, dedicated to the exploration and expansion of human consciousness; the Monroe Institute. While there, I scored interviews with their executive director, Paul Rademacher, and their president, Skip Atwater. In this episode, I first briefly explore the practice of meditation in many global cultures, before excerpting roughly a third of the fascinating and wide ranging conversation I had with Mr. Rademacher. If you are interested in meditation, meditation enhancement technologies such as binaural beats, or if you just believe that the human race needs to learn how to relax and adapt to change, then this episode of TTFL is for you!

I continue my exploration of the Monroe Institute and it’s brain enhancement technologies, with extended excerpts of interviews with their Executive Director, Paul Rademacher, and President, Skip Atwater. The focus of this episode is on the institute’s mission, and future plans, with a bit of explanation as to why this topic is important for The Trip for Life.

I complete my exploration of the Monroe Institute and it’s brain enhancement technologies, with extended excerpts of interviews with their Executive Director, Paul Rademacher, regarding the structure that TMI has developed to help the meditator remember and learn as much as possible while meditating, some possible applications of the technology, and an exploration of the morality of the joy that meditation can create in a person in this world of suffering.

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