This is a brand new program focused on showing students how to draw
upon ancient wisdom to bring greater consciousness to their personal lives and work.
UPR has assembled a world-class faculty who are leaders in the fields of religion and spiritual studies, science, philosophy, and psychology. The program's content
coupled with its preeminent faculty sold me on the program.
What is consciousness? According to the philosopher
Christian de Quincey, "the world (everything that exists) consists
of physical energy and non-physical consciousness—i.e., the world equals things and experiences of those things." de
Quincey goes on to say that "consciousness is what knows or feels or is aware—of anything. Consciousness is what
knows. It’s what feels the flow of energy; it’s what knows there’s any energy at all."
Conscious beings feel
their own being; that is they possess consciousness. de Quincey says that "consciousness in this sense means the capacity
for sentience, feeling, experience, subjectivity, self-agency, intention, or knowing of any kind whatsoever. It feels like something to
be a being with consciousness."
What is spiritual
consciousness? Accoridng to de Quincey, “spiritual consciousness” is used to indicate a higher or more developed
or more aware state beyond the ordinary awareness of day-to-day psychological consciousness."
My first two courses are:
- Buddhist Psychology and Healing Methods, with Vesna Wallace, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies, UC, Santa Barbara.
- Mind in the Cosmos: The Evolution of Consciousness, with Christian de Quincey Ph.D. Philosophy & Religion, Institute of Integral Studies.
