User:Cpears8/sandbox

Article Evaluation

(on the Theatre of Dionysus)

Everything in the article is relevant. However, the article is very poorly organized and there is a ton of instances where the author contradicts his or her self, which makes the article very distracting as a whole. Additionally, there is a lot of unnecessary repetition. The article is a bit of a hot mess.

None of the information seems to be out of date. There is nothing that needs to be added.

Improvements: the author needs to:

1. Break up their whole "history" section (right now that is the only section they have)
2. After that, do this: 1. Intro with definition of site, brief history summary 2. Actual site architecture itself 3. Purpose of site 4. Plays that were performed there, 5. Any renovations or changes since the original construction

The article tone is neutral. There are no viewpoints that are over/under represented.

The links to other pages in Wikipedia work. The sources seem to support the claims made in the articles.

Fact/citation #3 seems to come from a blog source. This is not a reliable source. Additionally, this fact seems to be an added fact that is unnecessary to the page.

Other wiki editors have found issues with the article's accuracy. Some editors have found dates and information to not be correct.

The rating cannot be found. However, this article is of interest to other wiki projects.

Article Selection

Choice 1:

Main article: Internet in the United Kingdom OR Digital Divide by Country (can be added to either)

New Section: Digital Divide in United Kingdom

Brief Summary: It relates to the Digital Divide and it focuses on the United Kingdom. There is no digital divide section on the United Kingdom and we can add a fair amount of information on the topic.

Choice 2:

Main article: Digital Divide by Country

New Section: Digital Divide in Mexico

Brief Summary: Mexico's sharp divide among internet users and those with no access. Although there is some information on Wikipedia regarding Internet in Mexico, there is a ton of missing information on the digital divide.

Choice 3:

Main article: Censorship in Ireland OR Censorship in United Kingdom

New Section: Censorship during the Troubles

Brief Summary: This will be about censorship of information during the era of the IRA in Northern Ireland. We will eventually learn about censorship in our class.

Choice 4:

Main article: Internet in Iceland

New Section: Digital Divide in Iceland

Brief Summary: It is focusing on the Digital Divide in Iceland. There is currently no section for

digital divide on this particular Wikipedia page.

Article Sources

Source 1:

The Digital Divide in Mexico: A Mirror of Poverty (ScienceDirect) (2016)

Source 2:

Digital divide in a developing country (ScienceDirect) (2005)

Source 3:

Digital divide or digital development?: The Internet in Mexico (FirstMonday.org) (2006)

Source 4:

New Rules to Reshape Telecom in Mexico (NYTimes) (2014)

Source 5:

Race and the Digital Divide (Robert Fairlie) (2004)

Source 6:

The Hidden gender gap: Internet access statistics in Mexico (webfoundation.org)

Note* must click on research to see statistics because the main source is a blog, you want the actual research study info.

Source 7:

Link for statistical information about access to internet/technology in Mexico: http://www.beta.inegi.org.mx/temas/ticshogares/ (it is in Spanish, but you just have to translate the page to understand it!)

Source 8:

National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Homes 2016 (is also in Spanish but just translate it; this is what Source 7 is also based on) http://www.beta.inegi.org.mx/proyectos/enchogares/regulares/dutih/2016/

