A. AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I grew up in a small New England town, graduated from a Milford, Massachusetts, high school in 1965, and hitchhiked cross country to California. Traveling as far as San Francisco, I vaguely remember my experiences in the now Infamous Haight Ashburry that summer.

In the fall I attended Central Missouri State College for three months, then hitchhiked to Southern California where I attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, and worked forty hours a week with Collins Radio making circuit boards, electroplating, etching, de-etching and soldering.  I returned to New England for summer construction work.

In the fall of 1966 I attended UCLA. There were more people on that campus than I had seen in my entire life. I also spent some time In San Francisco re-visiting Haight Ashburry. I noticed a change had occurred from an embryonic bohemian scene to a commercial one. While there I marched in an anti-Vietnam demonstration and after one year at UCLA, traveled back east for work in the Boston Post Office. Subsequently, I returned to Orange Coast College and transferred all cumulative college credits to Long Beach State.

Aside from innumerable conferences and my experience at Schumacher College in England last summer, such was my formal education. Looking back, meeting people was about the only value I saw in school, and of course the draft deferment status was a strong motive. Around 1969 I started to read the work of Buckminster Fuller and Jiddu Krishnamurti, and in retrospect, this was the major reason I left school. Since then I have continued to review and question their contentions, living a varied life that has been essentially an interplay of travel, my own inquiry, and work. For example, I worked at the Boston University book store and made ping pong tables In a factory In Cambridge, and from there traveled again to Berkeley. My Berkeley experience was dynamic and I continue to visit there periodically to this day.

In the Spring of 1970 I visited a friend in Oregon and have been In and out of the Northwest ever since. In my last return to Boston, I worked thirteen different jobs on thirteen different days, showing me quite clearly how wasteful the industrial world is. That fall I hitchhiked back to Oregon via Canada and since then have traveled through Canada six times. It was there, while driving a tractor on a U-Pick apple farm in Nova Scotia in 1974 that I had a chance to build my first model geodesic dome from string and straws. Throughout the middle 70's, jobs like apple picking and tree planting kept me going. In 1975 I returned to Orono, Maine, and attended a World Vegetarian Conference. A full spectrum of views was presented, and I washed dishes In the kitchen for tuition and money before I migrated again to the Washington apple harvest.

That year I finally had my first chance to hear Krishnamurti speak at the Masonic Auditorium In San Francisco. He said, "I am going to tell you something very important: 'CONSCIENCE IS NO DIFFERENT FROM CONSCIOUSNESS.'" The next year I heard him at the Masonic Auditorium again, this time for the whole set of events: I left with wonderment on what he meant. Of course, from 1975 to 1980 I was reading an array of different poets. Kenneth Rexroth introduced me to a larger view from past scenes in the U.S.A. to poetry from the Orient and Europe. I attended one of his "poetry and song" classes, and his typification of the scene in the USA was vivid. IN 1975 I produced 44 copies (for twenty dollars) of a collection of my own poems called The Dragon Eye The Tiger's Claw or The Coyote's Return. I traveled along the West Coast trading and selling these books, mainly at co-op stores. 

Around that time, my curiosity started to go more into the work of Buckminster Fuller and his claim of taking the whole view to make the world work for everyone. He used to say If we make it; it will be everybody or nobody.  In 1976 I drove to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Fuller was holding the World Game conference. As many people that could be found who had done something to make the world work for everyone were presented. There were many demonstrators and the views varied: Hazel Henderson called economics a form of brain damage; Eric Jantsch talked about a cosmic accounting system based on the latest thinking on non-equilibrium thermodynamics; and of course Fuller talked about his geodesic dome. Some of these presenters will be listed in the bibliography of my independent study section below.

After this conference I worked on an organic farm in Vermont and then once again traveled west via Canada. Around that time I put out another book called Sea Space. For the next nine years, I would go to Ojai for the Krishnamurti talks, until his death in 1986. Dr. David Bohm had been dialoguing with Krishnamurti and many of the dialogues had been videotaped. I listed to many of them at the Oak Grove School in Ojai, a school whose intention it Is for children, parents, and adults to "unlearn" together.

