Course Descriptions

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS – PHILOSOPHY (PHI)

CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY:

PHI 501 Wisdom of Classical Philosophy with Pierre Grimes, Ph.D.

This course is a survey of classical philosophy and the evolution of the concepts of consciousness in classical philosophy. The Pre-Socratic thinkers provide us with a glimpse into what Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus and Proclus developed into a system of thought of lasting beauty and profundity.

COSMOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE:

PHI 511 Science and Spirituality with Amit Goswami, Ph.D.

This course offers a history of the conflict between science and spiritual traditions and ways in which an interpretation between the traditions can be achieved. What caused the rift, the great divide between science and religion? Can science be done within the primacy of consciousness? Can we integrate scientific and spiritual cosmologies? Are there spiritual practices for inner growth that are scientific? This course will address these questions within the current developments of science.

PHI 512 Physics of the Soul with Amit Goswami, Ph.D.

A new physics of the Soul is presented, based on quantum physics and the primacy of consciousness, of survival and the immortality of the human spirit. All religions believe in life after death and many religions believe in reincarnation. Is life after death and reincarnation scientific? Both experimental data and new theory development on the subject are examined.

PHI 513 Mind in the Cosmos: The Evolution of Consciousness with Christian de Quincey, Ph.D.

This course explores the major world paradigms that have attempted to account for the relationship between consciousness (spirit) and the physical world. Professor De Quincey will show the strengths and weaknesses of dualism, materialism, idealism, and panpsychism, giving particular attention to how the dominant paradigm, or "story," of mechanistic materialism has resulted in major crises in philosophy (the "hard problem"), in science (mind-brain relation), in ecology (environmental crisis), in society (human/nature alienation), and in individuals (mind-body dysfunctions). Having identified the problems students will look towards a possible solution—a "new story" beyond mechanistic materialism, where consciousness/spirit is a natural component of reality "all the way down."

SOCIAL & CULTURAL PHILOSOPHY:

PHI 521 Political Theory in a Multicultural Perspective with Marjorie R. Lister, Ph.D.

This course will introduce students to some of the foremost issues and questions in political thought. These range from: ‘What is human nature?’ to ‘What is the nature of the relationship between the ruler and the ruled?’ to ‘What is the best kind of organization for the state’? The course will draw upon classic and modern texts of political philosophy, including Sun Tzu, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Rousseau, J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, Wollstonecraft and Edward Said. Students will learn to read, interpret and evaluate texts in political theory and to compare political theory with political practice. The course will enable students to compare the theories of notable political thinkers from a variety of cultural backgrounds and to place them in context. The far-reaching critique of classical political theory provided by feminism will also be examined.

SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY:

PHI 532 Conceptions & Experiences of the Afterlife with James A. Santucci, Ph.D.

What happens when you die? Scholars and theologians throughout history have sought to answer this question. This course explores the "afterlife" as described by the major religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism), the Greek philosophers and religionists, the Eleusinian and Orphic Mystery schools, and the teachings of spiritualism and Theosophy. Questions about heaven, hell, and purgatory will be explored; as will some of the phenomenon associated with the afterlife, such as reincarnation, resurrection, the survival of the disembodied soul, and intermediate post-mortem states as describe by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and the folklore surrounding vampires and zombies. The possible communication with the dead as detailed in spiritualism will be contrasted with the more scientific method of "cross-correspondence."

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS – RELIGION (REL)

COMPARATIVE RELIGION & MYTHOLOGY:

REL 501 World Religions with Robert Ellwood, Ph.D.

This course offers a review of all the great spiritual traditions of the world. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, and so forth, are introduced with emphasis on both Judeo-Christian and Eastern thought on consciousness.

REL 502 A New Myth of God: Religious Function of the Psyche with Lionel Corbett, M.D.

This course explores the Judeo-Christian myth which has been at the core of the Western psyche for millennia. The image of God at the center of this myth is no longer alive for many people. This course will articulate the New Myth that is emerging from the heart of Jungian religious writing. His myth involves our conscious relationship with personal experiences of the divine as they are mediated by transpersonal levels of the psyche.

