Consciousness Studies Concentration

Goddard Student The low residency MA in Individualized Studies Program offers a 48 credit concentration in Consciousness Studies.

The Consciousness Studies Concentration is for students interested in developing an integrated understanding of the origin, evolution, and expansion of human consciousness. The aim of the Consciousness Studies Concentration is to encourage students to integrate their experiences, beliefs, and practices with knowledge and insights from a variety of disciplines, specifically the neurosciences and philosophy of mind, the social sciences, transpersonal studies, and the arts and humanities.

An exciting and emerging area of study, Consciousness Studies focuses on the transformative experiences, practices, and beliefs that are evident in many cultures, religions, spiritual, and psychotherapeutic traditions. Students bring their evolving knowledge of consciousness to the development of their personal practices and to their engagement with the community.

"At the core of the concentration are the principles that individual consciousness is central to human existence, that we are all participants in a greater, shared human consciousness, that human consciousness is an integral part of nature, to which it is related and upon which it depends, and that the spiritual dimensions of consciousness are of vital importance for the individual, society, and the planet."
--- Concentration Coordinator Francis X. Charet.

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Core Learning Areas

To acquire a broad understanding of the theory and practice of Consciousness Studies a number of disciplines and perspectives are necessary. The following core areas offer a way of classifying different approaches to the study of consciousness. They also provide a basic contextual and interdisciplinary framework within which students pursue their individualized studies.

The Scientific and Philosophical Study of Consciousness

The scientific and philosophical approach to the study of consciousness can be highly technical and intellectually demanding, drawing on disciplines from the neurosciences to the philosophy of mind. As part of the field of Consciousness Studies, it is important to have an overview of the ongoing work being done in these areas.

The Social Scientific Study of Consciousness

Various social scientific disciplines have provided material and additional perspectives on the study and exploration of consciousness, especially in terms of the personal, social, and cultural contexts. Chiefly, these have been psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

The Transpersonal Study of Consciousness

The term “transpersonal” covers a range of meaning that is evident in the prefix ”trans” and refers not only to “beyond,” but also “across,” “through,” “pervading,” “directed towards change or transformation.” The transpersonal approach involves many fields such as religious studies, Jungian, and transpersonal psychology.

The Arts and Humanities

Both the Arts and Humanities provide content and a perspective that has shaped the way humans give expression to various forms of consciousness. In particular, the visual arts and literature provide additional sources for the study and exploration of consciousness from the symbolic and imaginary to the aesthetic.

MA in Individualized Studies

Consciousness Studies Concentration

Core Learning Areas

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