Using visualisations to develop the aesthetic aspects of spiritual literacy

@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

Using Visualisations to Develop the Aesthetic Aspects of Spiritual Literacy.

EEmma McVittie & Paul Smalley


The Theory Behind the Practice

The project draws on a variety of theoretical constructs which were used to structure the project activities and examine the findings

Spirituality and Spiritual Literacy

Visualisation techniques

Psychosynthesis

Physical literacy


Spirituality - multi-dimensional

“An inclusive education for spiritual development would need to begin from the fact that spirituality is inevitably defined in the context of the beliefs and values of the person defining it and that, therefore, spirituality is pluralist.”

(Watson,2006:116)

Wright (2000) gives us a starting point for discussion but not a universal definition.

Crossman (2003) no generalised definition


Spiritual Development v Spiritual Literacy

Belousa (2009) – talks about the “manifestations of a person's inner way” in a “spiral like process that moves according to each person's rhythm.”

“Spiritual literacy helps a person to acknowledge and maintain a relationship with the self, others, environment, natural world and the ultimate.” (Belousa, 2009:225)

“Making meaning at a profound level through personal narrative.......providing these spaces for children to ask 'bigger questions' and enabling them to respond and reflect upon their learning.” (Binder, 2010:22)


Mapping the spiritual experience

Hay and Nye (1996) Categories of spiritual sensitivity for young children

Ingersoll (1996) Spiritual well-being inventory from a counselling perspective - 10 dimensions

Fisher (1998) A model of spiritual well being in relation to health

Elton-Chalcraft (2002) Four dimensions of spirituality


Aesthetic Aspects

Whitehead (2010) Physical Literacy

Psychosynthesis (Assagioli, 1911) – roots in psychology and counselling.


Pilot Structure and Content

Relaxation and preparation exercises

Visualisation

Discussion

Reflective activity

Interviews 5-10 minutes with 6 pupils.

Follow up with the same 6 pupils


Data Snippets....

The data that follows has been tentatively analysed and clearly supports the theory of psychosynthesis.

The examples show:

Reflective activity after visualisation

Follow-up reflective activity with pebble and music only




Emergent Themes – Part 1

Self awareness:

Awareness of relationships

Ego-centric or self aware?

Emotional transformation

'Here and now'/inner/lost in the 'flow‘?

Saw own reflection in the water

“Thought someone would be at the end of the garden .”

“Thought like if I’ll meet somebody in the garden.”

“relaxed because there was no-one around me and that was my only chance to get peace”

From anger to calmness

Felt “sad” “cause you’d seen all this stuff and you’ve not been before and you have to leave”


Emergent Findings – Part 2

“The pebble helped me to remember my garden”

“I found my pebble in a hole, I found it straight away”

“The music was the same as the first time I visited the garden”


Tentative Conclusions

Links to dimensions and categories of spirituality

The artefact appears to trigger memory (Bone, 2007)

The memory of the imagined journey is able to trigger indications of spirituality as a memory of a physical journey (cf Whitehead 2010)


Future Plans

Secondary Pilot

Large scale study – October 2012

Primary and secondary schools nationwide

Project leaders will conduct the interviews

Remove the cues on the reflections