InnerEyeApril 13, 2000
InnerEye
In early March, as part of the implementation of one of Mayor Jerry Brown's initiatives in Oakland, the city hired a director to create a new Craft and Cultural Arts Department. That director is Sonia BasSheva Manjon, who also happens to be Ph.D. candidate in the Institute's Transformative Learning & Change program.
As director, Sonia will be overseeing ongoing projects, and creating a number of new ones as well. Commenting on her hiring, Chris Johnson, chair of the Oakland Art Commission and Professor at California College of Arts & Crafts, said, "I was immediately impressed by Sonia's experience with the neighborhood arts groups in San Francisco."
Somatics faculty Don Hanlon Johnson, the U.S. program coordinator, says, "This project has the potential of greatly enriching the practice of psychotherapy, particularly for the very large population of Japanese-Americans, by addressing very different notions of self, family, and healing."
The department's budget over the next two years is $2.8 million; its Cultural Funding Program allocates over $100,000 annually to artists and arts organizations. The Public Arts Program awards commissions to artists who bring an artistic aesthetic to public buildings. Another project Sonia is excited about is a new performing arts high school which will open in September 2000. Other new projects in the works include a City of Oakland Gallery, a street artist vending program, and an artist-in-residence program. To find out about the April Oakland Arts Festival, call 510-238-6952 or go to TicketWeb.com. When Sonia entered the Transformative Learning & Change Program in 1995, she left a position as director of community arts and education for the San Francisco Arts Commission. At CIIS she helped to create an ongoing course that examines the effects of White supremacist consciousness, and looks at ways to expand upon traditions that affirm the ways of knowing and being of people of African, Asian, Latino, and Native ancestry in the U.S. Sonia's Dominican heritage shapes her identity and has been a core element in her academic inquiry process. When she's not directing the arts in Oakland, she is working on her dissertation, which focuses on the topic of the effect of immigration and acculturation on four generations of Dominican women in the U.S.
Sonia has offered an open invitation to the CIIS community: "Come visit the arts in Oakland. It's going to be very exciting!"
Among the projects IHH has undertaken are the Planetree patient education library, and a holistic - integrative medicine - clinic. IHH offers more than 30 classes on wellness, also supports research on integrative and complementary practices, and its in-hospital program brings healers of various kinds right to the bedside.
Even before he became involved with IHH, Dr. Stewart was strongly influenced by the work of individuals affiliated with CIIS, particularly Angeles Arrien, as well as Brian Swimme. Over the years, a number of people from CIIS have lectured at IHH, including Robert McDermott, Joanna Macy, Brian Swimme, and Angeles Arrien. There is also "an Aurobindo connection" with Dr. Stewart's work. Since 1983, he has been associated with the Aravind (the Tamil word for Aurobindo) Eye Hospital, which was founded by a disciple of Sri Aurobindo. Now renowned for its work, doctors there see over one million outpatients and perform over 165,000 surgeries each year.
In reflecting on what he finds appealing about both IHH and CIIS Dr. Stewart says, "They both ask provocative questions, and I believe the power of the questions we hold is often more important than the answers."
Articles about the conference appeared in the 3/22/00 issue of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, in the 3/26/00 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, and articles are also being run in upcoming issues of IONS Review and New Dimensions Radio magazine. Academic Dean Janis Phelps believes the conference was a watershed event. She commented, "It has significantly advanced the international inquiry into the nature of ayahuasca and other healing plants and their effects upon the human capacity for transformation. This gathering of diverse researchers and practitioners from the Americas and Europe provided seeds for further collaboration and, we hope, many more conferences as successful as the first."
The conference was financially supported by Tony B. Rich of IdeasOne, and individuals from all areas of the Institute contributed to its success. Revenue is projected to be $70,000, which will go into the Institute's operating budget.
