Seeking Universities for Applied Spiritual Science

[yogani]

Hi Joe:

Thanks much. It is an interesting site and inter-faith organization doing important work in the community.

However, it is not exactly what I mean by "Applied Spiritual Science."

I mean more the kind of experimental science that will gain attention and acceptance in the mainstream scientific community, and society in general, through large institutions. For that reason, the more well-known the institutions the better. That is why we are targeting existing related programs at Harvard, U Of Calif, the National Institutes of Health (Federal funding), and other large institutions and foundations.

Smaller organizations we approach in this endeavor must have the ability (and goal) to boot-strap non-sectarian spiritual R&D to the large national institutions, including bringing the funding to pursue the necessary research. The highly regarded Institute of Noetic Sciences, founded by astronaut Edgar Mitchell, is an example of a non-university organization that can increase the visibility of applied spiritual science to universities and funding organizations.

Btw, this is not about directly funding and expanding AYP. We'd prefer to maintain our independence as a dynamically evolving open resource on spiritual practices, and not be beholding to any large research institution or funding foundation. But it sure will be nice to have some big mainstream collaborators out there. I am for anything we can do to help that along, except sacrificing our independence...

All the best!

The guru is in you.

[brushjw]

Yogani,

Almost 30 years ago my brother (a Vietnam vet and published author) wanted to teach a class on the Vietnam War.  During the late 70's and early '80's this was not yet taught at the university level.  My brother had to compose  a syllabus and teach it at any accredited university he could (prisoners on release at the local community college) before it would be considered at the state university.  You might want to consider this, if you haven't had success with well-known institutions.  First get established, then move up the ladder.

I live near the University of Vermont, which is pretty highly regarded.

"The University of Vermont is one of 71 colleges and universities selected for "Making a Difference Colleges," an annual guide to schools preparing students to make a better world. UVM’s "green campus" and programs combining education with service are highlighted along with a university culture that "instills a combination of pragmatism and idealism necessary to have a positive impact on the world."

If you want to come visit I'll be happy to serve as your guide

aum namaste,
Joe

[yogani]

Hi Joe:

I don't expect AYP classes to be taught at the university level any time soon. Outside the AYP writings themselves, what little planning has been done for AYP classes has been with yoga studios in mind. That is where it appears we will have our first structured classes. And we can expand from there.

As you know, there is a large amount of written source material on integrated practices being prepared here, which can be useful for both individuals and classes over the long term, including in university programs at all levels. But that is for much later. The materials will be ready long before the university programs are. That is okay. Writings can wait a very long time.

Note: The AYP books have managed to find their way into prisons, university bookstores and libraries, and other interesting places, but it all takes time, and needs a lot of help from many who are interested in making the materials widely available. It can't be done by only a few people, and certainly not by one person.  

What I do think we can help with in the near term is to inspire more mainstream research on spiritual practices at the university level -- not do the research ourselves. To accomplish this, we only have to become more visible in our present activities. That's all.  

If the Universtiy of Vermont has anything going on in research on spiritual methods, we'd certainly like to know about it, and make the appropriate parties aware of the AYP open source materials and community. I see they have a medical school, which is important because most of the grant-funded research on spiritual methods these days is going on in healthcare.

I believe the fast-growing field of reseach in "Complimentary and Alternative Medicine" (CAM) will become one of the main springboards leading to scientific research on Human Spiritual Transformation, because this is where the resources are already substantial, and increasing every year. As soon as we step outside the medical/scientific community, the resources for research shrink to near zero.

Conclusion: The "glass ceiling" has to be broken from the inside. Or, to put it another way, appied spiritual science has to follow the money. For that, it means informing the university programs that have the most funding for research (and education) on spiritual methods.  

Several large universities are already into it to the point of having established departments for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. This is a big deal. Bigger still, full-blown Applied Spiritual Science is the next logical step for them, which covers health and all aspects of human potential.

One look at what is going on in the the AYP community can offer enough evidence on the possibilities to inspire more scientific research. That is what I hope we can contribute, simply by continuing to do what we are doing here, steadily expanding the open source knowledge-base, and making sure those who are in positions to take the next steps in the scientific community are kept informed.