Link to Group Sandbox

User:Akrame4/New sandbox

Outline for New Section

I. Reasons for divide

1. Income
2. Education
3. Age
4. Lack of infrastructure/Economic underdevelopment
5. Race/Gender divide

II. Solutions to divide

Study of the Paranormal/Supernatural/Parapsychology in Modern-Day Academia

Topics

I. Places that offer courses

• Louisiana State University (accredited)
  • REL 3203: Religion and Parapsychology
    • Definite
• Edgar Cayce's Atlantic University (accredited online)
  • TP5100 = Origin and Destiny of Human Consciousness
    • Possible connection?
  • TP6100 = Principles of Parapsychology
    • Definite
• UC Santa Barbara (accredited)
  • PSY 145: Cognitive Science of Supernatural Concepts
    • Possible course?
• The University of Philosophical Research (accredited online)
  • PSY 532 - Near Death Experiences and Paranormal Phenomenon
    • Definite
  • PSY 513 - Dreams and the Quest for Meaning
    • Possible class?
  • PHI 532: Conceptions and Experiences of the Afterlife
• Saybrook University (accredited online)
  • PSY 3510: Transpersonal Psychology and Psychotherapy
• University of Colorado Boulder (accredited online)
  • ECEN 3070: Edges of Science
    • Definite
• University of West Georgia (accredited)
  • PSYC 4200: Parapsychology
    • Definite
  • PSYC 7020: Transpersonal Development
• University of Arizona (accredited)
  • PSYV 358: Psychology of Consciousness
  • PAH 150 A2: Weird Stuff: How to Think About the Paranormal, the Supernatural, and Other Mysterious Things
    • Definite
• Rhine Education Center (not accredited)
  • Many courses online
• Rice University (accredited)
  • RELI 219: The Supernatural and Religion (Lecture)
    • Definite
  • RELI 393/589: Mutants and Mystics: Race, Sexuality, and the Future of the Humanities (Seminar)
  • RELI 407/607: Archives of the Impossible (Research)
  • RELI 435/532: Religion and Cognitive Science (Seminar)
• Bellevue College (accredited)
  • ANTH 234: Religion and Culture
• University of Southern Indiana (accredited)
  • ANTH 241: The Supernatural
• University of Florida (accredited)
  • REL 2930/3938: Religion and the Paranormal
    • Definite

II. Places that offer certificates

• Rhine Education Center
• Edgar Cayce's Atlantic University
  • Graduate Certificate in Integrated Imagery: Regression Hypnosis

III. Places that offer BS?

• University of Santa Barbara
  • BS in Psychological and Brain Sciences
    • Possible connection to Parapsychology? Worth mentioning?

IV. Places that offer Masters/PhD?

• University of Santa Barbara
  • Cognition, Perception, and Cognitive Neuroscience
    • Connected to parapsychology? Should I include it?
• Edgar Cayce's Atlantic University
  • MA in Transpersonal Psychology
• The University of Philosophical Research (Accredited)
  • MA in Consciousness Studies
  • MA in Transformational Psychology
• ALEF Trust Organization
  • MS in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Transpersonal Psychology
• Saybrook University (accredited)
  • MA or PhD in Psychology: Existential, Humanistic, and Transpersonal Psychology Specialization offered

v. Labs

• University of Virginia EEG Lab at the Division of Perceptual Studies found in the School of Medicine (accredited)
• Rhine Research Center in Durham, NC
• University of Santa Barbara, TANC Lab
• University of Colorado Boulder, Psibiotics Lab
• Exceptional Experiences Lab found at University of West Georgia

Links to other Wikipedia Pages

• Parapsychology
• Transpersonal Psychology
• Rhine Research Center

Sources

See also: Parapsychology

The Academic Study of Parapsychology in Modern-America

The modern-day academic study of Parapsychology in the United States is a complicated matter. As of 2020, there are no universities that offer baccalaureate, master, or doctoral degrees in Parapsychology. However, there are many universities, accredited and non-accredited, that offer various courses in Parapsychology, the supernatural, and the paranormal. As of 2020, there are twelve accredited schools and one non-accredited independent education center that offer classes in Parapsychology, or classes similar to the subject matter.

There are no schools that offer official degrees in Parapsychology. However, there is one school that offers a Bachelor's of Science to students in Psychological and Brain Sciences, which could be helpful in conducting parapsychological research, as well as schools that offer master and Ph.D. programs in topics related to Parapsychology such as Transformational Psychology, Transpersonal Psychology, and Consciousness Studies. Lastly, there are some schools that offer professional certificates in topics such as Scientific Parapsychology and Integrated Imagery.

Parapsychology, the paranormal, and the supernatural are also studied in an experimental lab setting. There are four universities that have labs to investigate and research phenomena such as PSI including extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK), near-death experiences (NDEs), neuroimaging, altered states of consciousness (ASCs), precognition, presentiment, and other paranormal phenomena. Additionally, the Rhine Research Center, although not affiliated with a university, is a research center that investigates such phenomena.

