Allan Combs

1942 - 2025

Allan Combs
11/06/1942 - 04/05/2025
Allan Leslie Combs, 82, left us peacefully the night of April 5th at home in Cuenca, Ecuador in the embrace of his family, knowing the bubble of love from his students and colleagues was with him. Beloved husband, father, teacher, and mentor Allan (aka Leslie), will be remembered for his wisdom, humor, and unique teaching style.
Born November 6th, 1942, in Columbus, Ohio, Allan grew up the only son of Thelma and Leslie Combs. He attended Mifflin High, interested in science and classical music. An undergraduate student at Ohio State University he studied physics before graduating in psychology in 1964. At University of Florida, he received a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling 1967, followed by a Masters in Psychology, and Ph.D. in Neuropsychology both from the University of Georgia 1967, 1977. He was driven to understand the nature of conscious thought.
An accomplished author, teacher, and mentor, he devoted himself to the study of consciousness, authoring over 250 publications on consciousness and the brain including the books Synchronicity, The Radiance of Being (which won the 1996 best book award from the Scientific and Medical Network) and Consciousness Explained Better (illustrated by his son Alex Combs).
On January 7th, 1994 he married Julie Navin Combs with whom he shared not only romance but an intellectual partnership.
He taught at multiple universities, including Earlham College 1974-1975 jointly In Psychology and Biology, Missouri Southern State University Associate Professor 1975-1982 and Chair of Psychology Department 1979-1982, Graduate Institute 2002-2020 Co-Director; MA Program, Conscious Evolution, University of North Carolina Asheville from 1982-2004 where he retired an Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology receiving a National Teaching Award of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs for 2002-2003, that same year holding the UNCA Honorary Ruth and Leon Feldman Professorship.
In 2006 he joined the California Institute of Integral Studies full-time, as professor and director of the CIIS Center for Consciousness Studies, becoming Emeritus Professor of Consciousness Studies in the Transformative Inquiry Department.
He was the founder and president emeritus of The Society for Consciousness Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences as well as the 2019 recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally he was the founder and chief editor of The Journal of Conscious Evolution and Consciousness: Ideas and Research for the Twenty First Century, on the editorial board of World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research, co-founder of The Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences, was in the one hundred member Club of Budapest, and participated in multiple other societies and journals. In 2021 founded The Four-Rivers Institute in Cuenca, Ecuador with Julie.
Leslie is survived by his wife, son, son-in-law Andrew Eakett, stepson Zeb Hauptman-Dezern, cousins Micheal and Paula Gorrell, Ecuadorian found-family and beloved neighbors including Sebastian and Andres Acri, Mateo Romero, Joseph and Cayetana Chungata, and Leslie Plua, who saw him as a grandfather.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Four Rivers Institute 4-rivers.org (tax deductible EIN86-1362664).
"Life is a passage from mystery to mystery. That is the wonder and the terror of being human." -The Radiance of Being