who we are

hey all,
I’m a professor at CSU Long Beach in Long Beach, California. I was trained as an ethnographic researcher at UC Berkeley, and spend a lot of time thinking about literacy teaching & learning and cultural diversity… but it’s been a slow road to get my spiritual goals in alignment with my teaching and publishing. I’m always working towards greater personal responsibility, and delivering and doing Avatar are helping me there, but as I said, it’s a slow process. I started this pod so we could share ideas about how we integrate these aspects of their lives. Oh, I added my ‘office’ photo–please add one for you if you have one!

Re: who we are

Hi Jessica,

Thanks so much for your invitation.   I am a 33 year old graduate student in the Boston area, and I am within two months from getting my PhD in bioinformatics from Boston University. My basic research has been in the field of protein structure and their interaction with other molecules.

However, in the last 7 years, my interests and hobbies have shifted to more of a psychospiritual one, and so to be part of this board, “Academics for enlightenment” is really fitting.  I am extremely interested in making the world a better place person by person, and find myself to have very strong elements of personal compassion and empathy in my personality.  I am also very driven to achieve my greatest potential, and I truly feel that I have a lot of potential greatness within me that is yearning to come out.

The longer that I have been in academia, the more that I have realized that my personal priorites and values in life feel so different from the core values of my lab coworkers and professsors within my field.   Although my interest in scientific discovery (and of learning in general) is high, the technical and non-passionate ways in which research is performed in my field has alienated me to the point that I am trying to seek a new career path, where hopefully, I am able to combine the advantages of my PhD in bioinformatics with some other discovery and compassion oriented focus, which has been de-emphasized throughout my academic career to date.   

Is there any way to combine the values and interests that are seen on this amazing Zaadz website, while still trying to utilize my long scientific past?  This is my primary motivating question right now.

Thanks so much for your invitation and attention.

Take care,

Mike 

Re: who we are

Hi Mike,

I am studying undergrad International Development (poverty studies) and am yearning to go back into bio-chemistry (last studied a decade ago in high school!) So much so that I am sitting in on my friends lectures!

Mike - have you come across or seen “What The Bleep Do we Know” movie? Also The Int\stitute for Noetic Sciences may interest you.

I am particularly interested in the idea that we are beginning to explain some concepts that were previoulsy outside the reach of Western science. Research now suggests that peptides hang around in our cells after traumatic events and can bring out physical and psychological symptoms that may relate to post traumatic disorder.  It appears this 'peptide pollution' in our cells may gravitate towards certain organs depending on the nature of the 'pollution'.

 This sounds like a starting point to bring together Eastern adn Western knowledge. imagine a world where our experience (as individuals or as part of other civilisations such as Indian, Chinese models of health) are integrated and back each other up rather than Western science disrespecting anything other than what it can currently measure!

Also, I am involved with Art of Living - an international NGO that amongst other things, teaches breathwork and meditations that aid in the removal of these toxins and 'memories' in our cells. By regular practice, we can provide our bodies at the microscopic level an optimum environment for obtaining a state of naturalness or innoncence or grace or love.

Spirituality at the cell level has written about quite a bit. Good luck in your studies and rediscovering your passion for integrating these parts of your life. Again, I recommend Institute of Noetic Sciences (http://www.noetic.org/) as a starting point.

All the best

Ange

Re: who we are

Hi Jessica. I think I count as a quasi-academic. I have a law degree, and am a Phi Beta Kappa - I graduated from Beloit College with a double major in Philosophy and Literature. Now I’m back in school getting an M.Ed. in Special Ed. I don’t think I will be able to handle teaching in the public schools for long, due to my very left leanings, and my spiritual beliefs, and my general disgust with how much of mainstream society functions.. Anyway, I think the most basic “thrust” of my being is to be a teacher/ communicator, but I have struggled and struggled, to find how this can best blossom in my life. I don’t like solo research - I need to connect. But I love to write, think, debate, explore… When I was a lawyer I was a public defender in a mental health court, working one person at a time… (well, I still am a lawyer, just not practicing.) I think I can maybe have a larger abilty to change, working on a different level. Anyway, I like the aim of your blog. If you would like to join mine, it’s about teaching overseas. I was wondering what that would be like. I am sure it would be spiritually… changing.

Re: who we are

Hi Mebo,

wow - you have many skills and options and avenues to explore!

Hmmm…i know the feeling of struggling and struggling. Have you tried kinda coasting along for a bit and seeing what life throws at you? Not a tactic endorsed by any Career Adviser, and it is difficult to trust that the universe will provide for us in such a way.

You have a good knowledge of yourself and how you best operate. That is more than a lot of people!

Please tell me more about your overseas ideas?

Best wishes

Ange