Tuesday, February 6, 2018

ISL 101 Week 1 part 2 -Outline of course housekeeping

We will come back to the question of “How do people come to realize that they have choice between the path of the ego and the path of the spirit?” First, let me describe the purpose of this course on the Interior Spiritual and some of the aspects of its design and implementation.

Purpose - The purpose of the course, “The Interior Spiritual Life 101” is to describe the phenomenon of the interior spiritual life and to provide a vocabulary and the major concepts that can be used to provide a form and content of the phenomenon. It is hoped that this model of form and content can then be used to create, develop, sustain, and navigate one’s interior spiritual life and have some appreciation of the possible interior spiritual life of others.

Eligibility for admission to this course. This is a basic course and no prior knowledge is necessary. It is a difficult course for the student  new to this material because so much of the vocabulary and concepts are unfamiliar. It is not uncommon for new students to be uncomfortable, anxious, and resistant. Therefore, some level of commitment by the student to continue to study the material must be made. Otherwise, it is easy for the student to become discouraged, bored, defensive and quit. Usually people don’t become interested in their interior spiritual life under they are in their 40s and 50s, but some young people who are “old souls” are interested and resonate with the material at a much younger age.

Hoped for outcomes - The biggest outcome is an enhancement in peace and happiness in the student. There will be an increase in self-confidence, sense of well being, and connection to the various aspects of life. Other people will notice and perhaps comment on a “glow” coming from the person which is sometimes called “good vibes.” The person will relate to others in a more forgiving, kind and loving way. The ultimate outcome will be an attitude of unconditional love for self and others and the world.

Format - The primary pedagogical activities will be reading and reflection. The teacher of the course is available for personal email correspondence if the student desires. Videos and online polling may be used from time to time. Telephone consultations may be provided upon request. An online discussion group will be set up for registered class members.

Rules of participation - People can audit the course by just accessing the material on UUAWOL. If people wish to register for the course to receive supplemental materials by email and join the members only discussion group they must apply to davidgmarkham@gmail.com. Comments to online material are moderated and it is required that comments be civil, polite, and respectful. Disagreement and conflicting opinions, respectfully expressed, are welcomed.

Evaluation - Evaluations will be done based on online polls and quizzes, and mid term and end of course questionnaires. Evaluations will be focused on the course content, process and outcomes and not on the performance of individual students.


Tomorrow we will return to the question “How do people come to realize that they have choice between the path of the ego and the path of the spirit?”

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