1. Describe briefly what you understand by “consciousness,” “paradigm,” and “holism.”

I would define consciousness as the aspect of being that allows for the experience of sentience and self-awareness. In other words, consciousness is that which allows for the knowing of experience of that which is external to or outside of self. Consciousness is how I know that I exist.  I also believe that consciousness exists outside of time-space and separate from energy/matter, yet not independent of it.

            A paradigm is a worldview, a model, a framework, a lens through which one views, experiences, and thereby interprets the experience of being alive as a human. One’s paradigm is composed of the collective set of values, beliefs, and morals that one learns and develops as one goes through life. Consequently, I believe that one’s paradigm is a function of the mind and lives mostly in the subconscious. As such, a paradigm is malleable and can change or be altered. I believe that all humans operate under paradigms and that there are as many different paradigms in existence as there are human beings living in this world. I also believe that there exist dominant paradigms that inform culture and society...

            Holism is the view that all that exists is interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent and that the whole has existence and meaning that is greater than the sum of its parts.

2. (a) According to Covey, why is it important to be aware of paradigms? How are paradigms formed, how are they changed?

            Covey asserts that it is important to be aware of paradigms because they help us understand our own individual ways of experiencing and interpreting the world and ourselves. He says that it would do little good to try to change an attitude or bias about something without knowing what was at the root of our belief.

            Covey also asserts that paradigms are formed either through our experience of ourselves and the world around us or by learning values, morals, beliefs, and assumptions through the modeling of those in our presence.

            Finally, Covey states that paradigms are changed by first becoming aware that they exist and how they directly affect our beliefs, perceptions, and assumptions. For the individual, a shift in perception—a paradigm shift—can occur through an “Aha!” experience, where something occurs that forces a person to see things in a new and different way.

2. (b) Based on Woodhouse, list at least 10 characteristics of the “old” (Newtonian) paradigm. Which of these do you accept or reject? Briefly give your reasons.

            The ten characteristics of the Newtonian paradigm as described by Woodhouse are as follows:

1.      All objects and organisms in the universe are made up of material things such as atoms and particles.

2.      Any change in an object or organism is due to the “rearrangement” of these particles.

3.      There are different levels of existence from simple particles to organs to more complex things like the body. Each level is autonomous from each other.

4.      The whole is only the sum of its parts but not greater than those parts. Consequently, the best way to study organisms is by picking it apart and studying the parts that make up the whole.

5.      Nature has no purpose in existence other than to be utilized and exploited by humankind. It is completely objective and apart from humankind.

6.      Matter does have energy, and energy is only a by-product of matter.

7.      Every event in existence has a material cause.

8.      Science is the most accurate and true way to observe the world. If it cannot be explained by science, then it does not have any validity.

9.      Cause and effect is always a linear process.

10.  All events are predictable, not random.

2. (c) Describe your own paradigm or worldview. In what ways does your life reflect this, in what ways does it not? Explain.

            My worldview is based on my belief that spirit/consciousness is the essence of all existence. I believe that spirit is a vast ocean of conscious energy and that what I experience as myself is merely a wave on the surface of that ocean. As a wave, the true and complete nature of spirit is essentially beyond my ability of conception; however, if I can have moments of knowing my “oceanness” and can become the ocean through a variety of methods.

I believe that spirit exists in a multiplicity of dimensions in a multiplicity of forms on a multiplicity of levels. All are interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent. Depending on one entity’s level of consciousness—ability to know and experience its oceanness—one can interact on increasingly more expansive levels with more forms. Conversely, one is constrained by one’s level of consciousness. My purpose as spirit is to expand my consciousness to the point that I am the ocean.

My life reflects my worldview insofar as I deliberately seek out experiences that expand consciousness. The aspects of my life that do not reflect my worldview are the thoughts and behavior about other people and my environment that imply separateness and independence.

3. (a) Name 10 areas where, according to Woodhouse, the “old” paradigm affects today’s world.

