THE SHAMANIC SPIRIT IN 21st CENTURY ART, CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Open Learning Course
Your Course Leader
Lila Moore, PhD is a lecturer, theorist, film-maker and mixed reality artist specialising in the field of Technoetic Arts. She formulated a theory of Cybernetic Futures, published in her article: The Shaman of Cybernetic Futures: Art, Ritual and Transcendence in Fields of the Networked Mind, as part of her post-doctorate at the Planetary Collegium of Plymouth University. The concept involves digital learning environments based on holistic principles and second-order cybernetics. Lila has been practising this notion in her online teaching and creative activities to encourage compassionate learning context, trigger communitas and innovation amongst learners, and counteract the narrative of violence.
Lila holds a practice-based PhD from Middlesex University in the interdisciplinary context of Screen Dance, experimental film, modern art, performance and expressive therapies. She teaches courses on the intersection of cinema, media and the arts, cultural theories, contemporary spirituality and mysticism at the Department of Mysticism and Spirituality at Zefat Academic College. Lila articulates her exploration of consciousness in her writings, mixed reality and digital artworks, e.g., Techno-Spiritual Horizons.
See more information at https://www.cyberneticinstitute.com
Course Overview
Our exploration commences at a pivotal moment in the history of humanity in which art and shamanic ritual first emerged as a combined enterprise. We will discover how the birth of art and the creation of images coincided with the advent of shamanic technologies and rites catalysed by altered states of consciousness. We will follow the trajectory of these primordial forms of creativity and worship that gradually shaped the evolution of our modern soul and culture, including our experience of cinema. We shall examine the notions of the filmmaker as an initiating shaman, and the artist-shaman as a carer of consciousness. Moreover, we will study the principles of the ritualistic form in film and art as theorised and practised by the legendary filmmaker Maya Deren.
Humanity’s growing reliance on digital technologies has been amplified by COVID-19. To understand the intricate relationship between technological progress, telematic culture and the evolution of consciousness in a 21st century framework, we will be introduced to the Tao of Technoetics as a philosophy and a way of art and life. Unlike many innovations in media arts, techno-noetic sensibility seeks to heal and adjust the body and mind of all that is alive and is an integral part of the planetary and cosmic environment.
In alliance with this theme, we shall proceed to study the Overview Effect (OE) as a techno-noetic, transpersonal and paradigm shifting phenomenon through a curated presentation of pioneering art/science and technology projects, films, and Virtual Reality. Moreover, OE will be explored in the context of transpersonal psychology, consciousness studies, as well as its applications in holistic therapies.
Emphasis will be given to the analysis of artworks and projects that explore participation, the body-mind relations, the primacy of consciousness, field consciousness, and the altered-state of communitas.
Student Testimonials
In this course you’ll get an opportunity to:
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements to join this course. Come and study purely for personal interest and enrichment … and get the same level access as our postgraduate students who will be studying alongside you!
Enrolment information
Length of study: 10 weeks.
Before each course begins you will be provided with a Course Outline which will list the reading materials, time-lines, and any activities required as part of the course. This course features 2 discussion forums, experiential activities and several live webinars.
Fee: £400.00
In addition to extensive course materials you’ll receive 1-to-1 tuition in our unique collaborative learning environment.
Start date: February 2021
This course runs for 10 weeks and starts in February of each year. You can study at your own pace and partake in the webinars and forums as much as you like.
Enrolment/Information Request
If you would like to enrol, or request more information on our ‘The Shamanic Spirit in 21st Century Art, Culture and Technology‘ course then simply complete the form below and a member of our team will contact you. We offer a unique transformational learning experience and will be here to guide you through every step of your journey with Alef Trust.