Dear Colleagues,
The quality and the quantity of prospective students at the Open House on April 1 demonstrated CIIS' leadership in education devoted to integrating mind, body, and spirit. While these prospective students were attracted to the Institute's distinctive mission and academic programs, many indicated that it was the scholarly reputation of the faculty that drew them. Most students become interested in CIIS after reading a book or attending a presentation by a faculty member. As I mentioned in my welcome, I do not know of another institution where the faculty plays as significant a role in recruiting students. The table displaying faculty publications affirmed the Institute's commitment to scholarship.
I am appreciative of Tony Rich's support and Ralph Metzner's direction of the highly successful Ayahuasca Conference in mid March. The excellent sessions and the extensive press coverage of the Conference enhanced the scholarly visibility of the Institute. Like the concert sponsored by Women's Spirituality in February, the Ayahuasca Conference was sold out'the success of these events attests to the growing public interest in our work.
As recruiting improves, we need to continue our focus on student retention. I am grateful to those students who have been attending the final Town Hall Meetings related to our strategic planning, as well as the discussions of tuition changes for the coming academic year. As students participate in the governance process, they advance the student-centered goals of the Institute. On April 2, the Student Alliance sponsored its first party at the Institute's Loft; and the International Students are planning a graduation reception at the loft.
Cordially,
APA Mock Visit Planned
The Program in Clinical Psychology has scheduled a mock site visit on April 17-18 in preparation for application for accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA). This involves a self-study of the curriculum, program resources, faculty expertise, diversity, institutional financial solvency, and student evaluation. Accreditation by the APA will increase the number of applicants to the Psychology Doctoral Program, since license laws in many states are increasingly restrictive and some states require graduation from an APA approved program.
Town Hall Meetings Continue
Several significant topics were discussed at the Institute's town meeting on governance: the definition of com-munity; the implications of communicating via e-mail; using the Internet to illustrate the workings of governance; the role of elected representatives; and a desire to build community and trust. Comments from the meeting will be considered as the Institute continues its strategic planning process.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 19, 9:30 \0xD0 11:30 am, Theme-Feminism & Sustainability, Namaste Hall
In another of our periodic reports on faculty on sabbatical, Matt Bronson (Social & Cultural Anthropology) told us that he has been working on his dissertation at UC Davis; developing and teaching a course at Cal State Hayward on computer-assisted language learning; conducting an extended ethnographic study of a bilingual Spanish/English fifth-grade classroom; and completing a chapter entitled "Blood Warriors: Immuno-Imagery as Urban Shamanism," for a book being published by the University of Iowa Press.
Connie Jones (Transformative Learning & Change) has been editing a volume of essays on the "Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness," headquartered in Los Angeles. Her second project is research for a small volume she's writing about G.I. Gurdjieff, which will be part of a series on new religious movements. She conducted some research at the Gurdjieff Foundation of Northern California, and is now in Paris, where Gurdjieff spent many of the last thirty years of his life.
By Lionel Chan, Chief Information Officer
Mike Vincenty, our system administrator, worked the entire weekend until midnight Sunday to upgrade the e-mail server software, which includes new features such as "Save" for saving drafts of email before sending, and new easy to use "Help" content. The latter should be especially helpful for providing e-mail training to new employees. Netscape compatibility is improved in this version. The most important feature is still available: access to your CIIS email from anywhere on the Internet. This means you are only a mouse click away from CIIS even if you are sipping a latte at a cyber-cafe in Paris. Mike will be testing various "look and feel" templates over the next few months, so watch for the visual changes.
On the same weekend, the Teams Elite conversion of the Institute's administrative software system also took another major step towards completion. Scott Ciliberti and Chris Perron spent long weekend hours configuring eleven new NT workstations and redistributing the replaced computers. After the conversion, these workstations will be doing the bulk of the business and student record processing, thereby eliminating the need for a large mainframe computer. Thanks to the Trustees' approval of funding last January, this project is back on track for the October target to 'go live.'
Jorge N. Ferrer "Entheogens and Spiritual Growth: Conflict or Synergy?" Present-ation, and "Spiritual and Healing Uses of Psychotropic Substances," Round Table at the Conference on Anthropology, Law, and Social Reality of Drug Use and Abuse, University of Toledo, Spain. July 10-12.