            According to Woodhouse, the old paradigm affects today’s world in the following ten ways:

            1. Environment

            2. Education

            3. Society

            4. Patriarchy

            5. Economics

            6. Religion

            7. Personal identity

            8. Science

            9. Health

            10. Extraterrestrials

3. (b) Pick three of these areas and write a paragraph or two on how the “old,” prevailing paradigm challenges and is being responded to by developments in these areas.

Environment. The old paradigm allows for the commodification of the environment. Continued exploitation and depletion of “natural resources” along with the overproduction consumer items and the subsequent waste products are causing our environment to be uninhabitable to us in our present incarnation. The response can be seen in developments such as the creation and utilization of alternate forms of energy, increased pressure on governments to protect nature, and the move by many individuals in Western societies to live more of a subsistence-level lifestyle.

Science. The old paradigm suggests that the universe is essentially mechanistic and that objective scientific method is the best way to know it. Many of the theories and findings in the 20^th century in Western societies confirm the beliefs of many of the ancient and indigenous cultures that all is not knowable objectively and that subjectivity is a key component to knowing.

            Health. The old paradigm suggests that humans are a collection of non-sentient parts and that healing can happen without the patient’s involvement. The response is evident in the fact that both old (ancient) and new (to Western culture) information suggests that the sentience exists at the smallest level of our being and that health and healing are best understood from a holistic perspective.

3. (c) List five characteristics or convergences of the “emerging” or “new” paradigm. Briefly discuss each of them.

            Five characteristics of the “new, emerging” paradigm are as follows:

            Striving for wholeness. Many people in the West are seeking experiences that promote a unity and oneness and connection with their inner selves and their environment. This is evidenced by the growth of different spiritual practices, women’s groups, the environmental movement, the and holistic health movement.

            Striving for balance and integration. This characteristic is concerned with bringing together seemingly and heretofore unrelated areas of experience as evidenced by the convergences of traditional and alternative health and healing practices, of science and spirituality, and of communities implementing sustainable living practices.

            Striving after empowerment (self and others) and cooperation. Focus on the power of the mind and working together are hallmarks of this convergence as seen by the litany of mediation practices and proliferation of peace groups and organizations that lobby for the rights of prisoners, animals, communities, and nature. 

            Exploring unconditional love/compassion. Again, we are talking about the quality of our connection with our selves and our surroundings. The proliferation of volunteer and non-profit organizations that focus on and stress love and compassion for our selves, each other, and our environment is evidence of this convergence.

            Exploring nonlocality. This characteristic deals with the notion that many things, such as thoughts and experiences, transcend space-time dimensionality. Evidence of this convergence is being documented and can be seen and experienced in the field effects of group meditation, distance healing, the power of prayer, and the transcendental states of consciousness.

4. (a) According to Lemkow, what is the “perennial philosophy”?

            According to Lemkow, the perennial philosophy is the worldview that embraces the following themes: the of oneness and unity of all life; the pervasiveness of ultimate Reality or the Absolute; the multi-dimensionality or hierarchical character of existence. It is postulated that the Absolute transcends all apparent separateness; it is indescribable, ineffable, and unknowable. Though it lies beyond all thought, it is not remote, but resides within the human heart, “closer than hands and feet.” Thus Non-Being is the source of all being. Essentially, the perennial philosophy suggests the wholeness of existence and that it is the key to self and world understanding.

            As mentioned above, the perennial philosophy asserts that all existence is rooted in, pervaded and transcended by the boundless, ineffable Oneness or Godhead or Reality or the Absolute. It also asserts that the universe issues from and is both pervaded and transcended by the ineffable Oneness. In other words, the universe is a dynamic, living whole of which consciousness is the primary datum and form is secondary. The perennial philosophy, according to Lemkow, also asserts that Man is divine in his innermost nature and is endowed with the power of choice, responsibility, and creativity, and that the terrestrial continuum is a vast spectrum of consciousness and that all life is interdependent and interpenetrating. And finally, Lemkow asserts that the duality of existence emanates from the numerous pairs of opposites that are mutually defining polarities and that religion, science, and the humanities are harmonious and complimentary and point beyond themselves toward Reality, which is ineffable. 