REL 503 Stories That Tell Us Who We Are: Myth & Meaning for Today with Robert S. Ellwood

Some stories do not just entertain. They are tales that make us say, "This is how the universe really works," or "This is who I really am, ideally" -- and they become parts of us that will not let us go. These stories are myths, in the highest and best sense of the word. This course will look at myths from around the world, and from ancient Greece and Japan up to modern tales like The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. It will reflect on how vibrant myth can empower one's life and also examine the dangers of "mythic thinking."

ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS:

REL 511 Understanding the Bible with Culver Nelson, D.Div.

This course explores an alternative approach to the Bible's essential teachings in its spiritual, literary and poetic significance. It is to understand how the Biblical words came to those who first heard them as well as how we understand them today. Before anyone asks what does the Bible say, one should first ask what did it say. Until one puts on the sandals of a first century person and hears the Biblical word as it was first announced, one may not fully grasp its meaning.

REL 512 The Wisdom of Islam with Robert Frager, Ph.D.

This course examines Islam as one of the world's universal wisdom traditions. Students will look at Islam from the inside, guided by the instructor, who is a practicing Muslim and a Sufi teacher. The course will help students understand the deep appeal of the world's most controversial and also fastest growing religion. Topics covered will include the life of the Prophet, the Qur'an, the five pillars of Islam, Islamic history, major Muslim thinkers, the poet Rumi, other Sufi mystics, and developments in Islam today.

REL 513 Wisdom of the Kabbalah with Daniel Matt, Ph.D. (administered by Ron Feldman, Ph.D.)

This course focuses on the central teachings of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition that emerged in twelfth-century Provence and profoundly influenced European spirituality. We will explore the themes of Ein Sof (God as “Infinity”), Ayin (the divine “no-thing-ness”), Shekhinah (the feminine “presence” of God), and Raising the Sparks (discovering God in everyday life). Students will study the original teachings of the Kabbalah, translated from Hebrew and Aramaic by the Dr. Matt, in his book, “The Essential Kabbalah.”

EASTERN RELIGIONS:

REL 521 The Language of the Gods with Debashish Bannerji, Ph.D.

This course introduces the Sanskrit spiritual vocabulary of India, in a contextual form, relating terms and their psychological connotations to the spiritual subcultures of their origin. The aim of this course is to provide tools for relating transpersonal experiences and practices to established cultural disciplines, so as to facilitate a comparative and comprehensive perspective on trans-egoic process.

REL 522 Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita with Debashish Bannerji, Ph.D.

This course is a review of the wisdom of the Upanishads, among the first to expound the primacy of consciousness, and the essence of Hindu spirituality in the context of Gita - The Song of God. The Upanishads are unique treatises of consciousness. It is said that hearing them with understanding leads to liberation from ignorance. The major themes of the Upanishads will be examined with not only philosophy, but also integral realization in mind.

REL 523 602 Buddhism in the Modern World with B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D. (administered by Vesna Wallace, Ph.D.)

In this modern age in which science and religion seem to be in such deep conflict, Buddhism appears as an integrated system that incorporates religious belief, philosophical analysis, and scientific inquiry. The foundation of the theory and practice of Buddhism focuses on the realities of suffering, its source, liberation, and the path to liberation. Dr. B. Alan Wallace will discuss in his recorded lectures the central themes of early Buddhism and its later developments in India and Tibet; these ancient teachings will be integrated with contemporary fields of knowledge, including psychology, physics, and medicine.

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS – PSYCHOLOGY (PSY)

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY & COMMUNICATION:

PSY 501 Transformational Psychology: An Overview with Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D.

This course offers an overview of multi-disciplinary approaches to human transformation. We discover the largest perspective in the world’s mythologies and spiritual traditions. Another long-term and scientific perspective views human transformation in terms of biological evolution; as well as an examination of the social, historical, and economic factors that have influenced the transformation of human culture. The course will analyze methods of transformation, including a range of psychotherapeutic approaches, other professional approaches, spiritual disciplines and physical disciplines of the body.