Judye Hess "Interpersonal Gestalt," Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society Conference, Asilomar/Pacific Grove, June 2-4 (Student rates available; contact Judye Hess by e-mail, judyeh@ciis.edu or call 415-575-6228.)
Student & Alumni Notes
In a unique look at the world of exercise and fitness, Loretta Green, a student in the Individualized Study doctoral program, will present "The Other Side of Sister Outsider: Considering the Social Issues Surrounding African American Women's Participation in Exercise," at the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences (AABSS), Las Vegas, January 25-27 and at the Third Yale Conference on Women's Health and Fitness/Enlarging the Circle: Global and Policy Issues, New Haven, October 26-28, 2000. Loretta is a certified personal trainer, aerobic instructor, mother of two, and 20-year veteran fitness instructor.
On April 12-14, Jan-Michelle Sawyer, doctoral candidate in Transformative Learning & Change (TLC), and Terri O'Fallon, TLC graduate and CIIS faculty, are presenting, "The Online Phenomena of Transformative Learning," Annual Teaching in the Community Colleges Online Conference.
Stuart Sovatsky, Ph.D., Psychology, has been selected as a board member of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology.
Also see Calendar of Events
Weekly Meditation, Urban Dharma, Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Contact Noah Levine 415-929-6849
Wednesday, April 5, 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm, Reception to Honor Dr. Yi Wu, Asian & Comparative Studies Distinguished Faculty, Room 306, Light Lunch Will be served
June 6, 8:00 pm, Marianne Williamson, "Healing the Self, Healing the World," Herbst Theater, San Francisco. For tickets please call 415-621-6600.
June 8, 7:00 - 9:30 pm, Dr. Brian Weiss, past life expert speaks about his new book, Messages from the Masters: Tapping into the Power of Love at the First Unitarian Church, 1187 Franklin (at Geary), San Francisco
$29 general admission; $59 preferred seating (students call 415-788-5500 for a discount; discount not available for online
registrations) Tickets available through he Learning Annex,
www.learningannex.com
For other summer offerings - Go to www.ciis.edu
Lee's newest film, Lafanmi Selavi, which in Haitian means 'the family is life', opened at San Francisco's Roxie Theater and the Yuerba Buena Center in March. It was shown in early April at Berkeley's Pacific Film Archives, and is showing April 15 and 16 at the Rafael Theater in San Rafael. The documentary tells the stories of five orphan children in Haiti, documenting not only the personal details of their own lives, but also issues of economics, politics, class discrimination, and the experience of extreme poverty. Lafanmi Selavi refers to an orphanage established under former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristede, who Lee interviewed for the film.
Lee previously directed See Me: Five Young Latinas, a documentary made in San Francisco's Mission District, which examines the lives of five young, poor Latina immigrants as they discussed discrimination, gang life, and their hopes for the future. In creating documentaries, Lee says she is particularly interested "in breaking down assumptions we have about other people. What I had seen in the media about Haiti focused only on the poverty. When I went there, I found a great disparity between what I read and the reality of a beautiful, dignified people who have a strong sense of community. I hope the film gives a sense of how rich the Haitian culture is, and how multifaceted the people are."
Lee says that her experience at CIIS was important in shaping her new career: "Through the Bachelor of Arts Program at CIIS, I discovered what was most important to me, and how I can be of service for the rest of my life. The Social & Cultural Anthropology Program helped me to come out of the closet politically. I've found a way to be an activist through anthropology, which is really exciting."
The lab's biofeedback equipment measures brain wave activity through the electroencephalogram (EEG), and gathers data on eye movement, muscle tension, breathing, and heart rate. Using qualitative research methods to correlate physiology with the experiential dimension, researchers gain a clearer understanding of how subjective experience relates to physiological measures.