4. (b) According to Woodhouse, what are some the differences between systems holism and the perennial philosophy?

Accord to Woodhouse, the perennial philosophy goes beyond the eight themes of systems holism in a variety of ways.

1. The “stuff” of reality is nonmaterial.

2. At the highest level of reality, all things are (nondually) one.

3. Domains exist beyond ordinary consciousness.

4. All domains interpenetrate.

5. Everything has a vibrational signature.

6. Involution informs evolution.

7. Invisible forms or archetypes underlie tangible patterns of order and self-organization.

8. The highest good is unconditional love together with the wisdom and joy it brings.

9. Conscious or unconscious intention ultimately leads to manifestation.

10. Consciousness is multidimensional.

11. Time is the leading edge of eternity.

12. Spiritual discernment must ultimately supplant moral relativism and absolutism.

13. We reincarnate through countless lives.

4. (c) Looking at your own life, describe ways you enact holistic principles and/or aspects of the perennial philosophy.

            First and foremost, I try be present as much as possible and invoke my intuition (subtle knowledge) as I go through the mundane task of daily living. I also try to be aware of thoughts, behaviors, energies, persons, activities, and foods that either increase or lessen vibrational energy so as to avoid those that lower and increase those that expand my energy and thereby my consciousness. And lastly, I purposefully invoke in myself (and thereby in others) unconditional love, forgiveness, compassion, and understanding through meditation, prayer and affirmation.

5. (a) What is a “holon”? Name nine characteristics of “holarchies” as discussed by Koestler.

Koestler defines a holon as any stable sub-whole in an organismic, cognitive, or social hierarchy which displays rule-governed behavior and/or structural Gestalt constancy. To explain this definition, Koestler says that an organism in its structural aspect is not an aggregation of elementary parts, and in functional aspects not a chain of elementary units of behavior. The organism is to be regarded as a multileveled hierarchy of semi-autonomous sub-wholes, branching into sub-wholes of a lower order, and so on. Sub-wholes on any level of the hierarchy are referred to as holons. Because parts and wholes do not exist in the domains of life in an absolute sense, the concept of the holon is intended to reconcile the atomistic and holistic approaches.

            Koestler almost uses the terms holon and holarchy synonymously. Holarchies, however, can be defined as hierarchically organized wholes that cannot be reduced to their elementary parts, but can be dissected into their constituent branches of holons. The nine characteristics of holarchies are as follows:

      1.      Dissectibility. Holarchies are dissectible into their constituent branches on which the holons form the nodes. The branching lines represent the channels of communication and control.

      2.      Rules and Strategies. Functional holons are governed by fixed sets of rules which define the permissible steps in the holon’s activity and determine its invariant properties, structural configuration, and/or functional pattern. The strategic selection of the actual step is guided by the contingencies of the environment.

      3.      Integration and Self-Assertion. Every holon has the dual tendency to preserve and assert its individuality as a quasi-autonomous whole as well as to function as an integrated part of a larger whole.

      4.      Triggers and Scanners. Output hierarchies generally operate on the trigger-releaser principle where a relatively simple, implicit or coded signal releases complex, preset mechanisms. Input hierarchies operate on the reverse principle: instead of triggers, they are equipped with scanners (or filters) which strip the input of noise, abstract and digest its relevant contents according to that particular hierarchy’s criteria of relevance.

      5.      Arborization and Reticulation. Arborization and reticulation refer to the interlocking nature of the branches of vertical hierarchies at a multiplicity of levels that form horizontal networks.

      6.      Regulation Channels. Regulation channels are the pathways through which the higher and lower echelons in a hierarchy communicate with each other. Signals are transmitted one step at a time.

      7.      Mechanization and Freedom. Holons on successively higher levels of the hierarchy show increasingly complex, more flexible and less predictable patterns of activity, while on successive lower levels we find increasingly mechanized, stereotyped and predictable patterns.

