A Brief Outline of the History of the IIIHS

The International Institute of Integral Human Science (IIIHS) Objective: The establishment of Inter-Religious & Intercultural Understanding for World Peace.

Methodology for achieving this objective: By bringing together into a global research educational network of pioneering scientist and religious leaders from all traditions, from many nations who have focused on new sciences of consciousness & healing, for the recognition and sharing of universal human values.

Such recognition is essential to a sustained motivation on part of many diverse groups, peoples and nations for a dedicated and sustainable pursuit of the principles underlying the “Declaration of Universal Human Rights of the United Nations,” and now more specifically, of the current “UN Millennium Development Goals.”

Established in 1975 at Concordia University in Montreal by Dr. John Rossner, an Anglican priest – who was then Director of the graduate program in the History & Philosophy of Religion – with the help of graduate students and the assistance and participation of an international group of eminent scholars and scientists in related fields. This effort was made in preparation for an international conference dealing with the relationship between new developments in the sciences of consciousness & healing and transformative human experiences claimed in the world’s religions and cultures.

Since then pioneering scientific, cultural and religious leaders – from many traditions involved in the study of new sciences of consciousness and healing – have been brought together by the IIIHS in many countries, from many nations and continents over the past 32 years.

They have focused on identifying, recognizing and sharing information about those extraordinary human inspirations leading to transformations which have motivated many persons in many cultures to work tirelessly for improving the quality of human life, consciousness, and values. Extraordinary transformations which have occurred through such experiences have not been understood easily in modern western sciences. However, they have occurred demonstrably among many peoples without distinction of race, class, religious, ethnic, or national identity.

Such recognition for intercultural dialogue is essential for understanding emerging new sciences and developments in the world’s religions and cultures. The development of a sustainable motivation to establish universal human rights requires the dedicated pursuit of the basic human values which are implicit in the very establishment of the United Nations Organization after WWII.

There are implicit and legitimate universal spiritual and ethical value judgments applicable to all peoples underlying the foundation of the United Nations Organization. The international community will always run into difficulties in establishing the universality of basic human rights in some nations, societies and cultures unless their particular religious or secular ideologies to accept first that there are certain extraordinary experiences which suggest the same universal human values. The right of the international community to “impose” a UN “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” or “UN Millennium Development Goals” may otherwise be challenged.

Since its foundation in 1975 the international objective of the IIIHS has been to establish among leading scholars, scientists, and religious leaders from many nations the acceptance of the fact that there have been strong spiritual motivations which are common to all peoples, and cultures. These common spiritual motivations justifiably and correctly – lie behind the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” of the United Nations, and the present movement to establish and achieve the current UN Millennium Development Goals.

A Brief Chronology of the History and International Projects of the IIIHS

I. The Establishment of the IIIHS Extension Office on the campus of Concordia University, Montreal, 1975-78. Projects & programs developed: The IIIHS “International College of Human Sciences” was created in 1976 as a professional society for leading scholars, scientists, medical doctors and religious leaders involved in the study of transformative human “peak” spiritual experiences. These experiences have frequently led to the transformation of human beings, their values, and the subsequent establishment of common human values in many cultures and traditions.

II. The First International Conference of the IIIHS was hosted by Concordia University in March of 1976. Distinguished pioneering scientists, scholars and religious leaders from many traditions and nations gathered to present over a period of nine days their seminal discoveries related to the above theme. Over 10,150 people attended over the nine day period.

III. The Development of a Basic Curriculum in New Sciences of Consciousness and Healing. Due to the international media coverage and success of this conference. The Rector of Concordia University, Dr. John O’Brien, invited Dr. Rossner to establish an Extension Office of the IIIHS on the campus. From 1976 until 1978, courses were offered there in new sciences of consciousness and healing. These shed light on the sources of the motivational experiences which have provided throughout human history significant social changes and, in many cases, the establishment recognizable universal human values.

IV. The Development of a Network of IIIHS Chapters, and a Professional and General Membership in many Cities in Canada and Other Countries throughout the World. Throughout the remainder of the 1970’s and in to the 1980’s, and international interest and membership – both professional & general – developed in many nations and cultures, east and west, north and south, throughout the world. In the early days a network of chapters, affiliated groups and/or interested members, both professional and general – developed throughout Canada, the USA, the Bahamas, India, the European Union, the Middle East, Asia and Central and South America.

V. The Establishment of the All India Chapter of the IIIHS. In 1877 Fr. John Rossner and Dr. Marilyn Rossner travelled to India upon the invitation of Swami Visnu-Devananda, founder of the world wide Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers with Apollo XIV astronaut, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, to lecture throughout Spain and India on the theme of “Yoga and Science”.

During presentation in many cities on this theme, Dr. John Rossner was approached by the Hon. Dr. R.R. Diwaker, former minister of information of India, former governor of Bihar state, then president of the Ghandi Peace Foundation of India to establish a presence and an “All India Chapter of the IIIHS” for the dissemination of information which would shed light on the reconciliation of new developments in western science and culture with India’s traditional, spiritual and cultural values and contributions.

Dr. Diwaker became president of the first “All India Chapter” of the IIIHS with it’s headquarters in Bangalore. Eminent scholars, scientists and religious leaders of India became the first professional members of the IIIHS “College of Human Sciences” in India. The IIIHS returned to India for major conferences hosted by the government of India and organized by its own All India IIIHS fellows in Bangalore and at times in Bombay and other cities.

VI. The former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: Late in the 1980’s, from 1988 – onwards in the former Soviet Union, in Poland and in Czechoslovakia under “Glasnost” and “Perestroika” groups of interested scientists and scholars joined the membership and participated in conferences of the IIIHS in Montreal or in their own countries.

This process was initiated by Soviet medical doctors and psychiatrists from Simferopol (then in the former Soviet Union now in the Ukraine), when Dr. Marilyn Rossner and Sr. Leona Hartman of the IIIHS were invited to teach psychiatrists new therapies for children. The project lasted for two years, from 1988 to 1990. This led to the development of individual Russian and individual Eastern European initiatives to establish studies in new sciences of consciousness and healing in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic. This occurred between 1990 – 1991 – and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union – in individual countries of Eastern Europe through independent initiatives.

VII. The New South Africa. In 1993 IIIHS V.P., Dr. Marilyn Rossner, was invited to South Africa to consult with the education and training of teachers, and children of indigenous people & religions of South Africa. This invitation was issued by Hon. Nokazulu Mmende (then representative in the South African Parliament for indigenous peoples & religions on South Africa, appointed by Nelson Mandela). Since 1993 Dr. Marilyn Rossner, Sr. Leona Hartman, together with interns from the Montreal IIIHS headquarters center have travelled to South Africa each year for several weeks to consult and assist with teachers and institutions for abandoned children in Johannesburg, Kimberly and 11 villages south of there.

Since 2005, Dr. John Rossner has been invited by Archbishop Mmuses of the indigenous Independent African Orthodox Church to direct and coordinate the development of and educational program for clergy, people and children of this body in 11 villages south of Kimberly. This involves reconciliation of these abandoned and ignored people with other religious groups and their leaders in South Africa, and the obtaining of their recognition by other both established and non established religious bodies in South Africa. This is part of the great “peace and reconciliation” effort which is ongoing among peoples in the new South Africa.