PSY 502 Consciousness and Creative Communication with David E. Bresler, Ph.D.

This course examines the experiential basis of the psychology of interpersonal relationships. Study will explore types of inner communications in which we engage, the power of attention, levels of interactivity, imagery dialogue, inner communications, mood, our "inner critic" and how it can be countered creatively with the help of an "inner advisor".

PSY 503 Self-Regulation: Foundation of Human Potential with Judith A. Green, Ph.D. & Robert Shellenberger, Ph.D.

This course covers the principles and processes of self-regulation that underlie human potential for health and wellness. Psychophysiologic self-regulation and the psychophysiology of stress and relaxation are described and students are introduced to a variety of self-regulation procedures such as Autogenic Training, visualization and short relaxation techniques. Mental and emotional characteristics of the healthy person are described and strategies for enhancing personal well being are outlined. The course concludes with a consideration of cultural forces that promote wellness, and a broad view of personal and social well being.

PSY 505 Outer and Inner Creativity with Janelle Barlow, Ph.D.

This course covers the theory and practice of creativity in outer accomplishments and inner transformation. To be creative, three things are needed: expertise, creativity skills and task motivation. This course assumes that the students will bring their own level of expertise to any issue at hand. This course will focus on (1) understanding and developing creativity skills and (2) becoming focused so that task motivation is direct and enhanced by personal organization and knowing one's direction.

PSY 506 Essentials of Mind-Body Medicine with Martin L. Rossman, Ph.D.

We start with the experiential data on mind-body healing in some detail. We then expound the essence of alternative healing practices such as acupuncture, ayurveda, and homeopathy, and other spirit mind-centered therapies, and body centered therapies such as yoga. Can consciousness heal the body of disease as claimed in all spiritual traditions and as vindicated by the data? We discuss this question with the help of recent ideas of quantum healing and science within consciousness. Finally, we explore the subject of wellness and creativity of the body.

PSY 507 Attention Mechanics with Steven Maurice Droullard, M.A.

Attention is a keystone of consciousness and the primary resource we must learn to "mindfully" manage in pursuit of greater awareness. This course will first look at the dynamics of the attention environment we find ourselves in, and the powerful "defaults" and assumptions we participate in as matters of habit. It will review, in the context of current science and the wisdom traditions, practical ways to disengage our attention from participation in habitual perspectives so that we may gather and focus attention in ways that make becoming an objective observer and manager of our own attention possible.

PSY 508 Intuition in Business with Marcia Emery, Ph.D.

Unlock the wisdom imbedded in your intuitive mind to help you make decisions in relationships, career, finances or health. In this course you'll learn how to listen to your inner voice, develop your "gut instincts" and "trust your hunches". Dr. Emery'' practical and easy-to-follow exercises will teach you how to recognize your tuition, an untapped resource that will awaken your creative forces, sharpen your strategic vision, and help you in all your business and personal endeavors. Discussion of Dr. Emery's mind shift method will detail how cultivation of intuition can be used in any situation.

ARCHETYPE STUDIES:

PSY 511 Alchemy and Psychotherapy with Michele Papen Daniel, Ph.D.

Alchemy was a natural science which represented an attempt to understand the material phenomena in nature. However, as C.G. Jung tells us, everything unknown and empty is filed with psychological projection; and what the alchemists saw, or thought they saw in matter, was chiefly the data of their own unconscious processes. Consequently, an understanding of alchemical processes and their stages are a fertile source for understanding and facilitating the experimental modes of the psychological transformation that Jung called individualization, that lies at the heart and soul of depth psychotherapy. This course will consider alchemical symbolism and images as they concretize these experiences of transformation in psychotherapy, including an examination of the mystery of the conjunctio as it unfolds in psychotherapy.

PSY 512 Mythic Stories in Depth Psychology with Jonathan Young, Ph.D.

