Institute of Noetic Sciences

Exceptional in every way that matters to a retreat participant and retreat presenter.
The grounds are beautiful. Food is exquisite. Staff are attentive, friendly and professional.
I have been here now three times and highly recommend it as a retreat facility.

IONS’ Earthrise Retreat Center: the feel of the place is magical, and the programs held here are helping to advance human consciousness toward global wisdom, holistic health, and sustainable business.
Food is the best of any retreat center I’ve been to. They are happy to accommodate any special diet eg gluten-​free, vegan, raw, paleo.
True that lodging isn’t the greatest if you opt for sharing as they are very small rooms. (Couples might be fine… intimate.). Ask for the rooms in the Chalet: they’re bigger and nicer, at same price.
There’s a nice and very big jacuzzi pool.
And a great walking-​labyrinth that is very well-​kept.

Having been to several retreat centers across the extended bay area I can tell you that IONS is a bit swankier than the rest. Which is not to say its the Ritz Carlton — but maybe it’s the Ritz of retreat centers.
First off, the area is gorgeous — lots of deer roaming around and many trails with great views. The accommodations are comfortable and roomy and the linens are a cut above what I’ve experienced elsewhere. And everyone LOVES the food. I applaud the kitchen staff, Treece in particular. You can tell Treece is a skilled chef, cares about food and has trained her staff well. As the head chef she has gone out of her way to make sure I’m taken care of since I can’t eat the SAD (standard american diet). A gluten free friend in the group remarked, «She doesn’t make us feel weird because of our dietary needs, it’s like we’re extra special instead!»
And last but not least, there is a big ol’ hot tub near my room. All this plus my fantastic class makes a weekend retreat just what this girl needed!

This past weekend I married the love of my life at the Earthrise Institute of Noetic Sciences. I do not have enough good things to say about the staff, the grounds, THE FOOD or anything else that makes this place so wonderful.
Earthrise doesn’t normally do weddings, so there was some hesitation both on their part and on our part when we first began discussions with them. When the weekend finally came, the staff went above and beyond what we expected from them, and I never could have imagined an event this successful.
Regarding the ratio of showers to guests… we had a 3pm wedding and 100 overnight guests getting ready all at the same time. Everyone knew the arrangements, and it didn’t seem to be a problem for anyone. We told our guests that the accommodations were «Upscale Dorms.» If you’re expecting the ritz carleton, you’ll be disappointed. But if you want a truly spectacular venue with clean rooms and amazingly comfortable beds, this is your spot.
Regarding the food… We weren’t really concerned about the food coming into the event, we figured it would be good and just focused on other things. When we finally sat down and ate, our guests were blown away. People kept asking if we had brought special caterers up from San Francisco; one friend who is getting married on the east coast next year asked the kitchen staff if they would come out to Philly!
I don’t know if they’ll do more weddings (we were kind of their trial run), but if they do decide we weren’t too much of a handful, I think Earthrise is going to be the hottest wedding venue in NorCal.
I could go on for days, but i know nobody reads novel-​length posts… so just assume I wrote 50,000 words on how epic this place is.
I plan on going back there for years to come; Earthrise will always have a very special place in my heart.