So, if you can point to anyone in the field, please do so. It is about each of us taking the initiative in our own sphere of influence, and reaching beyond. That is what independent practitioners do.  

Thanks!

The guru is in you.

[Lili]

Maybe the AYP program can also be connected to existing applied anthropology programs. I mean anthropology is by now mainstream discipline to be found in most places. At Jonhns Hopkins uni there is also a program called neural science that sounds quite close also. Quite likely there is neural science elswhere too. Perhaps we can write someone about AYP as a promising research subject the only question is what is the research question going to be [8)]

[yogani]

quote:Originally posted by Lili

Maybe the AYP program can also be connected to existing applied anthropology programs. I mean anthropology is by now mainstream discipline to be found in most places. At Jonhns Hopkins uni there is also a program called neural science that sounds quite close also. Quite likely there is neural science elswhere too. Perhaps we can write someone about AYP as a promising research subject the only question is what is the research question going to be [8)]

Hi Lili:

Good suggestion. Does anyone have contacts in these fields?

The question can be: "What do you think about the phenomenon of Human Spiritual Transformation, as discussed here?" -- www.aypsite.org

Well, a bit more than that, but you get the idea. They will know it when they see it, and will want to research it. Who wouldn't?

Thanks!

The guru is in you.

[Nancy]

A smaller scale that can bring us to a higher scale.  I know the Dr. & founder of the Neuro-Psychological Group of Southwest Florida where they do mainly research in medicine, however they also have weekly counsel sessions - unlike the normal psychologist / patient session - the sessions are similar to "what do you want out of life?" - then they give you homework  and you report back your feelings and being - dont see how AYP wouldnt fit in.
From there is our tie in with the Florida University Fort Myers, Fl recently built our own university probably 4 years ago. I have been in this town a while and can probably find someone I know who knows..... Actually my husband's cousin is the RN Director there, and sits on the board - she may be able to at least direct us.

[Hannah]

The University of Missouri - Columbia, highly regarded for their School of Journalism, has a school of metaphysics.  That is where I received my last degree - the University, not the School of Metaphysics, but if there is anyway you could find someone there, it might open some avenues.  I no longer live in the vicinity, so I can only provide info and leave the rest to someone else.  

Best of luck

[yogani]

Hi Nancy and Hannah:

Thanks much for those leads. Any follow up by you or others will be much appreciated. The network is still a bit thin, but growing steadily.

We'll get there.

The guru is in you.

[YogaIsLife]

Hi,

First of all I didn't read the whole topic, just the first post by yogani and a few other lines of posts below. Hope this post is not so irrelevant...

I am a scientist by profession and a kind of skeptic by nature (I would like to say healthy skeptic but sometimes I think I even hurt myself being so hard-headed! ) .

Anyway, I read this post and it sounds wonderful and all but, being kind of new at all this, I have a question in my mind for some time now and this is a good place to put it and could help in you finding a perspective on how to put AYP in an university department.

First off, what is Human Spiritual Transformation? In a more specific way, what is Spirit? From my point of view, science is kind of a closed modality nowadays in the sense that it only cares about hard facts and concepts they can "touch", handle, measure and experiment with. And with stuff that they feel matters (the funding comes from this). Science is an objective, outward drawn, measuring tool and in yoga we are very much in the inward, subjective realm. Of course I can feel changes in myself from deep meditation (calmer etc.) but can this be measured? How? And, especially, why?

That brings me to the second part of the question. Supposing there is such a thing as a spiritual nature (note: this does not mean I don't believe it exists, I am playing the devil's advocate here! The scientific skeptic), what is the relevance and importance of a spiritual transformation of the human being? In order to get people interested in it this has to be clearly stated. For example, it is easy to sell tons of things that are good (or believed to be good) for you: beauty creams, medicines, tvs for entertainment, cars to move and show off, etc. I can say that in my case I came to AYP as I have been having troubles with my health, troubles I don't understand, troubles that are subtle and the conventional medicine doesn't understand and it seems to be related to energies in the body (I started reading stuff like that because it was the only thing that resonated with what I felt) and I seek alternatives ways of finding some balance. My point is, if you want to get the masses interested (and hence universities, because I believe nowadays science is a kind of new religion, people only believe if there are scientific studies in a given subject) you have to give them something that they feel they need. I mean, from my point of view, every human strives to be happy, to feel good. That's what we do. That's why we move, work, etc. Can't we be happy WITHOUT a spiritual transformation? Aren't there methods of just being happy some other way or is it evolutionary necessary to "spiritually transform"? If a good point is made that this is so then science will be more than willing to dig into it. I know, I am a biologist

