This course examines various ways that people have constructed the world in which they live. Topics will include sleep, dreams, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, false memories, special states of awareness, and attributional styles.
1. Define perception and explore what makes us conscious vs. unconscious.
2. Examine how major psychological theorists define various states of consciousness.
3. Explore the influence of the unconscious mind including the methods, experiences and applications of dream work.
4. Discuss the biology of belief and thoughts and how they affect the perceiver's reality.
5. Examine altered states of consciousness including dream states; coma; hypnotic, meditative and trance states; mystical and near death experiences.
6. Discuss the physiology of consciousness by exploring brainwave patterns and the latest technology designed to alter brainwaves.
Fall 2020 textbook data will be available on July 1.
On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be for this course only. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks.
Completion Requirements:
--regular attendance
--active class participation
--satisfactory completion of weekly assignments, projects
--a final term demonstration of achievement of course objectives (individually designed)
Letter Grade Criteria:
A= Student demonstrates excellent to outstanding proficiency in exceeding course objectives
B= Student demonstrates good to excellent proficiency in meeting course objectives
C= Student demonstrates adequate to good proficiency in meeting course objectives
Official Grading Scale:
A+ through C-: indicates satisfactory completion of course objective and expectations
D+ through D- Indicates marginal performance that will not count for credit towards program requirements or competence area requirements.
F= failure to meet course objectives and/or grading criteria
'Psychology of Consciousness'
"..It is only when we grapple with another man's intimate need
that we perceive how incomprehensible, misty, and wavering
are the beings that share with us the sight of the stars
and the warmth of the sun "--Joseph Conrad
Readings:
Our assigned shared textbook is a rambling work of essays by the amazing neurologist Oliver Sacks, his last book published posthumously, called River of Consciousness
In addition, each student choose a book of your choice in the field to read independently and share in class. Here are a few suggestions of books and authors chosen by students in the past:
Pandemic Dreams (has just come out, I might make it our primary text if we can get it through the bookstore in time!)
Breath by James Nestor (fantastic physiology of consciousness and breathing!)
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk (trauma and recovery)
Subliminal, by Mlodinow
Art of Dreaming, by Mellick
Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzales
Awakening the Heroes Within, by Carol Pearson
States of Consciousness, by Charles Tart
Modern Man in Search of a Soul, by CG Jung
Dragons of Eden, by Carl Sagan
The Discovery of the Unconscious: History and Evolution of Dynamic Psychiatry by Henri Ellenberger
Maps of the Mind, Charles Hampden-Turner
The Future of the Mind, by Michio Kaku
Be Here Now, by Baba Ram Dass
Memories, Dreams, Reflections, by Carl Jung
Roots of Consciousness, by Jeffrey Mishlove
Consciousness: a very short Intro, by Susan Blackmore
On Dreams, by Sigmund Freud
And many more works by Pema Chodrun, Alan Watts, Sogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Thich Nhat Hanh, Baba Ram Dass, and many, many more...you will be searching and finding!
Recommended materials:
*Decent internet connection and device (cell phone ok but doesn't work as well with the app for Canvas as an ipad or computer does)
* Nice dream journal (for your own dreams, private)
* File folder for your dreamwork and class notes
*REcommend: Paper punch and glue stick, art paper or blank paper, clay, Color pencils, markers, crayons, paints, access to music & other art materials
*Private space for working, we hope...and to carry on your ongoing projects...because art is messy, creativity is messy, and each week there will be some kind of project:)
PROCESS:
- Chapter Guides: Each week a team of one or 2 students present designated chapter for our class: We will take turns at this to get through all 10 sections of the book. When it is YOUR week to guide the chapter:
- Create a powerpoint or video presentation to post in that week's module to guide the rest of us on your particular chapter. include 3 interesting quotations and our text title, author, and your own name(s)
- Prepare and share a Meditation/visualization/music/yoga or other experience to help us practice and develop the discipline of altering consciousness at will.
- Your insights and reflections as you lead discussion on the textbook will guide us to greater understanding of the material as you present.
- CHAPTER GUIDES allow the rest of us to benefit from your insights in your close reading of the textbook chapter, without everyone having to read everything ourselves! --We will be busy reading our individually chosen books.
- FOR THE DESIGNATED WEEK of your chapter guiding you might be creating the whole guide yourself or working with a classmate, depending on how many of us are enrolled. On your week of chapter guide, you can lighten up on the other work assigned that week--still do it, but with a note "this is my chapter guide week" at the top to remind me that for this week most of your work was on preparing and delivering the chapter guide!
- Your Private Dream Journal will not be seen by others unless you choose to share some part of it. Please resolve to write or draw for at least 5 minutes per day in this private dream journal. You can write ANYTHING or draw or paint anything in the journal. Also, It's a good idea to keep a folder at home for hard copies of your assignments, lecture notes, midterm rubric, discussion ideas, responses, doodles, thoughts, assigned works as described below, internet or article clippings, and anything else that pertains to your growing knowledge and understanding of the topic.
- Rubrics: At midterm and again at final grading, fill out a self-assessment rubric based on "attendance/preparedeness", "engagement", and "intellectual curiosity".
- Dreamscape/Self Portrait: a symbolic representation of yourself and/or a dream, can be collage, drawing or painting or even a 3-D object or creation.
- EACH WEEK: dream incubation. In this discussion, you are invited to share any dreams you had in the week that may be of use to our chosen participant. We will seek to use dream work methods to relate to motifs or themes that pop up across the dreams of the week.
- Story Board: create a storyboard or comic-strip style graphic representation of a dream sequence to share in class. Pay attention to detail.
- Lifeline: list 10 milestones or turning points in your life. Create graphic symbolic rendering on large paper or if you're clever with graphic design online, using color, symbols, lines, collage, words, images to describe your life's path so far. Along the top, correlate world events. Along the bottom, place image or titles of dreams you had at particular times along the lifeline. Further directions given in class, see handout for more details.
- Mask/Persona: a costume or mask representing some aspect of your personality vis a vis the Jungian "Shadow"
- Mandala: experiment with constructing or conducting a mandala or mandorla.
- Medicine Animal: research the habitats and mythology or symbolism of your animal and render an image with information to share in class. How does this critter defend itself, socialize, fit the environment, what is its personality, what is your or our projections or prejudices about this animal? How does this creature relate to you, and what are the cultural associations you can make to this animal? Does the animal suggest to you anything about new strategies for your own life? Or familiar ways of dealing with life's challenges?
- Research article: seek out an article relevant to psychology and or consciousness, post your find with title, source, author, and write response. Post.
- Ted Talks: choose a Ted Talk under search options, watch, post the link, and respond to your own as well as watching one other student's choice.
- Final project and presentation: your chosen book. 3 resources, plus biblio or works cited, MLA or APA notation, one page "illustration".
ATTENDANCE is essential. It's one of those Be Here Now issues. Your Attendance/preparedness is counted as your ability to post work in the week designated. Any absence will affect your grade, more than 3 weeks of work absent/not on time MAY (depending on the status of the rest of your work for class) result in no pass.
LATE WORK is not admissible. With the online format, you will have a week in which to complete each module. If you don't get everything done that week, don't worry: you get credit for being present by contributing. On your rubric this is the "Attendance/preparedness" criteria. How well you do the project is the "Intellectual Curiosity" component. REsponding to at least one other student's work is expected each and every week. This is the criteria of "Engagement".
Don't panic: There are enough assignments that even if you "miss" a week here or there, or only partially complete the module, you should still be able to pass.
