Association for Consciousness Exploration
Encyclopedia
The Association for Consciousness Exploration LLC (ACE) is an American organization based in Northeastern Ohio
which produces events, books, and recorded media in the fields of "magic, mind-sciences, alternative lifestyles, comparative religion/spirituality, entertainment, holistic healing, and related subjects."
in Cleveland, Ohio
. As a campus organization they offered concerts of local musicians, a film series, and hosted appearances of Jim Alan and Selena Fox
of Circle Sanctuary
, Dr. Raymond Buckland
, and the first Cleveland appearance of Timothy Leary
(at Amasa Stone Chapel
). The primary directors are Jeff Rosenbaum and Joseph Rothenberg, and many of the founding members still make up much of the core organizing group. In the 1980s, they also ran a "mind spa", providing hands-on experience with mind machine
s, biofeedback
devices, and a sensory isolation tank
. The motto of the Chameleon Club is "CHANGE", and that of ACE is "Dedicated to the Expansion of the Frontiers of Your Consideration". ACE was originally located at The Civic, a former synagogue in Cleveland Heights, OH, and there offered classes and featured appearances of Robert Anton Wilson
, Timothy Leary, Robin Williamson
, AmyLee, Ian Corrigan
and Selena Fox. In 1985 it moved its offices to the Masonic Temple
Annex Building in the same city.
, a six-day summer camping event held in July featuring live entertainment and classes on a variety of subjects including Neopaganism
, eclectic spirituality, consciousness
, holistic health
and other topics, and the annual WinterStar Symposium , usually held in February. They have also created the MusicStar Festival, Opening Inner Doorways, and The Thing in the Woods. They have co-sponsored events with other organizations such as the SpiritDrum Festival (with Musart
) and the Rant 'n Rave (with the Church of the SubGenius
), and have participated in other organizations' events such as the Agora
Psychedelic Festival, the World Magic Festival (created by Jeff "Magnus" McBride
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/museLetter.php?id=29http://www.pietalent.com/Magic.html), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's psychedelic exhibit I Want to Take You Higher
: The Psychedelic Era 1965-1969.
ACE produces and sells books, tapes, CDs and DVDs of performances, lectures and panel discussions from their events, and several obtained from other sources, including the ACE/Llewellyn Collection (a co-operative project between ACE and Llewellyn Worldwide
) and the ACE/ADF Collection (a partnership with Isaac Bonewits
and the Neo-druidic
group Ár nDraíocht Féin
).
, and the Starwood Center: a workshop/seminar/bookstore facility in Cleveland, Ohio
, which shares space with Audio Kreme Recording Studio. Classes, drum circles and multi-media productions have been offered at these facilities featuring such notable individuals as occult
author Isaac Bonewits, percussionist Jim Donovan
, Church of the SubGenius
Reverend Ivan Stang
, Celtic Neopaganism
author and bard
Ian Corrigan
, Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart
of the Church of All Worlds
, Neopagan folk singers Kenny & Tziporah Klein
, and singer/songwriter Victoria Ganger. The first two DEVOtionals, an annual event run by fans of the band Devo
, were held at the Starwood Center in 2000 and 2001 http://www.fredpc.com/DEVOtional2000http://www.fredpc.com/DEVOtional2001. Stone Creed Grove, a local branch of the Neo-druidic group Ár nDraíocht Féin, holds occasional meetings and open rituals at the Starwood Center.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
which produces events, books, and recorded media in the fields of "magic, mind-sciences, alternative lifestyles, comparative religion/spirituality, entertainment, holistic healing, and related subjects."
History
The organization was founded in 1983 by members of the "Chameleon Club" (founded in 1978), and their fictional founder, C. C. Rosencomet, on the campus of Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. As a campus organization they offered concerts of local musicians, a film series, and hosted appearances of Jim Alan and Selena Fox
Selena Fox
Selena Fox is a Wiccan priestess and activist, psychotherapist, self-published author and lecturer in the fields of Neopaganism, Wicca, New Age and comparative religion.- Circle :Rev...
of Circle Sanctuary
Circle Sanctuary
Circle Sanctuary is a non-profit organization and legally recognized Wiccan Church based in southwestern Wisconsin, USA. Circle is the publisher of Circle Magazine, which has approximately 15,000 subscribers...
