An exciting and emerging area of study, Consciousness Studies focus on the transformative experiences, practices, and beliefs of many cultural, religious, spiritual, and psychotherapeutic traditions. The Consciousness Studies Concentration, available to students enrolled in Individualized MA within the Goddard Graduate Institute, is an interdisciplinary education that draws upon a number of disciplines, including the neurosciences, philosophy of mind, anthropology of consciousness, Jungian psychology, religious studies, psychology, the arts, and the humanities.

Students pursuing the Consciousness Studies Concentration develop an integrated understanding of the origin, evolution, and expansion of human consciousness. The emphasis at Goddard is on developing an interdisciplinary approach to the study of consciousness that is open to a range of perspectives from the scientific to the transpersonal.

Our integrated approach to the study of consciousness honors equally:

  • Knowledge traditions from the intuitive to the scientific
  • The deeply personal, experiential nature of learning
  • The socially transformative impact of an engaged practice

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Work of the Program

An intensive residency week begins the work of the semester in a non-competitive atmosphere. Workshops, peer groups, seminars, mini-courses, individual conferences, readings, and celebrations inspire and facilitate the focus of the semester’s work and the creation of a study plan intended to address degree criteria as well as each student’s academic goals.

Core Learning Areas

To acquire a broad understanding of the theory and practice of consciousness studies a number of disciplines and perspectives are necessary. These can be brought together into the following core areas to offer a way of classifying different approaches to the expression and 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, transpersonal and Jungian psychology, as well as deep ecology.
  • 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.

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