The Living Classroom: Teaching and Collective Consciousness

by Christopher M. Bache

This pioneering work in teaching and transpersonal psychology explores the dynamics of collective consciousness in the classroom. Combining scientific research with personal accounts collected over thirty years, Christopher M. Bache examines the subtle influences that radiate invisibly around teachers as they work—unintended, cognitive resonances that spring up between teachers and students in the classroom. While these kinds of synchronistic connections are often overlooked by traditional academics, Bache demonstrates that they occur too frequently and are too pointed to be dismissed as mere coincidence. Drawing upon Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic fields, Bache proposes that well-taught courses generate "learning fields" around them, forms of collective consciousness that can trigger new insights and startling personal transformations. Moving beyond theory, this book is rich with student stories and offers practical, hands-on strategies for teachers who want to begin working with these learning fields to take their teaching to a more conscious level.

Genres: Psychology, Spirituality, Teaching, Nonfiction, Education, Philosophy

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2008

About the author

Christopher Bache is professor emeritus in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University, adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Emeritus Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and on the Advisory Council of Grof Legacy Training.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection of student accounts at the end of this book bumped up my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars. As the foreword mentions, this book isn't for everyone, but I personally really appreciated Bache's introduction of "perennial" themes into pedagogy

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for "contemplative teachers"... really supports what I have been studying with some great practical observations and advice as well as connections to research on "collective consciousness" in the classroom... great chapter on using World Cafe in an academic setting...