IAC studies the consciousness (integral personality, individual essence, “soul”, spirit) in its entirety, researching the nature of our manifestations from an all-inclusive standpoint that encompasses both our physical and multidimensional (non-physical) nature. This viewpoint deepens our understanding of human life and provides a greater direction and purpose to our existence.

As a consequence of this approach, IAC promotes the development of new research methodologies, techniques, and leading-edge studies to integrate the multidimensional aspects of the consciousness and subsequent multidimensional experiences in this area into contemporary science. This is done through the sponsoring of scientific debates around a range of subjects related to consciousness research and psi phenomena through forums, public meetings, congresses, journals, and other scientific publications.

In the same way that conventional sciences operate with uniformity of nature, conscientiology assumes there is uniformity in human experience and how it is structured. For example, language is possible because humans are able to share meanings, which are completely internal and subjective. Science operates on shared meanings as well. Conscientiology anatomizes the study of consciousness to the point where there is a very specialized vocabulary for all sorts of subtle internal phenomena and experiences. People who study conscientiology use this technical language to describe, compare and study their experiences.

Can we scientifically evaluate whether the out-of-body experience is only the result of neurological activity or if it reveals dimensions beyond the physical reality? Would this lead to a new frontier for science and human development? In short, can the OBE falsify the materialistic or physicalist paradigm, including a brain-based account of who and what we are? The OBE allows us to study psychical processes from a multidimensional perspective that might reveal processes hidden from our usual awareness. It could even be a means to verify our existence beyond this life or a subtler dimension of reality. In this study the scientist cannot be just an observer. Investigators need to undertake enough personal expeditions in order to begin to understand the OBE and what it reveals about so-called anomalies and even about often-overlooked instances of our daily life. Having said that, we must acknowledge that open-minded researchers, who engaged in researching OBE accounts and their characteristics, such as Robert Crookall (1890-1981), made great contributions to the understanding and scientific analysis of the OBE, compiling thousands of accounts and reaching conclusions that are commonly observed by others experiencing OBE’s.

Clearly, being a new science with a new paradigm, distinct expectations and rules must apply to the phenomena that go beyond physical reality. The consciential paradigm, adopted in conscientiology, treats psi phenomena through a holistic model by recognizing that they are linked to subtle energy, which cannot be experienced, investigated, and understood through the use of physical senses and technology alone.

IAC’s research and training is based on this alternative framework, which suggests that many conventional scientists could be asking the wrong questions, based on an inadequate perspective. Experiences like clairvoyance and the out-of-body experience can reveal to the researcher-observer that he or she (the object of the observation) is not limited to the physical body or physical dimension, can survive biological death and, hence, is not of physical origin.

Multidimensional experiences, like OBEs (and NDEs), allow us to have observations of what exists after the biological death. Such studies have very practical applications in helping individuals overcome the fear of death and its ramifications, as well allowing the study of such topics with no religious agenda. It also allows individuals and researchers to adopt a perspective which goes beyond the observations of a single physical life.

Despite not being easily replicable, corroboration with the experience of other practitioners or researchers and shared or joint experiences allow scientists to reach more objective, consensus-based, scientific conclusions akin to the multiple, subjective observations and analyses of conventional science. The consciential paradigm could be seen as a multidimensional logical positivism. It is based on the use of logical tautologies and first-person observations from experience without restricting the experience to physical perception, and without applying the same demands of physicalist research.