In the fall of 1984, Interface, an organization from Cambridge, Massachusetts, put on a "science and mysticism" conference with Renee Weber, David Bohm, Huston Smith, and Rupert Sheldrake. I was there and a week later sat in on a eastern psychologists/Dali Lama conference. Dr. David Bohm made a presentation there as well.

In the 80's there were a few surprising events that emerged for me at the University of Oregon. For example: I met a Japanese student who asked me to teach him American slang, and then to hitchhike across country with him. Apparently he was looking for a non-Brooks Brothers Interpretation of America. After traveling together for a while, he flew me back to Seattle, Washington.

In 1986 I decided to turn a hobby of mine, playing music, to the street. I started playing a dulcimer and guitar in different places on the west coast, and eventually cross-country. After six years, my final stint was in Europe. In 19901 attended the First International Consciousness Within Science conference in San Francisco. The presenters - known and unknown - displayed theoretical and empirical views to back up the argument of the value of the question of consciousness within the scientific community.

Last summer I had the opportunity to participate in a non-agended group dialogue at Schumacher College in England. Dr. David Bohm did not attend due to illness, yet his colleagues - Don Garret and Anna Factor, and Peter Garret - were there as well as a recent video of Bohm sharing his latest thinking with us on this subject of group dialogue. This is significant and will be discussed in my Ph.D. proposal as a possible pathway.

B. CURRENT INTERESTS

My current Interests are an extension of what I have been aspiring to do for the last 20 years. After experiencing Group Dialogue at Schumacher College, I feel it is a very important step for a possible sane and secure humanity. MIT's Senge (The Fifth Discipline) said he had written about Bohm's contentions before trying them and when he did participate In group dialogue it made all the difference. It is not easy to find 20 people to dialogue with, so at this point in time this is on hold for me.

I have been reading a lot of evolutionary theory in relationship to designing learning environments, e.g., World Futures (ed. by Laszlo). The Evolutionary Journal is one of the periodicals I go to. I have been following up when I can the rich bibliography that was presented to me at the First International Conference on Consciousness Within Science. Last summer in Europe, I had the opportunity of visiting my mother whom I had not seen in 36 years. She had been a marine archeologist, among other things in her life. She tells me I did some artwork when I was young that she felt was of value and which she has always remembered. We both found this amusing as I have not done much in that domain since then.

One of the reasons for approaching the Union is the assumption I have that It values experiences and proposals that are somewhat different, yet likely of consideration. While reading The Turbulent Mirror (Briggs and Peat), David Fairchild, one of the founders of the Union, made the statement that if enough people networked, something will happen. And David Briggs, a graduate of the Union's argued that Group Dialogue changed his life. I recognize that striving for a Ph.D. will be fundamentally useful in my being of service in some way specific to this overall project, perhaps through one of my more reductive interests, e.g., the climate question, or - also a hobby of mine - the geodesic dome and the question of its affordableness and aesthetics.

MASTER'S EQUIVALENCY

My statement for Master's equivalency is based on my experience. A short book list follows. I have taken the best thinkers that I could find in my life and have tried to do my own thinking. I have tried to balance this with representative conferences and have attempted to stay current with what is emerging in daily living within areas of my concern.

Informal Education:

Schumacher College, Summer 1992: Group Dialogue and the Implicate Order with Dr. David Bohm.

The first International Conference on Consciousness Within Science. San Francisco, 1990.

Science and Mysticism Conference, 1984. Harvard University Interface. The Organiza­tion.

World Game 1975,1977, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1978 Amherst With World Tomorrow Fair.

World Vegetarian Congress. 1975, Orono, Maine.

Krishnamurti Talks Ojai, 9 years.

Sample Bibliography (In the order of most recent reading and re-reading back to 1987):

The Age of Bifurcation. Ervin Laszlo (Philadelphia, Gordon and Breach: 1991).

Discovering Common Ground. Marvin Weisbord (Berret Kaehler: San Francisco, 1993).

R. Buckminster Fuller. 22 books. I have read them and return to them often.

The Dream of Reality. Lynn Segal (W.W. Northon: 1986).

Tomorrow Is Our Permanent Address. John and Nancy Todd (New York Harper and Row: 1980).