Finally, besides individuals learning about Parapsychology, the paranormal, or the supernatural through an academic or lab setting, individuals can learn about said things through seminars such as those offered at the Esalen Center for Theory and Research.

Classes in Parapsychology, the Paranormal, and the Supernatural

As of 2020, there are thirteen learning centers that offer courses in Parapsychology, the paranormal, and the supernatural. Twelve of the centers are accredited universities according to the U.S. Department of Education. One is a non-accredited education center. These courses are taught through a variety of lenses including religion, psychology, anthropology, and engineering.

Bellevue College

Bellevue College's Anthropology Department offers a course called ANTH 234: Religion and Culture. In this course, students learn about a cross-cultural study of religion and the relationship between the supernatural world and humans. The course explores the supernatural, magic, myths, and rituals. Bellevue College is an accredited university by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Edgar Cayce's Atlantic University

Edgar Cayce’s Atlantic University offers an online course TP6100: Principles of Parapsychology. This course surveys parapsychology, paranormal experiences, mediums and psychics, and the relationship between psychic phenomena and religious experience. This course compares methods used to study and experience paranormal phenomena.The course even allows individuals to explore their own psychic ability and conduct studies on the abilities of their peers. Edgar Cayce’s Atlantic University is an accredited online university by Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). DEAC is recognized as an official accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education.

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University offers a religion course that explores religion and the paranormal. Louisiana State University is an accredited university by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The course at the university is taught by Dr. Stephen C. Finley, a professor in Religious Studies. In REL 3203: Religion and Parapsychology, students learn about what is the paranormal, how the study of the paranormal was once an important aspect at many prominent universities, what relationship is found between the paranormal, science, and religion, and most importantly, what impact does the paranormal have on Religious Studies. Louisiana State University is one of two universities in the entire country that has a permanent paranormal course that is taught through the lens of religion.

Rhine Education Center

The Rhine Education Center provides students the chance to take professional courses online in the topic of parapsychology. Their mission is to provide education and resources to the public as well as create professional interest in PSI phenomena. Students can take courses about presentiment, dreams and ESP, PSI's role in film and literature, apparitions, poltergeists, hauntings, and PSI and religion. The center is not an accredited education learning center by the U.S. Department of Education.

Rice University

Rice University's Department of Religion offers four courses that focus on the paranormal and supernatural. Rice University is an accredited university by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Along with Louisiana State University, Rice University is a university in the U.S. that offers permanent paranormal courses, according to the university catalog, that are taught through a religious lens.

In RELI 219: The Supernatural and Religion students learn about the supernatural through the lens of biblical materials. In this class, students look at saints and miraculous signs as possible examples of the paranormal.

In RELI 393: Mutants and Mystics: Race, Sexuality, and the Future of the Humanities, students learn about connections between science fiction, race, gender, sexuality, and the paranormal. This course is offered to graduate and undergraduate students.

In RELI 407: Archives of the Impossible, students are able to do archival research in Rice University’s archives collection on Paranormal Currents. After reading Dr. Jeffery Kripal’s book, Authors of the Impossible, which is used as a basic framework for the course, students look at and complete research on original historical documents on the university’s collection on paranormal stories from American culture. Students who take this course can use their research towards writing their undergraduate or graduate thesis. This course is offered to graduate and undergraduate students.

The last course offered is RELI 431: Religion and Cognitive Science. In this course, students take an interdisciplinary approach based on neurological, biological, cognitive, and evolutionary concepts to study religion. Students learn about extreme religious experiences, shamanism, and ritualized behaviors. This course is offered to graduate and undergraduate students.

Saybrook University

Saybrook University is an accredited online university by the Senior Commission of Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The university offers one course related to Parapsychology. In PSY 3510: Transpersonal Psychology and Psychotherapy, students learn about human experiences that transcend the ordinary, which includes spiritual experiences as well as ASCs.

