Interest in the study of consciousness is growing rapidly among the general population, but only recently has it made its way into mainstream higher education. In 2014, the University of Washington, Bothell campus, formally launched a transdisciplinary and integral Minor in Consciousness—he first of its kind at a public research institution in North America.
Kathleen Noble, the creator and director of the Minor in Consciousness, recently gave a presentation on the Consciousness for the Next Generation Webinar Series. In the video below, she discusses the rationale for and content of the five courses that she teaches annually, as well as her current research documenting the profound transformative effects that studying consciousness from this perspective has on students’ lives. Because teaching and learning about consciousness within a public research university continues to be highly controversial, Noble discusses strategies for promoting this work, and the critical importance of student engagement in creating and expanding academic opportunities.
Seeing both the need and interest from students to learn about consciousness, the IONS NextGen Initiative is helping to support a movement of young noetic explorers and academics to start Consciousness Clubs on their campuses. For more information, and to start a consciousness club of your own, please email nextgen@noetic.org.
You can also join our free webinar series, Consciousness for the Next Generation, on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 4pm PST.