Round
Table: Complexity, Progress, and the Akashic Experience
for PhD Program at Prescott College
Team:
Julie Malone, Daniel Helman, and Michelle Banks
Content
Collaborators – Marna Hauk and Rick Medrick, Noël Cox Caniglia
Conference
calls are Thursday, Feb 12, 10 AM & 4 PM PST
Introduction
In the Tragedy of the Commons, the biologist Garrett Hardin (1968) warned of a future where
individualism fueled, in part, by human greed and a disconnect from the Earth would
deplete many of the natural resources we rely on to live and push us to the
point of extinction. In the almost 50 years since Hardin penned his essay,
we’ve seen many of his predictions become truth. As students of sustainability
and sustainability educators, how can we reverse that trend? What are some of
the changes that need to occur in order to foster a culture of holistic
(whole-Earth) health and well-being, rather than one mired in individualism? In
other words, how do we revive/regenerate the Commons – that shared space that
must be maintained if we are all to survive and thrive –and humankind’s
relationship to that space?
With that in mind, we invite you to
join us in sharing your ideas, dreams, and creativity in an effort to heal the
Commons. We’ve attempted to create opportunities for you to explore your
thoughts about the themes of this round table as well as your own wishes and
desires for change. In the spirit of complexity (which you’ll read more about
later), it is our hope that we have put together a process where you can engage
in a range of experiences, ideas, and ways of knowing that will allow us to see
what we bring to the process of change (and to the cohort) and how each of us
can contribute to an emergent whole.
Learning
Goals and Objectives
●
To develop and/or deepen our
understanding of the roundtable themes of complexity, progress, and the Akashic
Experience.
●
To explore the role of complexity in
transformational learning and sustainability education.
●
To challenge and explore our
individual thinking about what constitutes learning and knowledge.
●
To look at the intersection of
science and spirituality, and their shared role in fostering a culture of
sustainability.
Key
Words/Terms: the Commons, complexity, progress,
the Akashic Experience, transdisciplinary education, partiality, regeneration,
science and spirituality, cosmic memory
I.
Dialogue Forum (Sunday, February 1 – Friday, February 14)
In this forum, we invite you to
engage with and share your thoughts about the readings and media listed below.
While your thinking about and interpretation of the resources is important to
this process, we encourage you to bring examples from your work and lives to
the discussion.
Sunday,
February 1 - Friday, February 6: Choose a prompt from the list below
and respond to it with a post of about 200-250 words. Saturday, February 7 - Sunday, February 15: Respond to posts from
the cohort. If you can, try to comment/post at least 5 times during the week.
Discussion
Prompts:
●
Prompt #1: While we often talk about
how profound paradigm shifts in our thinking and interactions with the world
need to occur in order to create a sustainable and just existence for all life,
Laszlo (2011) suggests that we must also
recognize that there are some things that need to be stabilized rather than
changed. Based on the readings and your own lived experiences, share some of
your ideas about where change needs to occur and what needs to be
stabilized.
●
Prompt #2: Explore the role of
complexity, collaboration and transdisciplinary approaches in sustainability
education. How do they challenge existing educational paradigms and support
transformational learning and change? In what ways might these theories (or any
other theories from this round table) inspire or challenge you to rethink some
of your own sustainability work?
●
Prompt #3: Even as evidence supports
the connection between science and spirituality (the Akashic field), the divide
between the scientific community and some communities of faith is steadily
growing – particularly with regard to climate change. What are some strategies
we can employ to rectify this growing chasm in ways that are respectful to
people and their experiences and can lead to a more just and sustainable world?
●
Prompt #4: In Engaging Minds:Learning and Teaching in a Complex World, Davis, Sumara, and Luce-Kapler
(2008) posit, “every act of knowledge is partial – in the twofold sense of incomplete and biased (Davis, Sumara, & Luce-Kapler, 2008, pp. 7-8). According
the authors, that partiality is at the root of the environmental, social, and
economic challenges we currently face. What does the concept of “different ways
of knowing” mean to you? How can we contribute to and develop a culture that
values different ways of knowing?
Readings
and Media
Berlow, E. (2010 July). Simplifying complexity. TEDGlobal 2010.
[Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_berlow_how_complexity_leads_to_simplicity#t2764
Davis, B., & Sumara, D. (2008).