I know a lot of people (most people that surround me) that don't care at all for spiritual matters and even look sideways to people who do (the idea of sects etc. comes to their minds). Maybe you are different but I do find this. But good marketing, like yogani says, seems indeed to be important to show to people that they do need this and this will make their lifes happier, even if they will have to leave all prejudices and world views behind...are people ready for this?

So, could you please define (also for my sake and understanding if possible!) what is spirit and spiritual transformation and whether we could live without it or not?

Thank you and sorry for the hard head!! Just thought could be helpful in being kind of a bridge between the cold-headed and skeptics academics and the soulful spiritual seekers

[yogani]

Hi YogaIsLife:

It is probably best to read the lessons and hang around the forums for a while to get a feel for what human spiritual transformation is. And keep practicing daily. Then you will be sure to find out.

Here is a lesson with some basic milestones: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/35.html

Why would anyone want to do this? It is first for the reason you gave: Happiness. But beyond fleeting happiness, transcending everything that could ever go wrong, up to and including death. So it is permanent happiness that the transformation offers, regardless of our external circumstances.

More basically we should ask, why do we do anything in life? Why does nature do anything? Obviously there is a lot of evolution and growth going on everywhere. It is inherent in all living things. We do it because it is in our nature. Why do we climb the mountain? Why do we fly into outer space? Because these things are there, and it is in our nature to do and know more. Or maybe we do it for more selfish reasons -- self-defense. Whatever. The point is that spiritual development gradually frees us from the burdens of this life, while we are still here. Wouldn't we all like to have that? It cannot be achieved by tangible means alone. So we must travel to inner space to have it, into spirit.

Is this for everyone? Well, who wants to be left off the train of evolution, especially if the conductor is calling, "All aboard!" The conductor is that voice inside all of us.

This is also where research comes in, to make the call more clear. It will reveal to us with more certainty the truth about the process of spiritual transformation that lives in all of us. And then we will know. As Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." This is the purpose of science, yes?

I have a scientific background also, having spent more years in universities than I care to remember, so I know this is where the scientific battles about human spiritual transformation will be fought. These will be the penetrating inquiries and eventual conclusions that will really matter to the public. It is happening already in healthcare at prestigious universities, as described above. There is also some more discussion on research over here, touching on the tangible aspects of measuring results from meditation, etc: http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=3511
(see the link to scientific research on Transcendental Meditation in particular -- getting measurable results from intangible practices)

It is an ongoing discussion and evolution in knowledge. I don't see AYP becoming part of a university program. We'd like to maintain our independence. However, we can hopefully inspire those who are in that world to look beyond the physical outcomes of spiritual practices (there are plenty in the health field), to psychological wellbeing and further beyond to how spiritual development can produce tangible positive influences in the world around us. It is a long slow process, but it is happening nevertheless. Awareness of it in the academic and research communities is rising gradually. And more funding is coming for this kind of research every year, spring-boarding from the field of healthcare.

Eventually this kind of research will be recognized for what it is -- applied spiritual science. Maybe not in our lifetime, but in time.  We are planting seeds that will sprout and grow to maturity in time. The more self-directed practitioners we have producing perceptible results in their lives, the more seeds will be sprouting. That is what we can keep doing in AYP -- keep planting seeds and helping them sprout. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.    

The guru is in you.    

[YogaIsLife]

quote:Yogani says: But beyond fleeting happiness, transcending everything that could ever go wrong, up to and including death. So it is permanent happiness that the transformation offers, regardless of our external circumstances.
 