The mission of IONS is great! Check it out if you are unfamiliar.
I’m reviewing this more so for the facilities, as I am there monthly for my PhD program.
The land area is great — very peaceful and serene. They recently aquired a bunch of little goats that wander the hillside to keep the weeds and brush down. In addition, it is super common to see deer and other wildlife on a daily basis when on site.
The class & meeting rooms that I’ve experienced have all been quite nice, spacious and all offer a/​c for hot summer days. In winter they are equally warm as well.
The kitchen focuses on local, organic, sustainable foods whenever possible. The quality and taste of the food has been superior to other venues I’ve been to for conferences, classes, seminars, banquets, etc. They also have an onsite garden and they veggies/​herbs from their garden are used in the meals as well.
The lodging is the biggest bummer, and the reason for giving a 4 star instead of 5. The lodging consists primarily of portable buildings. The rooms are VERY tiny, there is minimal to no soundproofing and (to me) seems quite claustrophobic. You can essentially hear everything that goes on & if you are near one of the bathrooms that REALLY sucks — there’s just nothing that goes on in a bathroom that I want to overhear. I would imagine that because they’re portable buildings (like trailer/​mobile homes) that they are likely made of the same stuff, which tends to be a lot of chemical laden synthetics and other man-​made stuff that seems to be incongruent with the overall feel and mission of IONS. It is too bad the lodging isn’t constructed similarly to the main buildings.
If you’re considering attending IONS for a class, conference, seminar, etc. or holding one at IONS I would strongly recommend it. However, if you are local, eat there but sleep at home. If you have to sleep on-​site, pay the extra $$ for a private room and try to request that you are in an extra quiet building away from the restrooms. However, even in spite of the bummer accommodations, IONS is a great center and worth visiting for any event.

I attended Noetic Science for a day to assist with a streaming event for Stanley Krippner. There was organic, locally grown food served for both breakfast and lunch and it was delicious. The property is set on a beautiful piece of land. The property has a labyrinth and serene paths to hike. I can’t wait to attend an actual event for a full weekend, it seems like it would be an inspiring retreat with great masters.

I have attended three weekend events and the Earthrise Retreat Center and all three were magical!
The aura of the place is filled with nature: bird calls overhead, a star studded sky, rabbits and turkeys, nature trails, etc. The beautiful scented gardens and the canopy of oak trees set the stage for a respite from the maddening crowds, yet it is delightfully easy to find~a mere turn up a hill, right off the main highway.
And the food is heavenly and colorfully good too! And for us coffee and tea drinkers, we have access to the best all day.
Due to the quality of the programs and the heart-​wisdom of the speakers, the people who are drawn to this place are: dedicated, fun, curious, yet deeply rooted in science, art or something profound. The people I met here are long-​lasting connections and continually support for me on this never– ending and spiraling journey.
These precious moments of retreat that I have experienced at the Earthrise Retreat Center, never cease to remind me that I am never alone.
Jeanne M House
Santa Rosa, CA

Over the years, my husband and I have had many heated discussions about spirituality vs «new age mumbo jumbo.» But with IONS, I now have access to an amazing database of scientific research that supports the concepts that for so long I’ve just known to be true without any documentation other than my own personal experiences. IONS has helped bridge the gap between science and spirituality in my house. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a gap, but it’s getting smaller :)
The IONS website is CRAZY DENSE (thank goodness it’s searchable!). They have a huge library of consciousness related topics including in-​depth articles, audio recordings with leaders in the field, book reviews and scholarly papers — and most of this information is FREE to anyone that stumbles onto the site! I must be honest, I’ve never been much of a non-​fiction reader, and some of this stuff is a bit too scholarly for me, but even skimming, I’m usually able to find what I need. Oh yeah, WORLDVIEW! Check out their Worldview Literacy program — so cool!
So, if you’re looking for information on personal and collective transformation, IONS is the place.

I was here for a retreat, so I can’t speak to IONS’ mission or purpose. My review is for the lodging and food. In my case, lodging was shared. Imagine an extra small dorm room in a trailer. Extra small dorm room in a trailer. You read that correctly. The rooms are clean enough. Shared bathrooms for men and women, and fewer bathrooms than guests on site = a very uncomfortable morning. Bathrooms are not cleaned daily (ew).
The meals cooked on site were fantastic, but don’t expect any snacks. I recommend bringing your own snacks if you stay a few days (just be sure to keep the snacks under lock and key or the ants get them. a lot of ants. pretty much everywhere). In addition, several of the rooms are approx ½ mile away from the dining room. Expect to walk ½ mile to breakfast, lunch, and dinner and plan on walking it uphill.
Unless you’re a fan of IONS’ mission, I recommend ‘roughing it’ somewhere else.