One current research project is attempting to discover unique EEG "signatures" that may be associated with the increasing vividness of hypnagogic imagery 'spontaneous images that occur in the period just prior to sleep. Frank suggests that just as drumming has been used as a technique to facilitate access to vivid imagery, EEG imagery assessment and biofeedback may eventually offer techniques for enhancing vivid imagery. Another project, being hosted by Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna, will take the lab to Brazil during the summer of 2000, to document experiences that arise during the use of ayahuasca and to monitor EEG changes that occur during the 'shamanic journey' experience. One possible outcome of this research is the development of biofeedback protocols to enhance re-entry into these exceptional states without the use of medicines.
For further information about the CIIS Consciousness and Physiology Laboratory, contact Frank Echenhofer, 415-575-6212; franke@ciis.edu
The Student Alliance is presenting, "The Still Point," a mass meditation celebration, from 6.30-9:00 pm on Thursday April 20 in Namaste Hall. The entire CIIS community is invited to participate in this meditation.
The centerpiece of the evening will be a Kundalini meditation devised by the Indian mystic Osho that is composed of four stages: shaking, dancing, sitting (while listening to Tibetan bells), and lying in silence. The shaking and dancing stages often engender a sensation of being cleansed, which enhances the silence of the last two stages of the meditation. Following the meditation, participants will be invited to engage with each other and the entire group from a heartfelt and meditative space. It is hoped that this event will become a regular ritual to bring together the entire CIIS community.
Wednesday, April 19
Thursday, April 20
Saturday, April 22
Tuesday, April 25
Friday-Sunday, May 12-14
Wednesday, May 17
Wednesday, May 24
Thursday, June 15
Saturday-Sunday, August 26-27
Monday, October 23
Urban Dharma - Weekly Meditation Group
Office Hours
SCT Dean Janis Phelps
PSY Dean Leland van den Daele
*RSVP and directions: call 415-575-6113 or e-mail annet@ciis.edu
Financial Aid students who wish to file for the tuition tax credit may get an informational brochure in the Financial Aid Office, Room 402.
The library's summer schedule when classes are in session is: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; weekends closed. When classes are not in session, hours will be Monday Ð Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends closed.
Welcome
Neila Hingorani as online coordinator for the School of Consciousness and Transformation. Neila is a current student in the master's program in Human and Organizational Change. Prior to coming to CIIS she was a marketing consultant and developmental editor with Berrett Koehler Publishers, developing projects and marketing books on transformative business practices and finances. Neila has a B.A. from Goddard College in epistemology and cultural anthropology.
Patricia Holbrook, as assistant to the registrar, has just moved here from Dalles, Oregon. Patricia comes with experience in payroll and bookkeeping, so she should be at home in the combined business/ registrar's office.
Farewell
The Institute turns 32 years old on April 8. The Sun highlights the Institute's reputation at this time each year. The planet Saturn has moved beyond the Institute's stellium in Aries and Venus in Taurus. We're all glad that bumpy ride is over, but under this influence we have become more structured, more accountable, and more professional. The planetary influences may be helpful in attracting strong numbers of new students to our programs. Energy is accessible to continue to restructure and transform our day to day operations in a more grounded position as transiting Saturn trines the Institute's natal Pluto, and transiting Pluto trines the natal Saturn. Saturn and Jupiter may continue to help us build our reputation before they move on to the eleventh house of friends. The very successful Women's Spirituality event and Ayahuasca Conference lined up with Jupiter's sweep over the Institute's MarsÑbringing financial success and abundant publicity. As it does every two years, Mars has just returned to its natal position, corresponding with a good time to launch new projects. And any good surprise is possible with transiting Uranus opposing the Institute's Moon now through the rest of the year.
Each issue of the Inner Eye features a photograph of staff or faculty from another time in their lives.
(Please submit photos to Candice Chase in Communications.)
Editor: Candice Chase
The Inner Eye is published every 3 weeks by the Communications & Marketing Department.
Articles may be submitted to candicec@ciis.edu via email or disks may be put in the Inner Eye mailbox. Articles are subject to editing for clarity, length, and appropriateness.