I guess that is where my personal psychological barrier lies: the idea that we can transcend the relative physical plane and that this is a good thing. I have some kind of block for that. It is like fleeting from life itself (in my - maybe primitive - perspective). All my life I believed that the wise is the one that understands the physical plane and lives in peace with it, but not necessarily by transcending it. It was just a kind of easy acceptance, still understanding that we cannot know everything about the workings of the universe. But now, with all this, people say that we can experience this directly! This is overwhelming (and honestly a bit scary for me). Well, that is some work I have to do personally and I guess I can find out by practicing. But I do recognize similar blocks in a lot of people around me. Hence my questions above.

All the best.

[yogani]

Hi YogaIsLife:

Becoming "stillness in action" is the most natural thing in the world. Not a separation at all, and definitely not passive as far as doing things in the world is concerned. We can do so much more in loving stillness. That is why we call it an "outpouring of divine love." Human beings are designed for that. It is our destiny.  

Yoga means "union," and that says it all. The perception of separation is what we are before enlightenment. The thing we are afraid of is the thing we have been already -- divided. Yoga goes a very long way to resolving that. And the fear dissolves...

You said it yourself: "Yoga is life." Pretty exciting, huh?

The guru is in you.

[YogaIsLife]

Thanks a lot Yogani for your reply! I guess you are right, I guess I had some answers in my own forum name hahaha

I will take your word for it and keep practicing at my own pace. After all it takes a bit of faith in the beggining.

Meanwhile don't let my musings divert you from the work at hand here, which is to bring about the scientific study of human spiritual transformation! This will certainly be something to see in the future.

All the best!

[AYPforum]

Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement

[yogani]

Hi All:

See the recent email correspondence below for some additional comments on AYP, yoga and science. More comments welcome.

All the best!

The guru is in you.
-------------------------------

Q: I was directed to your AYP web site by a friend and was confused by this quote:
 
"It is a flexible, scientific approach rather than a rigid, arbitrary one."
 
What's the science behind your approach to yoga?
 
Thanks!


A: Thank you for your note.

The "science" of AYP is in the fact that only "cause and effect" count. Each person is invited to judge the effectiveness of the practices on the basis of results in their own life. No one is asked to take anything on faith, or on the basis of "arbitrary" proclamations. Furthermore, open communication among practitioners is encouraged in the AYP Support Forums, which is leading to clear identification of the repetition of results in many areas of practice, and also the detailed comparative scrutiny of practices from many traditions, etc.

This may not sound like science in the sense of statistically controlled experiments, and so on, but it is the best we can do at this time. I come from a scientific background and have a desire to see the academic science of it become more systematic and organized.

There has been quite a lot of formal research on various spiritual methods over the past 40 years, but it remains scattered. What limited focus there has been is centered in the healthcare field (alternative medicine). We hope to see that eventually move beyond to a more focused approach for examining the processes of human spiritual transformation. See here:
http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=3267
http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=3511#31786 (and next post on TM research)

Admittedly, there is still a long way to go in ferreting out the deep science of human spiritual transformation, but we have to start somewhere. So here we are.

The most important thing is that we are working with an integration of time-tested methods in open and flexible ways that enable us to optimize causes and effects, while leaving rigid "by-rote" approaches of the past behind when they do not work as well as they should. Results in daily life are what rule. No longer blind faith in knowledge that is handed to us with assured sanctimony.

Hope that helps.  Btw, the best place to start in AYP is at the beginning. If you take it in order from here, you will see how the practices are built up step-by-step: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/MainDirectory.html

You are also invited to join in the discussions in the support forums anywhere you like.

AYP is a blend of ancient knowledge with a modern flexible approach of applying knowledge in ways that yield best results. The focus is on applying the simplest possible "control levers" for stimulating the complex processes of spiritual transformation available within us. This is how modern science has yielded so many wonderful advances in many fields of endeavor in recent centuries -- developing simple effective control levers for complex processes that anyone can use with good benefits. The knowledge of yoga and spiritual practices is no different. We are breaking out from the limited thinking of the past, even as we take full advantage of all that has gone before.  

Wishing you all the best on your path. Enjoy!

The guru is in you.