The University of Philosophical Research

The University of Philosophical Research, found in Los Angeles, CA, offers two graduate courses involving paranormal phenomenon and the supernatural. In PSY 532: Near Death Experiences and Paranormal Phenomenon, students learn about the paranormal, parapsychology, and skeptical scientism. In PHI 532: Conceptions and Experiences of the Afterlife, students learn about topics such as resurrection, reincarnation, and the survival of the disembodied soul. The University of Philosophical Research is an accredited online university by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is an accredited university by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The university offers two courses. The first course the university offers is PSYV 350: Psychology of Consciousness, which introduces theory and research about ASCs. The course teaches students about ASCs from a natural science and cognitive psychology viewpoint. Students learn about consciousness, hypnosis, and the use of psychedelic drugs.

The university also offers a course called PAH 150 A2, Weird Stuff: How to Think about the Paranormal, the Supernatural, and Other Mysterious Things. The course is taught by Dr. Edmund White. In the course, students learn about ESP, PK, UFO abductions, NDEs, demon possession, parapsychology, and channeling.

University of California Santa Barbara

University of California Santa Barbara does not offer an official parapsychology course, yet they do offer a course that has a similar subject matter. In PSY 145: Cognitive Science of Supernatural Concepts, students learn about theory and research on supernatural beliefs, supernatural entities, ghosts, souls, and gods. The course teaches students why human brains accept these concepts. The course is taught by Dr. Tamsin German, a teacher in the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at UC Santa Barbara. UC Santa Barbara is an accredited university by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

University of Colorado Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder offers an engineering course called ECEN 3070: Edges of Science. The course is taught by Dr. Garret Moddel, a Professor of Electrical Computer and Energy Engineering and the head of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Psibiotics Lab. This course examines evidence for paranormal phenomena, discusses scientific skepticism of such phenomena, and provides physical models that could possibly account for such data. The course spends an extensive amount of time talking about controversial scientific theories and the scientific method as well as teaching students skills in statistical analysis of data. Students are required to complete a group project in which they test for parapsychological and anomalous effects. The University of Colorado Boulder is an accredited university by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

University of Florida

The University of Florida offers a course for graduate and undergraduate students on religion and the paranormal. However, the course is not a permanent course on the university's catalog. REL 2930: Religion and the Paranormal is taught by Dr. Erin Prophet, a professor of Religion, Nature, and Health. In the course, Dr. Prophet uses a multi-methodological approach that includes theory, cognitive science, and laboratory research to teach students about the paranormal. Students learn about how the paranormal affects healing and psychological transformation. Also, students learn about topics such as UFOs, NDEs, possession, telepathy, precognition, mediums, and channeling. The goal of the course is for students to look critically at paranormal phenomena and attempt to explain them. The University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

University of Southern Indiana

The University of Southern Indiana offers a course on the supernatural. The course is offered by the Anthropology Department. In ANTH 241: The Supernatural, students learn about how all religious cultures have some form of belief in the supernatural. The course also teaches students that there are many different ways that humans interact with the supernatural. The University of Southern Indiana is an accredited university by the Higher Learning Commission.

University of West Georgia

The University of West Georgia offers two courses related to Parapsychology. Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore teaches both courses. Dr. Simmonds-Moore joined the Psychology Department in 2011. She was a former Senior Research Fellow at the Rhine Research Center. One course taught by her is PSYC 4200: Parapsychology. In the course, students examine the way psychologists and scientists investigate paranormal experiences such as clairvoyance, psychokinesis (PK), precognition, telepathy, and remote viewing. The second course she teaches is called PSYC 4650: Transpersonal Development. In this course students learn about ASCs and other ways of knowing. The University of West Georgia is an accredited university by the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Baccalaureate Degrees in Parapsychology

As of 2020, there are no universities or accredited learning centers that offers official baccalaureate degrees in Parapsychology. However, there is one university that offers a degree that could be helpful to individuals interested in having a career associated with Parapsychology.

University of California Santa Barbara

Although University of California Santa Barbara does not offer an official baccalaureate degree in Parapsychology, it does offer a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences. This degree could be helpful into studying parapsychology in a lab because it teaches students about experimental psychology and neuroscience, which are two things key to understanding the science behind Parapsychology.

Master and Doctorate Degrees in Parapsychology

As of May 2020, there are no universities or accredited learning centers that offer master or doctoral degrees in Parapsychology. However, there are five universities that offer degrees similar to the subject matter.

