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Uni\ilversto/ MkJtxilrIms International 300 N. Zeol bRoad Ann Arbor Ml 48106 8518998 Myers, Mary Jo PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES OF THE NEW PARADIGM PROVIDING A RATIONALE FOR MEDITATION TECHNIQUES IN CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT The Ohfo State University PH.D. 1985 University Microfilms International300 N. Zaeb Road, Ann Aibor, Ml 48106 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES OF THE NEW PARADIGM PROVIDING A RATIONALE FOR MEDITATION TECHNIQUES IN CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy In the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Mary Do Myers, B.A., M.A. The Ohio State University 1985 Reading Committee: ^*— ^ n. ApprovedApprove* By Donald R. Bateman, Ph. D. Robert Bargar, Ph. D. Doseph Quaranta, Ph. D. Advisor Department of Education, Theory and Practice This work is dedicated to Mark, my husband and best friend, who, in every sense of the word, supported me in it; and to my children, Matt and Maura, sources of constant joy and inspiration. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I own an incredible debt of gratitude to my adviser, Don Bateman, model New Age teacher. From No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth by Ken Wtiber, c 1979. Reprinted with permission from Shambhala Publications, Inc., P. O. Box 308, Back Bay Annex, Boston, MA 02117. All rights reserved. From The Tibetan Book of Hie Dead: The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bar do. translated and with a commentary by Francesca Freemantle and Chogyam Trungpa, c 1975. Reprinted with permission from Shambhala Publications, Inc., P. O, Box 308, Back Bay Annex, Boston, MA 02117. AH rights reserved. Hi VITA 3uly 23, 1936 Born - Covington, Kentucy 19 6 1 ............... B.A., Thomas More College, Covington, Kentucky 1961-1968 English Teacher, Notre Dame Academy* Covington, Kentucky 1968 M.A., Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 1969-1985 Assistant Professor of English, Ohio Dominican College, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: English Education Studies in Language and Composition. Professor Donald R. Bateman Studies In Teaching Literature. Professor Maya Mertz Studies in 3unglan Typology in Education. Professor Robert Barger Studies in Consciousness Development. Professor Joseph Quaranta iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION H ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hi VITA iv INTRODUCTION 1 Part One: Background Section A. Science and Consciousness 17 1. Pre-Twentieth Century Atomic Theory 17 2. Implications of Elnstcinian Relativity Theory 17 3. Bohm's Theory 18 4. Prigoglne's Theory 22 5. Parallels with Chinese Philosophy 24 6. Implications of Particle/Wave Theory 28 B. The Evolutionary Development of Consciousness 34 1. Cosmic Consciousnes 34 2. Human Consciousness 36 3. Individual Consciousness 40 C. Implications of Brain Research 50 1. Models 50 2. Implications for Consciousness Study 53 3. New Findings 58 v D. Jungian Psychology 63 1. The Self 63 2. Ego 63 3. Persona 6^ U. Unconscious 66 5. Libido 70 6. Psychic Functions 7? 7. Individuation 75 E. The Nature of the Transpersonal 1. Definition 8^ 2. Technological monitoring 87 3. Near-Death Experiences 87 4. Oriental teaching 90 5. Common denominators 99 Part Two: Strategies F. R elaxation 109 1. Im portance 109 2. Methods 111 G. Progoffian Journaling 116 1. Intensive Journal Exercises 116 2. Process Meditation 119 H. Dreams, Symbols and Archetypes 122 1. Jungian background summarized 122 2. Historical overview I2t> vl 3. C ontem porary R esearchers 125 4. Possibilities 132 I. Visualization 141 1. Receptive Visualization 141 2. Creative Visualization 141 3. Significance o f Im agery 142 4. M ethods 149 .1. M editation 168 1. V ariety of M ethods 168 2. Common Denominators 170 3. Need for teach er 176 Part Threei Some Implications K. For the Individual Bodymind 184 1. Body Work Affects Mind 184 2. Visualization Affects Body 195 L. For Society 208 1. Overview 208 2. Example in Regard to Environmental Pollution 213 3. Examples in Regard to Education 215 M. B rief D escription of a Course in Consciousness Development 223 APPENDIX 228 Sample Presentation 229 Bibliography 237 vii INTRODUCTION In this twentieth century Western civilization is undergoing a radical paradigm shift. A paradigm is a framework of thought (from the Greek paradigma. "pattern"). A paradigm is a scheme for understanding and explaining certain aspects of reality. • * • A paradigm shift is a distinctly new way of thinking about old problems. For example, for more than two centuries, leading thinkers assumed that Isaac Newton's paradigm, his description of predictable mechanical forces, would finally explain everything in terms of trajectories, gravity, force. It would close in on the final secrets of a '^clockwork universe." But as scientists worked toward the elusive ultimate answers, bits of data here and there refused to fit into Newton's scheme. So now we find ourselves in die midst of shifting from the paradigm of a dualistlc, mechanistic universe to a new paradigm. This new paradigm is evolutionary. It sees human beings as intimately interconnected with everything else in nature. It sees nature as an explication of an implicit and unified energy force. Some of the most general paradigmatic shifts are: From To -seeing the universe as composed of -seeing the universe as an ongoing material atoms process of essential energy 2 •seeing the universe as run by -seeing the universe as the interplay mechanistic rules of myriad vibrational speeds and patterns of essential energy -seeing humankind as separate from -seeing humankind as interconnected and superior to die rest of nature with everything else in nature -the person's experiencing himself •the person's experiencing himself as an isolated ego as part of a larger unity -seeing all things In nature as -seeing the essential interpenetration fragmented and separate from and unity of all things in nature one another -adhering to the Cartesian duality -seeing the person as a mindbody unity of mind and body -onesidedIy relying on reason as -trusting intuition as well as reason; the arbiter of all man's decisions trusting the body as well as the mind in moving through the life process -pursuing scientific studies -striving to see the relationships reductionist! caliy among all things. The implications of these can be detailed in regard to any area of research, something Marilyn Ferguson, in the The Aquarian Conspiracy. does with regard to politics, education, health care and economics. Setting for this dissertation: I find myself an educator, who has over the course of the last fifteen years, undergone this radical paradigmatic shift. Having conceptually broken through the confines of the dualistic, mechanistic, Newtonian-Cartesian world view of my youth into the monistic evolutionary universe of the present. I find myself searching for an effective means to help those I serve make the same shift in less time. 1 call, the process of doing this consciousness development. Goals and Purposes; What 1 set out to present in this dissertation is: 3 a. A rationale for consciousness development. b. Some strategies helpful to that development. c. A summary of the kind of course 1 have used to help people in that development. 1 offer this in the hope that others may use it as background for developing similar courses, and so that I may refer my own students to it for the research underlying what 1 do. Rationale; The paper's contents can be divided into three sections. The first section contains a synthesis of my research in five areas which have been for me most influential in making this paradigmatic shift. These are • t 1) the findings of contemporary science especially in the fields of physics, 2) the evolution of consciousness and 3) brain research. In psychology the work of Carl G. Jung and of 5) contemporary transpersonal psychology have been most significant. Though 1 do not have separate sections for them, the traditional spiritual teachings of both East and West have also been extremely important to my development.