Dear Joan,

Great to read this from you, with which I felt a very strong rapport. I'm 
just tempted to add how important I think it is to "see through the 'whole' 
to the 'hole'", the receptive space of inclusion of all in one and one in 
all.

Also, with regard to the interpretation on this list of comments concerning 
another person's awareness/knowledge/understanding (which can never be 
complete for anyone and have nothing in my mind to do with their human 
'worth'), I think it is important to recognise that these need not be 
regarded as intentionally critical or hurtful, but may rather be an 
expression of loving concern.

When my dear father once ordered me, as a child,  'don't step there!', if I 
had allowed my initial feeling of resentment full licence, I would have 
stepped on the viper. Fortunately I recognised from his tone that it was not 
his intention to bully me.


Warmest

Alan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joanwalton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 10:06 AM
Subject: Re: Explaining our educational influences in learn...


> Thank you to Jack for introducing and welcoming me to this forum.  I look
> forward to engaging with you all in dialogue through the webspace ..
>
>>Sarah wrote:
>
>>re. I'm wondering if we can develop a shared understanding of expressions
>>of a loving dynamic energy?
>
>>Is this erotic spiritual energy or life affirming energy or a combination
>>of both and what substantive base is there for claiming these exist let
>>alone are evident from video alone?
>
> I understand completely Sarah's concern as to what substantive basis there
> might be for claiming the existence of a 'loving dynamic energy'.  Indeed,
> one of the main motivating factors behind my writing a PhD thesis was to
> explore this issue comprehensively and in depth.  My thesis is based on
> early experiences when I found 'ways of knowing' that were used dominantly
> in our culture (i.e. science and religion) were too limited: science
> prioritised knowledge based on verifiable evidence but did not address
> questions of meaning, the experience of which is so important for human
> beings; various religions provided a sense of meaning, but were 
> faith-based
> - they did not generally attach importance to providing evidence for
> whatever world views they were advocating.
>
> I find the world view promoted by scientists such as Richard Dawkins to be
> impersonal, cold and ultimately meaningless.  The scientific knowledge he
> pursues is valuable and interesting, but is only (in my view) part of a 
> much
> larger whole.  I have an intuitive sense there is more to life than he
> suggests.  However, I can find no evidence to support connecting myself 
> with
> the belief system of any one specific religion rather than another.  My
> desire is to find a way of being in the world that stays true to my sense
> there is 'something more' - but at the same time is rigorous and analytic
> about identifying what evidence there is to support the view that my
> experience has a wide validity and relevance, and is not just an illusion
> created and contained within my individual brain (as Richard Dawkins would
> suggest).
>
> As my thesis is the story of my search for a way of knowing that 
> integrates
> meaning and evidence, I'm afraid Sarah, you would need to read that to 
> gain
> an idea of what substantive basis there is for my claim to the existence 
> of
> a 'loving dynamic energy (with limitless creative potential)', as I cannot
> hope to provide justification for it in these few words!
>
> Regarding your comment about the video - I don't think Jack is suggesting
> that the video alone provides such evidence.  Although Jack has for a long
> time encouraged me to use video as a means of communicating the meaning of
> my values and learning, it is not an area I have pursued to any great 
> extent
> to date; and perhaps it will only be now in my 'post-doctoral' enquiries
> that I will do so.  For I do believe he is making a very important point.
> The kind of enquiry I have engaged in is a very personal sustained 
> process.
> In order to gain the most effective way to generate evidence which either
> supports or negates the tentative and provisional conclusions I reach 
> would
> require an individual to engage in a similar enquiry themselves - which I
> would really hope some people would be prepared to do.  In the meantime, I
> need to find a means to communicate the power and meaning of my own
> experience and learning.  I have always largely relied on the written word
> to communicate such things.  However, I do realise its limitations and
> inadequacy.  There is so much more to be gained from seeing and 
> experiencing
> someone directly to get a true sense of what it is they stand for - 
> writing
> provides one dimension, but listening to and watching someone is
> multi-dimensional.  It is difficult to communicate the power of profound
> experiences and learning solely through writing - this I definitely 
> learned
> during the process of seeking to successfully complete my doctorate. I
> include in the thesis one short video clip - and see that even this one
> 'excerpt' from the totality does convey a sense of what is going on which 
> no
> writing could ever achieve (although it does have to be located within an
> explanatory framework to have full impact).  Hence, I am motivated to find
> more creative, dynamic forms of communication that can help express the
> hypothesis that is being explored and the evidence that is being generated
> to support (or negate) that hypothesis.  I see what Jack is doing as
> providing an important and significant contribution to developing a
> knowledge base around how to improve communication about experience,
> learning and values.
>
> Sarah - I hope this is an appropriate response to your comments, and 
> enables
> you to understand something of where I am coming from.  If you would be
> willing to read my thesis, and engage in your own enquiry about the 
> meaning
> of my learning, I would be very happy to have you as a co-enquirer!
>
> To the wider community - as I stated at the beginning, I look forward to 
> the
> opportunities for shared ideas and communication that this forum offers.
>
> Best wishes,
> Joan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BERA Practitioner-Researcher
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sarah
> Fletcher
> Sent: 23 September 2008 13:38
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Explaining our educational influences in learn...
>
> Dear Jack,
>
> re.  I'm wondering if we can develop a shared understanding of each 
> other's
> unique constellations of values and understandings that help to constitute
> who we are and what we are doing?
>
> Not without explanation - I'd agree with Ram Punia.
>
> re. I'm wondering if we can develop a shared understanding of expressions 
> of
> a loving dynamic energy?
>
> Is this erotic spiritual energy or life affirming energy or a combination 
> of
> both and what substantive base is there for claiming these exist let alone
> are evident from video alone?
>
> re. What I'm wondering is whether, through sharing video-clips of what we
> are doing as we express our values and understanding, this will help us to
> co-create an educational community that is extending the influence of the
> values that carry hope for the future of humanity?
>
> We need to address issues of bullying on this list first - please see my
> email of yesterday
>
> re. I'm wondering if these shared communications will help us to resist 
> and
> move beyond the pressures that can constrain the flow of these values and
> understandings?
>
> Ditto above - we need to address and stop exclusion of discussion by this
> list's members (I am looking forward to engagement by you, Jack and 
> others,
> in critiquing your own ideas - as I invited in my email yesterday and 
> which
> you appear to have overlooked so far today).
>
> Regards,
>
> Sarah
>