Complexity as a theory of education. Transnational
Curriculum Inquiry, 5(2). Retrieved from http://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/tci/article/view/75
Davis, Brent, Sumara, Dennis J.,
& Luce-Kapler, Rebecca. (2008). Engaging minds: Changing teaching
in complex times (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Lima, M. (2011, March 11). The power of networks. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJmGrNdJ5Gw
...or you can listen to the complete
lecture here:
Lima, M. (2011, March 11). The power of networks. [Audio podcast].
Retrieved from http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/the-power-of-networks-knowledge-in-an-age-of-infinite-interconnectedness
Laszlo, E. (2012). Birth of the akashic paradigm: New thinking
for a new world. [Ebook]. Retrieved from http://akashaparadigm.com/index2.htm
Laszlo, E. (2007). Science and the
akashic field. Retrieved from
http://www.dankunlimited.com/uno_pound_sharing/Know_files/-Science-and-the-Akashic-Field-Ervin-Laszlo.pdf
(This is a free PDF of the complete text. We recommend that you read the
introduction and two or three chapters)
Laszlo, E. (2013) A New Love Declaration: Ervin Laszlo at
TEDxNavigli. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkA_ILHfcfI
Laszlo, E. (2011, May 12). To change
or not to change: that is not the question. [Blog post] Retrieved
from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ervin-laszlo/to-change-or-not-to chang_1_b_860658.html
II.
The Commons 1 (Sunday February 1 – Saturday, February 14): Implied Themes
The Commons is an open and organic
space where you can explore some of the implied themes from the readings. There
are 7 themes in this forum, we invite you to engage with 3 or 4 of the
activities that are posted. Think of these exercises (and this forum) as a
virtual playground that involve music, images, mathematics, physics, and a
range of other disciplines.
Theme 1: Evolution
(2) Print the File "Cross
Section of a Microbial Mat Community"
Do something creative with it, such
as coloring it, or labeling the organisms, or tracing one (or a few) of the
organisms, and coloring them. (You don't have to print, if you want to do the
work using the computer.)
Post your creative work, or a
photograph or scan of it.
(3) Pick one image from Google (or
another search engine) using the search term "endosymbiosis" that you find interesting or
beautiful. Post it.
Think of the “pill” as a life
through sustainable or unsustainable eyes.
Where might our path as individuals be headed?
Theme 2: Music
(1) Look at this text: Daniel wrote
this repetitive explanation of music and math for his nephew Jason (primary
grades) about 18 months ago. Do
something with it, whether reading it and doing all the activities; or, pick
out some interesting information from it; or critique it? If you find it uninteresting, don't spend too
much time with it. Post what you've
done.
(2) Post a link to music that
suggests mathematical relationships.
and Stomp out loud! If you enjoyed
Stomp, check out:
Theme 3: Cause and Effect
(1) Download the PDF of this ArXiV
article. Copy one figure, and add the
caption or short text nearby related to it.
(2) Pick out and post three
interesting sentences from this Wikipedia article on the Buddhist concept of
dependent co-arising.
(3) Find a picture on this website,
and write something inspired by the work you’ve done in this round table so
far. Then post your picture on Moodle.
(4) There are directions in
space. Are there directions in
time? Are there directions in math? Are there directions in music? Post an opinion or a short comment about
these questions.
Theme 4: Measurement
(1) Copy and post one interesting
sentence from this link.
(2) Copy and post three interesting
sentences from this link.
(3) Pick one image from Google (or
another search engine) using the search term "degrees of freedom"
that you find interesting or beautiful.
Post it.
Theme 5: Mathematics
(1) Calculus is a mathematical way
to look at different dimensions in relationships. You can look at smaller dimensions or larger,
depending on whether you differentiate (smaller) or integrate (larger). That's the same as saying "analyze"
or "synthesize." Find
something interesting from this website and share it.
(2) Find a video using the search
term "infinites of different sizes video." Watch the video (but stop if you get
frustrated) and post a link and a comment.
(3) Find and post one image related
to chaos theory.
Theme 6: Light
(1) Read about the wave-particle
duality of light if you've never heard of the concept before, or are unsure of
what it means. Then, do a search with
the search term "light" and post a beautiful or interesting image
that you find.
Theme 7: Thoughts and Action
Imagine a past “perfect” day or
“experience”. What did you do, who were
you with, do you recall any particular sight, sound, touch, or feeling, and
what was the weather like? Now, free
write for 10 minutes about how we can apply these ideas in the round table to
sustainability, our own lives, and our thinking about change. Added Instruction: Please let your
writing flow easily.
III.
Faculty & Content Collaborator Assignment: 1 to 2-page paper (Wednesday, February
11)
In dyads, you will use one of the
recommended resources and one or two other resources provided by the student
facilitating team to do the following:
(1) Read the introduction and select one
chapter from the recommended resources that is relevant to both of you.