, Dr. Raymond Buckland
Raymond Buckland
Raymond Buckland , whose craft name is Robat, is an English American writer on the subject of Wicca and the occult, and a significant figure in the history of Wicca, of which he is a High Priest in both the Gardnerian and Seax traditions.According to his written works, primarily Witchcraft from the...
, and the first Cleveland appearance of Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
(at Amasa Stone Chapel
Amasa Stone
Amasa Stone was an American industrialist who built railroads and invested in mills in Ohio. He was a major benefactor of Western Reserve College, which became part of Case Western Reserve University in 1967. Amasa Stone Chapel was built after his death in his memory...
). The primary directors are Jeff Rosenbaum and Joseph Rothenberg, and many of the founding members still make up much of the core organizing group. In the 1980s, they also ran a "mind spa", providing hands-on experience with mind machine
Mind machine
A mind machine uses pulsing rhythmic sound and/or flashing light to alter the brainwave frequency of the user...
s, biofeedback
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is the process of becoming aware of various physiological functions using instruments that provide information on the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will...
devices, and a sensory isolation tank
Isolation tank
An isolation tank is a lightless, soundproof tank inside which subjects float in salt water at skin temperature. They were first used by John C. Lilly in 1954 to test the effects of sensory deprivation. Such tanks are now also used for meditation and relaxation and in alternative medicine. The...
. The motto of the Chameleon Club is "CHANGE", and that of ACE is "Dedicated to the Expansion of the Frontiers of Your Consideration". ACE was originally located at The Civic, a former synagogue in Cleveland Heights, OH, and there offered classes and featured appearances of Robert Anton Wilson
Robert Anton Wilson
Robert Anton Wilson , known to friends as "Bob", was an American author and polymath who became at various times a novelist, philosopher, psychologist, essayist, editor, playwright, poet, futurist, civil libertarian and self-described agnostic mystic...
, Timothy Leary, Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, songwriter and storyteller, who first made his name as a founder member of The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
, AmyLee, Ian Corrigan
Ian Corrigan
Ian Corrigan is an American Neopagan writer, teacher, musician and ritualist whose work has influenced both the Wiccan and Neo-druidic branches of the Pagan movement.- Training, teaching and contributions :...
and Selena Fox. In 1985 it moved its offices to the Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple is a term commonly used in Freemasonry with multiple but related meanings. It is used to describe an abstract spiritual goal, the conceptual ritualistic space formed when a Masonic Lodge meets, and the physical rooms and structures in which a Lodge meets...
Annex Building in the same city.
Activities and functions
ACE is best known for hosting the annual Starwood FestivalStarwood Festival
The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival presented in mid- to late July. Approximately 1,500 people attend including staff, speakers and entertainers. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects...
, a six-day summer camping event held in July featuring live entertainment and classes on a variety of subjects including Neopaganism
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
, eclectic spirituality, consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, holistic health
Holistic health
Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine...
and other topics, and the annual WinterStar Symposium , usually held in February. They have also created the MusicStar Festival, Opening Inner Doorways, and The Thing in the Woods. They have co-sponsored events with other organizations such as the SpiritDrum Festival (with Musart
Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker is an American drummer, recording artist, and Orthodox priest.- Biography :Booker was born Steven Bookvich in Detroit, Michigan on December 27, 1942 and is of Serbian decent. His father, Melvin Bookvich, was a shoemaker who played accordion. He has a wife, Shakti; a son, Aaron; and a...
) and the Rant 'n Rave (with the Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
), and have participated in other organizations' events such as the Agora
Agora Theatre and Ballroom
The Agora Theatre and Ballroom is a concert club located in Cleveland, Ohio. The Agora name was previously used by two other Cleveland venues in succession, the latter of which was destroyed by fire in 1984...
Psychedelic Festival, the World Magic Festival (created by Jeff "Magnus" McBride
Jeff McBride
Jeff McBride is an American magician from Monticello New York. He is known for his sleight of hand skills and specializes in the manipulation of playing cards, coins, and other small objects. His stage performances blend elements of kabuki, a Japanese theater form, with traditional conjuring...