Mythic patterns in stories reflect a broad range of human concerns. The key is reading their psychological symbolism. The realms of magic, dream and fantasy, the familiar wisdom tales, connect us with dimensions beyond ordinary experience—and offer an illuminating vision to enlarge our sense of place and purpose.

PSY 513 Dreams and the Quest for Meaning with Kelly Bulkeley, Ph.D.

Dr. Bulkeley will explore the vast and eternally mysterious realm of human dream experience, focusing on the profound influence of dreaming on the world’s religious and spiritual traditions—for dreaming can truly be said to represent a primal wellspring of religious experience, insight and wisdom. Each of the first seven lectures concentrates on one particular tradition, describing the surprisingly sophisticated dream beliefs and practices of these “pre-modern” peoples. The course highlights the revolutionary discoveries of the two great 20th Century dream psychologists Sigmund Freud and C.G. Jung. And finally, recent findings regarding the neuropsychological functioning of the brain/mind system during sleep and dreaming; and the future of dream research, with prospects for a better understanding of the power of dreams to inspire creativity, heal illness, anticipate future possibilities, and promote spiritual development.

SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY:

PSY 521 Spiritual Psychology with Robert Frager, Ph.D.

This course examines the spiritual implications of major Western psychologies including Freud, Jung, Rogers, and Maslow. It also compares Western psychologies with the Eastern spiritual psychologies found in Yoga, Zen Buddhism, and Sufism.

PSY 522 Yijing: Models of Transformation - Working With Change with Stephen Karcher, Ph.D.

This course is based upon the new translation: “Total I Ching: Myths for Change.” Students will examine how Yijing (I Ching) or the “Classic of Change,” the world’s oldest tradition of “wisdom divination,” provides models of the psyche’s healing powers and how we can access them. Students will proceed through an examination of Eastern ideas of the “Way” or Dao, the insights of Western transformative psychologies, and the ritual use of guided imagery. The object is to make “Change” a part of your imaginative and intellectual life.

PSY 523 Buddhist Psychology and Methods of Healing with Vesna Wallace, Ph.D.

This course addresses the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist theories of the nature and functions of the mind and of the ways in which the mind and body interact and influence each other. It also addresses the ways in which these theories have influenced the Buddhist medical theories and practices and the manner in which the Buddhist contemplative and yoga practices have been influenced by Buddhist medical knowledge. This course will review the history and therapeutic role of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist psychology in particular and the history and soteriological role of Buddhist medicine in general.

PSY 524 The Yoga of Integral Transformation with Debashish Banerji, Ph.D.

In The Life Divine, the modern Indian seer and yogi, Sri Aurobindo has diagnosed the human condition as one of "Sevenfold Ignorance." In his own life and teaching, he developed the goals and techniques of experience and power by which this condition can be overcome. Adapting his own terminology this can be called "Sevenfold Perfection," a psychology of integral transformation spelled out in a number of texts, principally his works on yoga (The Synthesis of Yoga) and recently published diaries (Record of Yoga). This course will draw out the features of the seven limbs of self-perfection, and the disciplines and attitudes necessary to their development. In this exploration a cross-cultural approach will be taken, introducing Sanskrit yoga terminology in context with explanations and implications in terms of modern psychology theory and practice.

PARAPSYCHOLOGY:

PSY 531 Psi Research with Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D.

This course offers a survey of paranormal phenomena and theories. Synchronicity, distant viewing, clairvoyance, precognition, and survival of consciousness after death are discussed. The presentation will be based upon current scientific knowledge.

THESIS

MCS/MTP 701 Thesis Course - Student Comprehensive

The Student Comprehensive is a synthesis paper of 20-25 pages that is a reflection of a comprehensive understanding of the curriculum on Consciousness Studies as the knowing factor that runs through all levels of human experience, nature and the universe. This paper will include a description of the student's experience of increased consciousness in their own life, resulting in a behavioral change of greater love and insight and how they expect this to affect their future relationships in life and society.

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