Expanded Cinema. Gene Youngblood (New York Dutton: 1970).

A Colder Eye. Hugh Kenner (New York Knof: 1983).

Einstein and Becket. An Imaginary Record. Edwin Schlossberg. (Links New York).

Science and First Principles. F.S.M. Northrup, The Meeting of East and West (Macmillan).

Principles of Art. Collingwood (New York Oxford University Press).

Embodiments of Mind. Warren McClulloch ( Press MIT Press: 1965).

American Poetry in The Twentieth Century, Kenneth Rexroth (New York/Herder and Herder).

I. A. Richards: So Much Nearer and Beyond.

Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Ramon Margelaf.

Trace Minerals and Man. Schroder (Devon Adair: 1973).

The Survival of Civilization John Hamaker (Hamaker Weaver Publishers).

Your Health Under Siege. Jeffery Bland (South Green Press: 1981).

Nutrition Against Disease. Roger J. Williams.

The Educational Philosophy of Buckminster Fuller. Alex Gerber (USC Ph.D. Thesis).

The Awakening of Intelligence. Journal To Himself. Jiddu Krishnamurti.

"The Ending of Time and The Future of Humanity," vol. I & II, Dr. David Bohm and Krishnamurti.

Changing Consciousness. Dr. David Bohm and Mark Edwards Harper (San Francisco: 1991).

Paradigms Lost. John Casti (Morrow, New York: 1989).

Predicting Certainty in Science. John Casti (Morrow, New York, 1991).

Creating The Corporate Future: Plan or be Planned For (Wiley, New York: 1981).

Laws of Media, McLuhan and McLuhan (Eric McLuhan University of Toronto Press: 1988).

Eliot Norton Lectures: John Cage (Harvard University Press).

Mind and Nature a Necessary Unity. Gregory Bateson (New York Dutton: 1979).

Note: A sample of poems will be sent upon request.

C. PH.D. PROPOSAL

1. Field of Study

Holistic thinking or Whole System Theory is the area of my inquiry, Understanding the interrelationship between meaning and being is a large part of this Inquiry. Interrelationships play an essential, if not the essential role, in Holistic thinking. The Interrelationship of theoretical Ecological and Design models to the realistic application of those models is another Important aspect in my Inquiry.

I am not interested in traditional programs that rely heavily upon mathematics. Visual models interest me more. I have spent the last 18 years reading Synergetics I and II by R. Buckminster Fuller, and he suggests, and I agree, that visual models are more elegant and more precise than abstract equations. However, traditional analysis does have its place. Areas in traditional programs, where critical system Inquiry perform a crucial role in design and verification, need to be included in my approach, I site here for example Critical Systems Thinking: Directed Readings, edited by Robert Flood and Michael Jackson, and its importance In the Whole Systems Theory field.

I would expect anyone working for a Ph.D. In this area to have at least a working knowledge of the things I have mentioned here.

2. Gaining Proficiency

I am eclectic in my approach; different strategies are appropriate for different circumstanc­es. So far I have attended conferences and then followed up on the relevant bibliographies. Listed are a few examples from The First International Conference Within Science: "Talks at The Theoretical end," by George Wald; "On the Nature of Consciousness," Henry Staff: "A Quantum Theory of Consciousness" A few examples from those demonstrating evidence from the empirical end were: "Margins of Reality," by John and Dunne; 'The Role of Consciousness in the Physical World;" and "The Neurophysiology of Subjective Experience" by Benjamin Ubet.  Another bibliographical inquiry that would be relevant to this work is Critical Systems Thinking: Directed Readings edited by Robert Flood and Michael C. Jackson. Writing about my involvement with important workshops and conferences, as well as the relevant bibliographies, would be the way I demonstrate accomplishments.

3. Internship

Ervin Laszlo in his book, "The Age of Bifurcation," says on page 93 in the chapter "The

Crucial Nineties:

The Holistic Alliance Centers for holistic thinking have a vital role in the crucial nineties. In the absence of the Integration provided by such specialized generalists, the alliance between science, art and religion would remain external and superficial. There must be institutions that provide a forum for informed individuals who make it their life's ambition to follow current developments in the sciences, the arts, and the religions and to integrate them In consistent views of man, nature and society. This means doing more than putting concepts and theories side by side or one after another, as in a dictionary or an encyclopedia; it means showing how insights and theories cohere into a complete organic whole.

