The students will develop an understanding of the physical basis for the “aura,” the “chakras,” and the acupuncture system in terms of their behavior as physical fields. This new understanding will likely lead to many new ideas for future research and practical application, which can help test this model and will be of value to the students of this new science, healing practitioners as well as to professionals in conventional academic discipline . The overall goal of this course is to build a bridge between the traditional esoteric or clairvoyant understanding of energy healing and a new description based on scientific principles, using the latest discoveries from many fields of science. It now appears that such a comprehensive understanding of living systems is possible, and this course describes the various elements that make it up.
In this course, paradigms of health and disease are comparatively explored, from the origins of medical traditions and lineages to complementary and alternative approaches to healing. Approaches considered include ancient Greek and Egyptian traditions, ethnomedicine, the foundations of Eastern medical approaches based on Ayurvedic, Taoist, Tibetan, and Chinese medicine, and holistic approaches to healing including subtle, vibrational, and energy medicine.
- Instructor: Mali Burgess
As indigenous members of the earth community, there is much to be learned from all native, traditional, and indigenous cultures, both ancient and contemporary. Shamans have self-regulated their attention and awareness for millennia, and have provided a legacy of psychospiritual methods, symbols, and healing processes. Participants in this course will explore shamanic approaches, methods, healing practices, and psychology through research, dialogue, shamanic practices, and personal experience.
- Instructor: Mali Burgess
This course will introduce students to the non-materialist approach to the human mind and invite them to view spirituality through the prism of neuroscience. The following topics will be covered in class: introduction to the field of spiritual neuroscience, limitations of purely materialistic view of brain-mind interaction, basic neuropsychological concepts and notions, scientific exploration of mystical experiences, and non-materialist view of brain-mind paradigm. Additionally, modern neuroscientific research of spirituality will be discussed and critically evaluated.
- Instructor: Sam Aganov
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the process of psychological assessment and diagnosis based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria. The following topics will be covered in class: multiaxial classification system; infant, childhood and adolescent disorders; cognitive and neurological disorders; alcohol and drug-related disorders; schizophrenia and other psychoses; disorders related to emotional state or mood; anxiety disorders; somatoform and factitious disorders; disorders of dissociation; sexual and gender identity disorders; eating disorders; sleep-related disorders; personality disorders; and adjustment disorders. Emphasis will be placed on conducting a multiaxial assessment, assessing social support systems and cultural considerations. Categories and criteria for diagnosing mental disorders will be reviewed within the framework of clinical licensing requirements.
- Instructor: Sam Aganov