      8.      Equilibrium and Disorder. An organism is said to be in dynamic equilibrium if the self-assertive and integrative tendencies of its holons counter-balance each other. Equilibrium refers to the relation between part and whole (the whole being represented by the agency which controls the part from the next higher level). Disorder occurs when a holon asserts itself to the detriment of the whole or when the power of the whole over its parts erodes their autonomy and individuality.

      9.      Regeneration. Critical challenges to an organism or society can produce degenerative or regenerative effects. The process of fluctuation from the highest level of integration down to the more primitive levels and up again to a new, modified pattern play a major role in biological and mental evolution.

5. (b) Following Woodhouse, name 7 major levels in the “Great Chain of Being.” What does he mean by “hierarchical interpenetration”?

Physical. This is the level of gross matter and energy which includes molecules, the fundamental elements of nature, the subatomic constituents of atoms, photons, and the four forces.

Bioetheric. This level includes is the biological (everything from the lower forms of life through the human body) and the etheric (individualized expressions of prana or ch’i energy which organize and sustain biological activity).

Astral-emotional. This level is the seat of personality and character, the attitudes and traits that make us who we are. It encompasses the energy of our emotions and experiences from this and other lifetimes.

Mental. The mental plane includes language, intelligence and , at higher levels, intuitive wisdom. It extends well beyond the human realm into the animal kingdom and down to lowest level of inert physical matter.

Causal. The causal plane is where the fundamental causes that manifest in lower planes reside.

Celestial realms. These Universal or Buddhic Planes, populated by angels, archangels, lords of light, creator-gods, the Elohim, Seraphim, Cherubin, and assorted Thrones, Dominions, and Powers, are beyond all dualisms and polarities.

Ultimate Ground. Sometimes described as Consciousness-as-such, this level is the primordial source of all other levels. It is the highest state of realization to which a mystic might aspire, the void beyond manifest creation, beyond oneness or mere unity.

Hierarchical interpenetration refers to the idea that each level in the Great Chain of Being (with the exception of the lowest) contains the level below it and (with the exception of the highest) is contained by the level(s) above it.

5. (c) In the Course Reader, de Quincey makes a case for “Rehabilitating Hierarchy.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.   

            If the question is do I agree or disagree with de Quincey’s case for rehabilitating hierarchy as a model for relating to the universe, then my answer is that I agree wholeheartedly. From my perspective, reality—all that is—exists in a multiplicity of dimensions in a multiplicity of forms on a multiplicity of levels in which spirit/consciousness informs matter/energy. Transformation and change are necessary characteristics of reality. As such, I experience reality as a process of growth. Growth implies a hierarchical structure in which one level is built from a lesser level. If these levels, dimensions, and forms were not hierarchical in structure, change would be random and inconsistent, and “I” could not exist.

6. (a) What, according to Woodhouse, are 6 characteristics of the “new physics”? Select 3 of these, and briefly discuss.

            According to Woodhouse, the new physics has the following six characteristics:

            1. The primacy of energy over matter

            2. Unification of the four forces of nature

            3. Dynamic interaction of quantum phenomena

            4. Problematic nature of underlying quantum realities

            5. Wave-particle duality

            6. Scalar electromagnetics

            E=mc². Einstein’s now famous equation for the relationship between energy and mass implies that energy and mass are equally convertible into each other. Metaphysics, however, says that energy is the primary underlying reality and that matter is its derivative state. This viewpoint is supported by several considerations. The first consideration is that when we inquire into the nature of matter, we ultimately get energy; however, when we inquire into the nature of energy, we only get more energy. Secondly, we cannot conceive—even theoretically—how energy fields can be a literal extension of a mater substance. Third, relativity theory states that matter is merely an energy knot, regions in space in which the field is extremely intense.

            Unification of the four forces of nature. Physics acknowledges gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear forces as the four forces of nature that underlie all that happens in nature. New Paradigm thinking suggests that there may be other forces that have not yet been discovered or recognized. As such, a New Physics paradigm will always attempt to show continuity and unification and will interpret discontinuity as an aspect of more fundamental underlying continuities.

