J o h n F K e n n e d y U n i v e r s i t y

CONSCIOUSNESS AND TRANSFORMATIVE STUDIES [CNS] COURSESCNS 5010 PARADIGMS OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3This course examines the nature and structure of paradigmsand paradigm shifts in scientific, psychological, social, andmetaphysical thinking, and emphasizes living systems theoryand integral and holistic philosophies as they relate toecology, health, creativity, and conflict resolution.CNS 5015 BODY CONSCIOUSNESS/BODY WISDOM 2This experiential course gives students the opportunity toexplore their own body sensations, and in so doing, to makecontact with its wisdom and power. We explore various areasand systems of the body, listening to their messages aboutwhat makes us feel supported, trusting, and strong; whatmakes us feel alive and passionate; what is right for us; whatmakes us feel satisfied; what do we care for and what do wewant to give; what are our boundaries and what do we wantto express; and what makes us feel protected and safe. Alongthe way, we consider messages that signal stress, anxiety,hunger, fear, and vulnerability.CNS 5020 ARCHETYPAL MYTHOLOGY 3In this course, students will learn why Freud, Jung, and somany others intrigued by the depths—writers, philosophers,painters, filmmakers, culture critics—have outgrown thenotion of myth as “untruth” to encounter its central role in thelife of the psyche. This will prepare us to explore archetypalmodes of consciousness and deepen our understandingof how archetypes and myths address us every day in ourdreams, our relationships, our conflicts, and our mishaps.CNS 5023 SHAMANIC TRADITIONS 2Shamanic practices and rituals that acknowledge andstrengthen relationship to family, community, and the earthare sorely lacking in our modern culture, yet with eachperson’s ancestral lineages can be found evidence of earthbasedspirituality, nurtured and supported through shamanictraditions. In this class, students will research shamanicpractices within their ancestral lineages with the intention ofintegrating these practices with present-day knowledge.CNS 5025 QUANTUM APPROACHES TO CONSCIOUSNESS 3In recent years, with advances in brain research and insightsfrom quantum theory, new light has been shed on the vitalquestion of “what is consciousness?” In this course, studentswill learn how the brain may take advantage of the strangeand revolutionary aspects of quantum theory, deciding foritself how reality may unfold.CNS 5027 NON-ORDINARY STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2This course will examine the intersection between thesubjective and objective experience of various non-ordinarystates of consciousness. Students will explore the brainbasedneurophysiology as well as the subjective experienceof various non-ordinary states of consciousness. Subjectsmay include the work of Stan Grof (Holotropic Breathwork,exploration of native science), Charles Tart (psy phenomena),shamanic consciousness, deep meditation, the use ofhallucinogenic drugs, and other non-ordinary states.CNS 5030 SLEEP, DREAMS, AND STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2Students will examine recent scientific research in sleep anddreams and explore varieties of techniques in working withdreams. The course focuses on the states of consciousnesswithin sleep and different phenomena of the dreaming mind.Students will also explore their own dreams through differentexperiential and creative explorations.CNS 5035 PHILOSOPHY OF MIND 3This course provides a scholarly grounding in the corephilosophical issues surrounding the study of consciousness.This course will explore the three main “problems” inphilosophy of mind: (1) the “mind-body” problem (how doesconsciousness relate to the physical world), (2) the “problemof other minds” (how can we know if other people, animals,plans, or even rocks have consciousness?), and (3) the“problem of free will” (do we really have choice, or are wedetermined by genetics and environment?).CNS 5037 NEUROPHILOSOPHY OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3The results from recent brain research have sent shockwavesfar beyond the boundaries of neurophysiology andneuropsychology. The implications reach into the very natureof the human experience, both personally and culturally.Much of the research has validated what many of us havelong suspected to be true: consciousness does indeed affectthe brain and thus the entire individual. Our thoughts andfeelings directly affect the chemistry of the brain, which inturn largely determines the health of our entire being—bothas single organisms and as a species. In this course, studentswill examine the timely and exciting intersection betweenneuroscience, philosophy of mind, and ethics.CNS 5039 SELF-EXPLORATION 1–3This is a seminar course that explores teachings and practiceswhich encourage self-knowledge and a deeper understandingof the self’s psycho-spiritual journey toward greaterconsciousness. Focus varies with instructor and studentinterest. May be repeated for credit with a change of topic.CNS 5039A SELF-EXPLORATION: LANGUAGE OF THE DREAM 1This course will explore the metaphorical, symbolic, andpsychological meaning of images commonly found in dreamssuch as light and dark, the four elements, animal characters,landscapes, and colors. Slides from nature and art will beused to examine these images from a broad perspective—mythology, cultural anthropology, biology, religion, literature,poetry, and the arts.CNS 5039B SELF-EXPLORATION: DREAMS AND THE BODY 1The body is a vehicle in which the dream is experienced.The body is impacted by the emotional state of the dreamerand the dreams. Drawing upon cross-cultural studies onthe importance of body awareness, in this class studentswill learn about the role of emotional body and its impactin dreaming and waking. Through somatic practices suchas breathing, movement, dream postures, and dream bodymapping, students will experience and bring mindfulness intothe relationship between their waking body and dreamingbody.144 SCHOOL OF HOLISTIC STUDIESJOHN F. KENNEDY UNIVERSITY