Sage Advice:
Asking Provocative Questions
In January 2000, Dr. William B. Stewart - a member of the CIIS Council of Sages - stepped down as chair of the department of ophthalmology at California Pacific Medical Center, but he is far from retiring. As medical director of the Center's Institute of Health and Healing (IHH), he now devotes most of his time to the Institute, which is guided by a recognition of the intimate connection between medical science and spirituality. Dr. Stewart says, "IHH has made a real effort to do our work in "the belly of the beast" so to speak; we want our work to be part of the evolution of contemporary medicine."
Ayahuasca: Shamanism, Science & Spirituality
CIIS Leads Inquiry in the Field
CIIS was the proud sponsor of the first North American conference on ayahuasca - "the vine of the spirits" - which gathered international pioneers in fields such as pharmacology, neuroscience, spiritual shamanism, and ethnobotany, as well as indigenous healers. Over 550 participants attended the sold-out CIIS conference in March from as far away as Finland and the Amazon rainforest. Ralph Metzner, conference convener, said, "I'm happy that the conference seems to have been a positive educational experience for all concerned - providing useful knowledge and understanding to attendees about shamanic healing traditions, serious research with visionary plant substances, and Amazonian folk religion. The presentations and discussions, although often expressing very different perspectives, were marked by respect and tolerance for a diversity of views. The conference contributed to the Institute's standing as an educational institution willing to explore innovative, cross-disciplinary topics."
ADVANCING THE INSTITUTE
Message from President Subbiondo
Joseph L. Subbiondo
Planning for Change
Faculty on Sabbatical: Urban Shamanism & G.I. Gurdjieff
Eye on Technology
Technology Progress
During the last week of March, the technological infrastructure at CIIS took a quantum leap. New telephone and voice mail systems were successfully installed to replace the defective ones. Staff members have been praising its reliability, ease of use, and speed.
On the Page, On the Stage
Faculty
Jorge N. Ferrer "The Consciousness Research of Stanislav Grof and the Modern Study of Mysticism: A Participatory Perspective;" Sean Kelly "Cravers of a Second Birth: James, Grof, and the Varieties of Perinatal Experience;" Ralph Metzner "Hallucinogenic Drugs and Plants in Psychotherapy and Shamanism; Rick Tarnas & Stan Grof "Planetary Correlations: A Joint Presentation," Grof Transpersonal Conference, Esalen Institute, March 19-24.
On March 29, Sally Duensing '99, Transformative Learning & Change, gave the inaugural Collier Lecture in the public Understanding of Science and Technology at the British Academy in London. Sally is the current Collier Professor in the Public Understanding of Science and Technology at the University of Bristol.
NOTABLE DATES
Lafanmi Selavi: "The Family is Life"
Student's Documentary in Bay Area Theaters
Lee Flynn, who will become an alumna of the Social & Cultural Anthropology master's program in May, also graduated from the Institute's Bachelor of Arts Completion Program. Lee's current career as a documentary filmmaker is a dramatic shift from her previous role as owner of a very successful high end furniture store, where she imported contemporary Italian furniture.
Mapping Consciousness
CIIS Consciousness & Physiology Laboratory
Until very recently, research into the experiential, subjective aspects of different states of consciousness utilized only quantitative methods. At the CIIS Conscious-ness and Physiology Laboratory, studies are being conducted in a new area called 'neuro-phenomenology', which uses physiological data in combination with specialized qualitative methods to explore the nuances of human experience. The lab was created by Frank Echenhofer, program director of the Psychology Doctoral Program, to provide a facility for CIIS students and faculty. Frank secured funding for the lab equipment in 1989 to conduct EEG meditation research in India, in collaboration with the Dalai Lama; he brought the lab's equipment to CIIS in 1998.
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE STUDENT ALLIANCE
The Still Point: A Mass Meditation Celebration!
by David Weinstein
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sunday, April 16, 2:00-4:00 pm
President Subbiondo Meets with Alumni
home of Cathy Coleman '91 & Ralph Metzner
Sonoma*
9:30-11:30 am
Town Hall Meeting: Theme-Feminism & Sustainability
Namaste Hall
6:45-9:00 pm
Kundalini Meditation
Namaste Hall
8:00-10:00 pm
Expressive Arts Program Event
Performances by students,
along with exhibit of visual art created by students.