            Wave-particle duality. Woodhouse states that we live in a sea of particle interactions; however, all arguments for the existence of particles are consistent with understanding them to be compressions field energy. The problem is that waves and particles appear to have fundamentally different properties. In other words, the perennialist view comes from the fact that it is possible to derive discrete discontinuous functions (particles) from a continuum (waves), but it is impossible to construct a continuum from a series of discontinuities.

6. (b) According to de Quincey, name three main worldviews on the “mind-body problem”. What is the fourth alternative? Say briefly how it differs from the other three.

            According to de Quincey, the three main worldviews on the “mind-body problem” are as follows:

            Materialism. Materialism suggests that everything is matter at its most fundamental level and that consciousness emerges from complex evolution. The problem with this perspective is explaining how subjectivity emerges from an objective entity.

            Idealism. Idealism suggests that fundamental nature of reality is consciousness. Matter then either emerges from consciousness or is merely illusory (Maya hypothesis). Problems arise when trying to explain how objectivity emerges from subjectivity. Another problem is that the Maya hypothesis elicits a performative contradiction insofar as we live our lives as though matter were real which is contrary to the hypothesis.

            Dualism. Dualism suggests that the mind and body are both real but made up of fundamentally different stuff. The problem with this view arises when one tries to explain how these two interact.

            The fourth alternative proposed by de Quincey is panpsychism. Panpsychism is suggests that mind (consciousness) and body (energy) are both real and inseparable, yet neither is reducible to the other. The two are related insofar as consciousness is the aspect of energy that feels. Panpsychism differs from both idealism and materialism in that it suggests that neither consciousness nor energy is reducible to the other. It differs from dualism in that it explains how the two interact.

6. (c) According to Lemkow, what do physicists observe? What are the limitations of physics? What is the relationship between physics and truth? What is the “implicate order”?

            According to Lemkow, physicists observe what nature exposes in direct relationship to the scientists’ method of questioning. In other words, the observations are in some way constrained and dictated by the observers’ subjective experience of being. As such, the mode of observation, instrumentation, and theoretical understanding definitely informs the content of any observations, and ultimate reality cannot be defined.

            Lemkow suggests that physics is a quantitative science and cannot deal with the subjective and qualitative aspects of being including emotions, beauty, tastes, and colors. In that regard, physics is unable to give a comprehensive, ultimate or final perspective on reality.

            As such, physics is no longer the sole determinant of the truth. In fact, Lemkow suggests that physics and scientific knowledge can only bring us close to the truth, but alone will never get us there completely.

            The “implicate order” as defined by David Bohm is the underlying causal order—the deeper realm—that shapes not only the patterns of mind and of matter but the patterns that connect them. Bohm suggests that the implicate order surrounds and interpenetrates the seemingly indeterminate, random domain of quantum events and directs the processes as they unfold.

7. Choose one field: Health, Business, Education, Psychology, Women’s Studies, Environment... and show how holistic principles may be applied to transform that field.

            The application of holistic principles to the field of health would transform this field in several ways. First, the focus would be on the whole person (mind, body, spirit) instead of specific organs, areas, or systems. This type of focus would also promote more integrated approaches to health maintenance and healing by combining therapies across the fields of nutrition, psychotherapy, medicine, bodywork, and spiritual practice. Of course, this would necessitate the development of a new language of health and healing, one that would facilitate conversations and dialogue between a variety of disciplines including the medical, therapeutic, and spiritual communities. The application of holistic principles would also recognize love and intention as integral components of the healing process. This would transform the patient-healer-family relationships. Also recognized would be the understanding that, just as one must deal with the whole person, one must also consider the person’s environment in the healing process. In other words, healing the person could mean healing the family, the community, the environment, and the universe. Of course, this understanding would affect more than just the field of health. But I would assume that no matter which topic was chosen, the application of holistic principles would ultimately affect all topics and fields. That, of course, is the nature of holism.