(2) Choose one or two of the other resources
provided by the student team and draw from those in writing the paper below.
(3) Each person should write a cited, 1 to 2-page, critical and
reflective review paper based on the chapters you chose and using the other
resource(s) to support, highlight, draw tangential parallels with or critique
your chapter. (Please, no duplications of chapters within the cohort)
(4) Post papers on discussion forum.
(5) Comment on at least two other paper
postings. Reviews due by Tuesday,
February 10.
Readings:
Davis, B., & Sumara, D. (2008).
Complexity as a theory of education. Transnational
Curriculum Inquiry, 5(2). Retrieved from:
http://nitinat.library.ubc.ca/ojs/index.php/tci (Recommended)
Hanh, T. N. (2013). Love letter to the earth. Berkeley, CA:
Parallax.
Laszlo, E. (2007). Science
and the akashic field: An integral theory of everything. Rochester, VT:
Inner Traditions
Laszlo, E. (2009). The
akashic experience: Science and the cosmic memory field. Rochester, VT:
Inner Traditions. (Recommended) http://www.dankunlimited.com/uno_pound_sharing/Know_files/-Science-and-the-Akashic-Field-Ervin-Laszlo.pdf
(This is a free PDF of the text)
Wessels, T. (2013). The myth of progress: Toward a sustainable
future. Hanover, MA: University Press of New England. (Recommended)
IV.
Commons 2 (Saturday, February, 14): A Love Letter to the Earth
When
you’re able to see the Earth for the bodhisattva that she is, you will want to
bow down and touch the Earth with reverence and respect. Then love and care
will be born in your heart. This awakening is enlightenment. Don’t look for
enlightenment elsewhere. This awakening, this enlightenment, will bring about a
great transformation in you, and you’ll have more happiness, more love, and
more understanding than from any other practice. Enlightenment, liberation,
peace, and joy aren’t dreams for the future; they’re a reality available to us
in the present moment.
--from A Love Letter to the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh
In his Love Letter to the Earth, Thich Nhat Hanh (2013) implores us to celebrate our
connection to Earth rather than focus only on the gifts she shares with us.
Only then will we truly experience the love that will save us. To close out
this round table, we invite you to compose your own love letter to Earth.
Before getting started, breathe deeply and close your eyes for a minute or two.
Consider the beauty of the oceans and forests, the language of flowers and
trees, and your/our connections to each other and Earth. What are some of the
images that come to mind or the adjectives that ground you and fill your heart?
Take this emotions that come out of your silence and write your own love letter
to Earth. Your “letter” can be anything you want it to be. It can follow a
traditional letter format, or it can be an image or a poem. It can be a lullaby
that you remember from childhood or a prayer. If you choose to write, it can be
composed in English or another language that fully expresses your dreams and
desires for a new world. The most important point is that it reflects your
personal understanding of your relationship to Earth and all who share it with
you.
Post your letter on Moodle and, if
you are inspired, consider posting it here too: http://lovelettertotheearth.com/
Additional
Readings and Media
Chasse, B., Vicente, M., &
Arntz, W. (2004). What the bleep do we know? [Video file] Retrieved from
Collins, M. (2011). “The Akashic
Field and Archetypal Occupations: Transforming Human Potential Through Doing
and Being”http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.prescott.edu/doi/pdf/10.1080/02604027.2011.563190
Davis, Brent, & Sumara, Dennis
J. (2006). Complexity and education:
Inquiries into learning, teaching, and research. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Davis, B. (2008). Complexity and
education: Vital simultaneities. Educational
Philosophy and Theory, 40(1), 50-65. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/prescott/reader.action?docID=10301438&ppg=46
Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of
the commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243-1248.
Hauk, M. (2011). Compost, blossom,
metamorph, hurricane-Complexity and emergent education design: Regenerative
strategies for transformational learning and innovation. Journal of Sustainability Education, 2. http://www.jsedimensions.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Hauk2011.pdf
Laszlo, E. (2012) Akashic
Consciousness. [Web log]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ervin-laszlo/
Laszlo, E. (2014). The
Self-Actualizing Cosmos: The Akasha Revolution in Science and Human
Consciousness. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions.
Mason, Mark. (Ed.) (2009). Complexity theory and the philosophy of
education. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/prescott/detail.action?docID=10301438&p00=
Mason, M. (2008). What is complexity
theory and what are its implications for educational change?. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 40(1), 35-49.
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