WE ARE SPIRIT HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE Lome Whorley B.Ed. University of British Columbia 1976 THESIS SUBMITI'ED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Faculty of Education O Lome Whorley 1995 SIMON FRASEH UNIVERSITY June 1995 All rights resented. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Lome Christopher Whorley Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: We are Spirit having a Human Experience Examining Committee: Chair: Yaroslav Senyshyn ~olertWalker Professor Senior Supervisor - - Robert J.C. Harper Professor Emeritus -- I --- - Allan MacKinnon Assistant Professor Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University External Examiner - I PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay We are Spirit having a Human Experience Author: ABSTRACT WE ARE SPIRIT HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE As eternal spirit, we bring with us into life @s that are spiritual in their nature. Some people call these aspsychic abilities. Others call them imagination and superstition. Since the age of scientific enlightenment and its subsequent myths about science (Scientism), Western consciousness has turned away from these gifts that the shamans and some others still possess. Orthodox religion calls personal exploration of consciousness or psychic research, witchcraft, the occult, and demon worship, etc. and has in conjunction with Scientism also caused Western humanity to turn away from any personal exploration of consciousness that might bring forth these natural psychic abilities. I and many others have experienced phenomena that exist beyond what most people think of as normal cause-and-effect reality. I have presented, in this thesis, evidence to support my experience and knowledge. I argue that educators must recognise the insular nature of Western belief and education. I have included a simcant body of my students' art work to illustrate that the content of the arts is essentially spiritual. The content of the arts is life itself and spirit in life. Therefore the arts must be given core edcatiohal status iii to encourage more people to look within, where happiness costs nothing but: a little effort to dance or sing or paint. The evidence and argument of scientists, anthropologists, theologians, consciousness researchers, as well as the testimony of shamans, and myself indicates that we are indeed spirit having a human experience and that we could and should explore our psychic potential throughout our education system. As matters stand, these abilities have been forced to atrophy to the point of near nonexistence in most of us because of the beliefs and taboos of science and religion. I have been short-changed and taught wrongly by my culture and the education system that supports it. To those whose first reactions to my presentation is total disbelief, I would certainly value the opinion of any serious scholar who spends as many weeks as I have years in exploring these truths. I conclude that only those brave enough to explore their own consciousness will ever understand the true nature of their being and potential. Most importantly, I argue that if there are indeed other ways of acquiring knowledge than through traditional Western academic methods, then it seems incumbent upon us as educators to learn their nature and applicability. Abstract Table Of Contents vii 1. PROLOGUE 1 2. CHAPTER ONE: EAST VERSUS WEST: PARADIGMS OF REALITY Chapter One Summary Endnotes 3 CHAPTER TWO BEYOND VISUAL LITERACY: SHAMANS AND WAYS OF SEEING Chapter Two Summary Endnotes 4. CHAPTER THREE: THE HOLOGRAPHIC PARADIGM Chapter Three Summary Endnotes 5. CHAPTER FOUR. THE HOLOTROPIC MIND 6. CHAPTERFIVE: PARAPSYCHOLOGY; THE SCIENCE BEYOND PHYSICS; THE TRUTH BEYOND MEASURE 7. CHAPTER 8fX. THE MESSAGE FROM THE EAST Chapter six summary Conclusion Endnotes 8. CHAPTER SltVER: WHAT I DO IN THE CLASSROOM Chapter Seven Summary TABLE OF CONTENTS 9. CHAPTER EIGHT: PROCESS AND THE PROBLEM OF ASSESSMENT 10. CHAPTER MINE: THE WORK AND THE STORIES Chapter Nine Conclusion 1 1. COMCLUDING REMARKS LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1Vincent Van Gogh (A Pair Boots. 1887) ................................... 41 Figure 2 (Island of Santos) ........................................................................ 106 Figure 3 (City of Thera).............................................................................. 107 Figure 4 (Monolos on Theresia)................................................................ 108 Figure 5 (Monolos-closeups of caves)..................................................... 109 Figure 6 (Monolos-closeups of caves)..................................................... 110 Figure 7 ......................................................................................................... 134A Figure 8 .........................................................................................................137A Figure 9 .........................................................................................................139A Figure 10........................................................................................................ 141 Figure 11........................................................................................................ 143A Figure 12........................................................................................................ 144 Figure 13........................................................................................................ 145 Figure 14........................................................................................................ 146A Figure 15........................................................................................................ 147A Figure 16...................................................................................................... 149 Figure 17........................................................................................................ 150 Figure 18........................................................................................................ 151 Figure 19........................................................................................................ 152 Figure 20 ........................................................................................................153 Figure 21........................................................................................................ 1% Figure 22 ........................................................................................................155 Figure 23 ........................................................................................................157 Figure 24 ........................................................................................................158A Figure 25 ........................................................................................................159A Figure 26 ........................................................................................................160A Figure 27 ........................................................................................................161 Figure 28 ........................................................................................................162A Figure 29 ........................................................................................................163 Figure 30 ........................................................................................................ 164A Figure 31........................................................................................................ 166 Figure 32 ........................................................................................................167A Figure 33 ........................................................................................................168 Figure 34 ........................................................................................................169 Figure 35 .......................................................................................................170 Figure 36 ......................................................................................................17l Figure 37....................................................................................................... 172 Figure 38 ........................................................................................................173 Figure 39 ........................................................................................................174A vi i Figure 40 ........................................................................................................ 175A Figure 41........................................................................................................ 176 Figure 42 .......................................................................................................