California Institute of Integral Studies

California Institute of Integral Studies allows students to earn a Ph.D. in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology. CIIS is an accredited university by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges - Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). To earn the degree, students must complete three years of online part-time courses as well as undergo residential intensives in the Bay Area twice a year. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, students will learn about Asian psychologies, contemplative psychology, Eco-psychology, depth psychology, integral and transpersonal psychology, modern consciousness studies, participatory spirituality, religious comparative studies, shamanic and indigenous studies, and transpersonally informed therapies. By the end of their coursework, students will have diverse knowledge about spiritual, mystical, and other exceptional human experiences that are associated with transformation and healing.

Edgar Cayce's Atlantic University

Edgar Cayce’s Atlantic University allows students to earn a M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology. Transpersonal Psychology is about the recognition of dimensions to human nature. This degree is earned online, and the program takes one and half years to complete.

Saybrook University

Saybrook University provides a M.A. and Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology. The university notes on its website that the programs is for designed for individuals who do not want to pursue clinical careers.

The University of Philosophical Research

The University of Philosophical Research offers online M.A. programs in Consciousness Studies and Transformational Psychology. Although these M.A. programs are not in Parapsychology, the programs could be used to better understand the subject matter since consciousness and psychology play a role in parapsychological phenomena.

University of California Santa Barbara

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara offers a Ph.D. program in Cognition, Perception, and Cognitive Neuroscience (CPCN) that teaches students about how humans perceive, learn, act, and think upon the world. Similarly to the B.S. offered by the department, this degree could be useful for studying PSI phenomena and Parapsychology.

Certificates

There are some learning centers that do not offer official academic degrees, yet they do offer professional certificates in Parapsychology and related subjects. As of 2020, there are two learning centers that offer professional certificates.

Edgar Cayce's Atlantic University

Edgar Cayce’s Atlantic University allows students the chance to earn a graduate certificate in Integrated Imagery with a focus on Regression Hypnosis. Integrated Imagery is a psycho-spiritual experiential technique that uses altered states of consciousness to make individuals access their unconscious mind. This certificate is earned online and takes one year and four days of residential work at Virginia Beach, Virginia in order to earn. After earning this certificate, individuals can open up their own Integrated Imagery practices.

Rhine Education Center

At the Rhine Education Center, individuals who complete the require coursework can earn professional certificates in Parapsychology, Parapsychology Research, and Knowledge of PSI Phenomena. However, since the center is not an accredited education center by the U.S. Department of Education, these certificates may or may not be considered valid in academia.

Labs

There are five labs around the country that investigate PSI phenomena. Four of the labs are affiliated with accredited universities. The other lab is an independent non-accredited research facility.

DOPS EEG Lab at University of Virginia

The University of Virginia has an EEG research lab affiliated with the Division of Perceptual Studies. The Division of Perceptual Studies is a unit of the Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences inside the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine. The division is one of the few university based research units in the United States that investigates paranormal phenomenon. Additionally, the unit is one of the few in the country that take such phenomena as real. The University of Virginia is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC).

The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) was founded in 1967 by Dr. Ian Stevenson, a professor of Psychiatry. DOPS is a university-based research group that is devoted to investigating phenomena regarding the mind-brain relationship that challenge mainstream scientific paradigms. The DOPS have published many books as well as academic articles that have appeared in scientific, peer-reviewed journals. The Division’s main purpose is the scientific empirical investigation of phenomena that suggests that consciousness survives after death, which suggests that the brain and mind are distinct and separable. Types of phenomena they investigate include after-death communications (ADCs), poltergeists, near-death experiences (NDEs), out-of-body experiences (OBEs), and the recollection of memories from past lives. The Division also studies different types of ESP such as telepathy.

In 2008, the EEG Lab research facility, otherwise known as the Ray Westphal Neuroimaging Laboratory, was established by DOPS under the direction of Dr. Ross Dunseath, an electrical engineer, and Dr. Edward Kelly, a psychologist and neuroscientist. The lab has a chamber that is electromagnetically and acoustically shielded, an EEG data-acquisition system, and software that analyzes and models physiological data. Through this technology, the lab researches and studies altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and PSI. Most research completed by the DOPS has been done on NDEs, Neuroimaging, ASCs, and with children who claim to have memories of previous lives, Researchers investigate subjects’ experiences through firsthand interviews and detailed questionnaires.