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/museLetter.php?id=29http://www.pietalent.com/Magic.html), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's psychedelic exhibit I Want to Take You Higher
I Want to Take You Higher
"I Want to Take You Higher" is a 1969 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the Stand! album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instead, it is simply dedicated to music and the feeling one...
: The Psychedelic Era 1965-1969.
ACE produces and sells books, tapes, CDs and DVDs of performances, lectures and panel discussions from their events, and several obtained from other sources, including the ACE/Llewellyn Collection (a co-operative project between ACE and Llewellyn Worldwide
Llewellyn Worldwide
Llewellyn Worldwide is a New Age publisher, currently based in Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. Llewellyn's mission is to "serve the trade and consumers worldwide with options and tools for exploring new worlds of mind & spirit, thereby aiding in the quests of expanded human potential,...
) and the ACE/ADF Collection (a partnership with Isaac Bonewits
Isaac Bonewits
Phillip Emmons Isaac Bonewits was an influential American Druid who published a number of books on the subject of Neopaganism and magic. He was also a liturgist, singer and songwriter, and founded the Druidic organisation Ár nDraíocht Féin, as well as the Neopagan civil rights group, the Aquarian...
and the Neo-druidic
Neo-Druidism
Neo-Druidism or Neo-Druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents, is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment...
group Ár nDraíocht Féin
Ár nDraíocht Féin
Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. is a non-profit religious organization dedicated to the study and further development of modern, Neo-druidism practice....
).
Location
ACE maintains an office in Cleveland Heights, OhioCleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
, and the Starwood Center: a workshop/seminar/bookstore facility in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, which shares space with Audio Kreme Recording Studio. Classes, drum circles and multi-media productions have been offered at these facilities featuring such notable individuals as occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
author Isaac Bonewits, percussionist Jim Donovan
Jim Donovan (musician)
Jim Donovan is a professional drummer and percussionist, a recording artist, writer, teacher and lecturer. He is best known as the drummer and one of the founding members of the band Rusted Root. He plays both standard drum kit and African hand drums such as the djembe, ashiko and talking drum...
, Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
Reverend Ivan Stang
Ivan Stang
Rev. Ivan Stang, born Douglass St. Clair Smith August 21, 1953 in Washington, D.C., raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended the St. Mark's School of Texas. He is best known as the author and publisher of the first screed of the Church of the SubGenius...
, Celtic Neopaganism
Celtic Neopaganism
Celtic Neopaganism refers to Neopagan movements based on Celtic polytheism.-Types of Celtic Neopaganism:*Neo-druidism, grew out of the Celtic revival in 18th century Romanticism....
author and bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
Ian Corrigan
Ian Corrigan
Ian Corrigan is an American Neopagan writer, teacher, musician and ritualist whose work has influenced both the Wiccan and Neo-druidic branches of the Pagan movement.- Training, teaching and contributions :...
, Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart
Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart
Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart is a Neopagan poet, author, lecturer, and priestess. She is of Irish and Choctaw Indian ancestry.-Early Life:...
of the Church of All Worlds
Church of All Worlds
The Church of All Worlds is a neopagan religious group whose stated mission is to evolve a network of information, mythology, and experience that provides a context and stimulus for reawakening Gaia and reuniting her children through tribal community dedicated to responsible stewardship and...
, Neopagan folk singers Kenny & Tziporah Klein
Kenny Klein
Kenny Klein is a Celtic, Folk and Country musician, a published author, playwright, actor and poet, and an elder and a High Priest in the Blue Star tradition of Wicca...
, and singer/songwriter Victoria Ganger. The first two DEVOtionals, an annual event run by fans of the band Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, were held at the Starwood Center in 2000 and 2001 http://www.fredpc.com/DEVOtional2000http://www.fredpc.com/DEVOtional2001. Stone Creed Grove, a local branch of the Neo-druidic group Ár nDraíocht Féin, holds occasional meetings and open rituals at the Starwood Center.
External links
- rosencomet.com - the Association for Consciousness Exploration website