Sliding scale fee $6-$10.
Eureka Theater Company
215 Jackson Street (North Beach area, SF).
5:00-6:00 pm
Art Show Reception
artist Cat MacAdams
Room 425
Planetwork: Ecology & Technology Conference
Presidio, SF
415-436-0123
www.planetworkers.org
5:30-7:30 pm
President Subbiondo Meets With Alumni
home of Peg Jordan '98 and Stu Sovatsky '84
Oakland*
5:30-7:30 pm
President Subbiondo Meets With Alumni
home of Susan Christy '94, Mill Valley*
6:30-9:30 pm
Summer Lecture, "Toward a Psychology of Awakening"
John Welwood
Tickets through the Learning Annex
415-788-5500, www.learningannex.com
All-Class Alumni Reunion
Stuart Sovatsky
510-336-0107, e-mail stuartcs@jps.net
CIIS Gala
Asian Art Museum, SF
Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
Contact Noah Levine 415-929-6849
Thursdays, 2:00-3:00 pm through June 29
President Subbiondo's 'walk-in hour'
No appointment needed
'walk-in' hours Mondays, 3:00-4:00 PM
(Room 412)
other times by appointment by calling Michael Aho, 415-575-6257.
Thursdays, 1:30 Ð 2:30 pm and Friday, 3:00-4:00 pm
office hours by appointment only (Room 408)
call Michael Korson, 415-575-6210.
Art Show Reception
On Tuesday, April 25, from 5:00-6:00 pm, Room 425, artist Cat MacAdams will discuss her art work, which is displayed on the fourth floor. Entitled "Landscape of the Soul," these monoprints, watercolors, oils, pastels, and collages were inspired by her practice of Vipassana meditation and yoga, which she began doing in 1973 in Daya, India. The focus for Cat's work is light, which she experiences as "a symbol of positive energy, Nirvana, God, the transition from the material to the non-material." A slide show will be presented at 5:15 p.m. Refreshments will be served.
ON CAMPUS
Commencement 2000
Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 6, 1:00 pm, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco. If you intend to graduate but have not been contacted by the Dean of Students' Office, call Rhonda Feltzmann at 415-575-6118 immediately. Students who want to help in putting on the celebration (for pay!) should contact Richard Buggs at 415-575-6116 or e-mail richardb@ciis.edu.
Financial Aid
Graduating students on financial aid should complete the "exit seminar" at www.educaid.com. The Financial Aid office will receive the results electronically and will then be able to sign your forms. Or call Samantha Kahn at 415-575-6122 for an appointment.
Deadline for scholarship applications for continuing studentsÑApril 15, 2000. Available by download from www.ciis.edu, or pick up in Financial Aid or Admissions Offices.
International Students
International students who would like to receive three free hours of English tutoring semester (pronunciation or writing) during any/each semester should contact Dexter Young, 415-575-6153. Also call Dexter if you are a student who would like paid work as a tutor.
Library
On March 27, all borrowing (check-in, check-out, reserves, fines and fees) went online.
InnerLight Bookstore
The InnerLight Bookstore is offering consultation with astrologers and tarot readers on Friday afternoons. This service began on March 24 with Victoria Ritchie. March 31st will see Joanne Pierce doing Motherpeace tarot, April 7th Cathy Coleman doing astrology, and April 14th, Karen LaPuma doing tarot. These readers will again be available in the same sequence on April 21, April 28, and May 5. Book an appointment at the Bookstore counter, e-mail Victoria Ritchie at victoriar@ciis.edu, or call 415-575-6177.
Comings & Goings
IT'S IN THE STARS
by Cathy Coleman
Happy Birthday CIIS!
WHO IS IT?
HINT: Really knows how to throw a party for people from far-flung places!
INNER EYE
Editorial Board: Donna Blakemore, Pamela Chaloult, Cathy Coleman, Anne Teich, Phaedra Valencia
Deadline for next issue: Wednesday, April 19
Next issue: Thursday, May 4