HT 501

From the pre-Cartesian/Kantian era through the evolution of scientific thought and the emergence of post-modern thought, this course traces the meta-cognitive processes for creating meaning. Various epistemological perspectives, including theories developed by Goethe, Hegel, Coleridge, and Emerson, are analyzed as foundational works upon which twentieth century epistemology has evolved. Program participants explore the phenomena of human insight, subjective interpretation of experience, and the dichotomy of perception vs. reality.

The learner’s life experiences and cultural origins are examined for their impact on learning processes, behavioral outcomes, and social interactions. The cognitive frameworks for constructing knowledge and belief systems are examined, analyzed, and evaluated. Personal assumptions and perceptions are also examined in relationship to social, cultural, and religious influences. Belief structures are defined and analyzed relative to their impact on such self-generated phenomena as consciousness, intuition, and knowing. The discernable characteristics of the affective domain are also examined relative to their compatibility with inherent aesthetic systems. Both cognitive and affective processes are assessed in terms of their influence on the creation of meaning and the more ethereal creation of values.

The transformation of cognitive and affective elements of being and the exploration of various ways of knowing, form the foundation of study in this course. The examination of belief and the integration of belief structures as epistemological frameworks are analyzed and evaluated relative to their impact on perceptions of reality, the creation of meaning, and the juxtaposition of emotion and sense-making. How knowing manifests itself is viewed from the philosophic perspectives of Wittgenstein, Krishnamurti and Bohm.

The role of play in cognitive development, and its impact on formal learning processes are explored through experiential interactions. A comprehensive review of current research in applied learning as its concomitant influence on reading, linguistic development, intelligence, and the integration of consciousness serve as the framework for epistemological inquiry. Program participants explore selected in-depth theories in conscious evolution as connecting elements for viewing self-initiated changes in human processes.

The continuous modification and transmutation of cognitive frameworks are considered fundamental learning processes that evolve from personal epistemological structures. Knowledge and the constructivist perspectives upon which they are interpreted are examined relative to their impact on developmental learning. The construction of personal frameworks for effecting understanding are considered critical to the interpretation of experience and the creation of meaning. Reflection, cyclical re-evaluation of knowing, and the creation of meaning are analyzed as manifestations of the epistemological phenomena.

The formulation of conceptual structures and the frameworks within which they are held are the subjects of analysis in this course. The focus is upon understanding the ongoing transitions that feed into continuous energy loops. Implicate and explicate perceptions and direct experiences are analyzed from the perspective of how feedback processes modify epistemological structural frameworks. Program participants are provided practical applications within the contextual framework of the Bohmian philosophy. This course is designed to enable program participants to construct an understanding of the subjective processes that promote the integration of experience into a coherent belief system. Participants analyze the concept of flow through the study of creativity, intentionality, serendipity, and intuition.

Dewey, Piaget, Inhelder, and other theoretical contributors enlighten this study of the theoretical frameworks that facilitate the development of a personal epistemology through the validation of authentic learning experiences. Program participants learn to analyze the mental processes that unify learning across multiple disciplines framing content in context as precursors to discovering the elements of personal reality. Transdisciplinary perspectives are analyzed in their multiple interactions, and the evolutionary nature of knowing is revealed as
a product of cognitive dissonance resolution.

Work, and its informal iteration referred to as play, are analyzed as integrative forces in facilitating process thinking, and as factors through which contextual sequencing creates meaning from the physical and non-physical realities. Knowing and learning in multi-dimensional contexts form the basis for studying individual consciousness. Relationships of sign and signifier are examined and assessed for their epistemic value. Together, work and play are viewed as integrative elements of Csiksentmihalyi’s Flow, and as concepts of consciousness which emerge in direct and concrete epistemic forms.

Various perceptions of being, as derived from the “spirit, mind, and body,” to expressions of complex interactions, are examined relative to the their contributions to the development of personal reality. Culture, in its multidimensional forms, is analyzed as the substrate upon which individuals generate persona and personal meaning. The element of flow, a central focus, is considered as representational of peak experience, and exemplifies a Maslowian perspective. The overarching goal of this course is to enable each participant to utilize a framework for exploration of the holonic relationship among the individual, culture, spirit, implicate and explicate contexts of experience, and the creation of meaning.

The purpose of the course is to enable each participant to demonstrate a deep understanding of the epistemological processes that create personal meaning. Program participants develop the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively engage in Bohmian dialogue processes. Participants learn how to suspend belief of their own assumptions, perspectives, and metaphysical foundations in order to actively listen to and openly embrace the insights of others in an unconventional, non-judgmental and authentic way. Dialogue practiced in the style of Krishnamurti and David Bohm, are applied in clinic-like settings with well-trained facilitators. Imagery and visioning are also explored as functional elements of meditation, intention, inquiry, and energy applications.

The mentorship experience expands Colleagues’ capacity for learning through authentic, real-world experiences and through on-site professional language development and application. Colleagues experience learning through analysis, synthesis, interpretation, evaluation, and assessment of the mentor’s interaction with his/her clients and/or projects. The interactions inherent within various learning experiences, and the involvement in diverse structural frameworks of the mentors’ approach techniques, provide the foundation for epistemological transformations. Field work and case studies within the mentorship and internship are analyzed by self-evaluative protocols. The participants produce independent products, which reveal unique epistemic worldviews.

Independent study projects, individually designed by program participants under the tutelage of faculty and their Program Coordinators, provides the foundation upon which the Commencing Project is undertaken. Participants design and conduct a research investigation to focuses on some aspects of Holistic Thinking. The formal research project is then presented to the entire cohort for response and commentary, and is examined by a Juried Review Committee.

In this course, enhancing learning through personal cognitive development and assessment of meta-cognitive and cognitive processes are qualitatively and quantitatively investigated as foundations for supporting personal learning goals. Assessment frameworks, instruments, techniques, templates, and philosophies are explored and analyzed for their value in facilitating program participants’ problem-solving and decision making processes.

Personal assessments are based in two principles:
1) Assessment is deliberately designed to improve Colleague performance, and 2) Assessment must help Colleagues systematically examine and self-correct performance, thereby enhancing the quality of their work. Colleagues use rubrics to assess understanding, competency in writing, oral presentation, Bohmian dialogue and group discussion, Culminating/Commencing Project, e-portfolios, program-specific assignments, and the Product Anthology.