Exceptional Experiences Lab at University of West Georgia

The University of West Georgia has an Exceptional Experiences Lab led by Dr. Christine Simmonds-More. At the lab, students research exceptional experiences such as ASCs, experimental parapsychology such as ESP, synesthesia, and paranormal and transpersonal experiences.

Psibiotics Lab at University of Colorado Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder has a research lab affiliated with the university. The Psibiotics Lab is led under the direction of Dr. Garrett Moddel, a Professor of Electrical Computer and Energy Engineering at the university. The lab conducts experiments to test for intention and presentiment through the use of psibots, which are robots driven by psi-mediated intention.

Rhine Research Center

In 1965, J.B. Rhine found an independent research center called the Foundation for the Research into the Nature of Man (FRNM). The FRNM conducted experiments in ESP and consciousness studies. In 1995, the FRNM was renamed the Rhine Research Center. The center’s goal is to produce original research in ESP and consciousness studies as well as to further the advancement in scientific Parapsychology. The Rhine Research Center is currently conducting experiments in psychokinesis (PK), bioenergy, healing, and extra-sensory perception (ESP).

TANC Lab at University of Santa Barbara

The University of California Santa Barbara has a research lab affiliated with the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences. The TANC Lab, otherwise known as the Theoretical and Applied NeuroCasuality Laboratory, is a research lab whose goal is to design experimental protocols that test whether unconscious knowledge regarding future information can possibly be detected through behavior and physiology. The lab’s ultimate aim is to develop software that uses unconscious signals to predict meaningful and real events that occur in the world. The lab was originally a 501 c3 tax-exempt organization until it was gifted to UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. The lab conducts experiments in presentiment, precognition, and real-world random processes to determine stimuli.

Seminars

Besides typical centers of learning, such as universities, and typical places to conduct experiments and gather factual evidence, such as laboratories, there is one final way that individuals have discussed Parapsychology, the paranormal, and the supernatural. Seminars held by academic or research organizations are beneficial to the Parapsychology community because they allow professionals, scholars, and those with an interest in parapsychology a place to get together and discuss their own research as well as topics that are often claimed to be too taboo to discuss in the academic realm.

The Esalen Center for Theory and Research

Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research (CTR) is a research and education center that offers seminars on various topics such as the paranormal and supernatural. The CTR sponsors action, theory, and research to promote social change and human potential. The center sees a void in the study of such phenomena and desires to conduct research to fill said gap. The CTR is important because it studies and discusses areas of academia that are often ignored by universities.

The Esalen CTR hosts various seminars, workshops, and symposiums throughout the year. At these events, academic scholars and professionals gather to discuss various paranormal and supernatural topics. The longest seminar ever to be held at Esalen is the SURvival Seminar, otherwise known as the Sursem. This seminar is no longer held at Esalen's CTR, but it is a good example of the type of seminars held at the institute. At this annual event, historians, neuroscientists, physicists, psychiatrists, and philosophers came together to discuss empirical evidence for the human survival of bodily death. This empirical evidence is based off of phenomena such as NDEs, OBEs, children who remember past lives, mystical experiences, and psychical phenomena. The event was led by Michael Murphy, one of the co-founders of the Esalen Center for Theory and Research.

Although the CTR no longer holds the SURvival Seminar, one current symposium held at Esalen's CTR is the Super Story Symposia. It is currently in its fifth series. The Super Story Symposia is an annual symposium sponsored by Esalen's CTR, and the Hummingbird Foundation. The symposium is led by Dr. Jeff Kripal and David Presti and its goal is to explore and analyze "new cosmologies, anthropologies and ecologies taking shape in the contemporary world in and around the natural sciences, particularly quantum physics and mathematics, evolutionary biology and ethnobotany, and cosmology and technology." In easier terms, the symposium is dedicated to the understanding and discussion of the study of evolutionary esotericism, or the study of mystical experiences that are connected to the idea of evolution. The main questioned being answered at the symposium is whether or not humans can experience, know, or become an evolutionary impulse in an altered state of consciousness.