I agree with Laszlo, the experience of attending the Vienna International Academy for an internship would be invaluable.  In the footnote on page 93:

One such institution is the Vienna International Academy a newly established private university that this writer serves as Rector. The stated aim of the academy is to promote holistic thinking based on the integration of leading edge knowledge in the natural and social sciences and a creative dialogue between the sciences and Humanities. Its members draws from the sciences as well as the humanities, from governments as well as the business community, share the ambition of becoming genuine generalist and enabling others to achieve similar competence.

If this kind of internship Is not feasible for me in Vienna, there may be other places where this kind of proposal is taking germ.

4. Project Demonstrating Excellence Overview:

Designing for emerging learning environments and group dialogue for a secure and sane world. Designing for Emerging learning environments is the long-term strategy of this proposal. I intend to design perspectives and programs for educational documentaries, to allow people to see themselves so that they might be inspired to work together to make things happen. I plan to take inventory from organizations who have been educating humanity about the global problem state, e.g., The World Game, The Worldwatch Institute, and The World Resource Institute. The World Game's planning strategy uses the idealized planning approach of Russell Ackoff, creating the corporate future "plan or be planned for." The crux of his argument is that people can come together and design a desirable future. It is also called an adaptive learning model. In brief, people aspire for the world they would like imaginatively and come back to the world they want as it Is with Its existing policies, strategies, practices, and tactics and strive by varying means to make the world they want. I will also be examining the work of soft systems' theorists, such as Peter Checkland, to see what contributions there are to improve on this planning methodology. Another approach could be the search conference, as proposed Discovering Common Ground (Marvin Weisbord). Essentially these are two to three day workshops where people of similar aspiration share their histories and imagine a desirable future.

Consequently, research formats might take the form of broadcasts, for example, out of Costa Rica, via University of The Air, whose people have a charter with the United Nations.

The short term strategy would be a non-agendead group dialogue between twenty to fifty people as proposed by Dr. David Bohm, an example of which is presented in Unfolding Meaning (edited by Donald Factor, 1987), where a spontaneous dialogue emerged between 45 people on the English countryside.

The contention is best stated by David Bohm in his interview with John Briggs In the article, "Quantum Leap: Can lessons learned from subatomic particles help solve social problems." New Age Journal. Sept./Oct.

To create a situation where we can suspend our opinions and judgments in order to be able to listen to each other. The Idea is that we might generate a kind of social super­conductivity by having lots of energy in the interchange while keeping the temperature low. To do that you need a situation in which people can talk together freely without a specific agenda or purpose to guide the proceedings and you need a group large enough to develop a number of subcultures. If two people get together with different views, they will generally avoid the real issues. They will protect their separate information pools by avoiding connections that will agitate them. But there are bound to be subgroups wherein those deeper issues will come up. It is not controllable anymore.

Eventually the dialogue is going to touch an individual's non-negotiable assumptions which will liberate high energy.

An example of a "Nonnegotiable assumption" being grudged by the mediative effect of the group is related. After a flare up, a Zionist and an non-Zionist stayed with the discussion due to the cooling effect of the less Involved members of the group.

Dr. David Bohm got this idea from Patrick deMare whose book, Koinonia, from Hate, through Dialogue, to Culture in the Large Group by Patrick de Mare, Robin Piper, Sheila Thompson, Karnac Books, 1991, details the rational for this approach.

In the late 50's Julian Huxley, first director of UNESCO suggested that the appropriate mentafacts, lead to the appropriate, sociofacts and artifacts. In other words he was addressing the need of for a culture to be coherent. In Unfolding Meaning Ark. 1987, Dr. David Bohm stated that a plan for society is not going to work until we as a culture have a shared meaning. Dr. David Bohm and Mark Edwards in Changing Consciousness comment that we no doubt need to work on pollution problems downstream, but the most important area is to clean the confusion pollution upstream In our thought processes. In effect we need to do both. I argue that even if a small number of us come to coherent views it may facilitate planetary planning.