Exploring consciousness
Delving Deeper
This groundbreaking course takes you on a mind-expanding journey through the fundamental questions of our time – from the origins of the universe to what consciousness, and the nature of our relationship with reality, might be
Course Factfile
Exploring consciousness – Delving Deeper
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Tutors: Joe Griffin, Ivan Tyrrell
Special offer
- Price: £129 £109 per person
Price gives you life-long access
Original price was: £129.00.£109.00Current price is: £109.00.
Are you fascinated by the ‘big questions’?
This unique online course, which is based on a weekend course of the same name, takes you on a fascinating journey as it explores some of the fundamental questions of our time – before arriving at some convincing and potentially explosive new explanations.
The most stimulating course I've ever done. Why do we have a questioning mind, if not to find the answers?
J. Smedley
These new insights are compatible with the latest scientific findings and could have huge implications for mankind – they also throw important light on what the ancient mystics have been saying for centuries about the true nature of reality, and our place in it.
If you’ve been wondering how the universe came into existence, thinking about the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness, puzzling over the mysteries thrown up by quantum science or been intrigued by mystical experiences – this course is for you.
Griffin and Tyrrell’s work soundly rejects the pessimistic reductionist view that the great mysteries about the origin of life, consciousness and time cannot be solved by the human mind.
By extending ideas derived from studies of the brain and human givens psychology they have found plausible answers to the big cosmic questions that physicists, biologists and psychologists are struggling with. Their conclusions hold out fascinating implications, not only for scientific progress but also for seekers after truth everywhere.
This course offers you the opportunity to examine these profound questions alongside them.
This could be the missing link in cosmic and quantum physics… a white knuckle ride through one dazzling, thought-provoking idea after another.
Aubrey Davis, Storyteller
What the course investigates
- How the universe appeared from ‘nothing’ in a Big Bang
- Why relationships are so important
- What consciousness is and how it evolved
- How to expand our consciousness further
- Why life is full of ‘meaning’
- How consciousness connects to matter
- Why our universe is so extraordinarily favourable to the evolution of life
- Where the information that created life came from
- Why consciousness will never be pinned down by brain science
- How human consciousness changed over the last 100,000 years
- Why we experience time passing – when physicists say time is an illusion
- What Dark Matter and Dark Energy might be
- The function of mysticism
- What ‘self-development’ really means
- Can our individual consciousness survive death?
- And, if so, in what circumstances might that happen?
What's included?
Course format
This online course is derived from a 2-day weekend workshop entitled ‘Delving Deeper: Exploring consciousness and your relationship to reality’ which people travelled from across the world to attend.
Fortunately one course was filmed and it is this fascinating material – which includes lively interaction and discussions with the participants – that forms the basis of this ‘Exploring Consciousness’ online course.
As some of the concepts in the lectures and discussions are quite subtle and/or very new, we’ve split the course into 21 sections (see ‘Course programme‘) so that you can take your time to absorb and think about the ideas it contains.
Each section consists of a filmed talk, many with additional questions and contributions from the participants. Then, after each film, you will receive review notes of the main ideas covered in that section (original to the online course). These notes were carefully written to stimulate contemplation and discussion among you and your friends, or anyone else doing the course with you.
You also have access to an exclusive discussion forum where you can post your own thoughts, discuss them and other threads with other course participants who are also interested in the ‘big questions’ (Joe and Ivan are also on the forum).
You can spend as long as you like making your way through the course, thinking about the points and ideas raised, and it is easy to review any film or section again should you wish to. In fact, as the content is so rich, we heartily recommend this.
How the course was developed
Griffin and Tyrrell worked together for many years on improving the understanding and treatment of mental illness. They originated the Human Givens approach to psychotherapy, education and psychology, which has been shown to hugely improve the delivery of psychological interventions, and their mental health courses and numerous books have helped tens of thousands of distressed people.
At the same time, they continued to pursue their mutual life-long interest in resolving the hardest question in science – the mystery of consciousness. Their extensive research led them to think about other questions too, such as a meaningful way to understand time, how the universe appeared, quantum entanglement, and what mysticism is for – if anything.
Their drive to understand led to years spent studying, researching and thinking about the relevant scientific research and latest theories in various fields (from neuroscience to quantum physics), as well as seeing what the ancient wisdom traditions might have to tell us.
Eventually their work and dedication resulted in the publication of ‘Godhead: The Brain’s Big Bang‘ – a book about the explosive origin of creativity, mysticism and mental illness and what that meant for our current understanding about the nature of mind and matter.
Magisterial… a grand multi-disciplinary meditation… a gorgeous spell of reflection of the Big Bang and the organization of the universe cast in a fascinating mix of the findings of quantum physics and the intuitions of mysticism… a cascade of every conundrum of our mysterious universe that has baffled the human mind down the millennia.
Professor A.V. Ashok
His view was echoed by many others who wanted an opportunity to get together to explore the valuable ideas it contained – the result was a series of private weekend courses on consciousness, science and spirituality that were run in the UK and Dublin.
FAQs
Share this course
It covered an amazing amount of history, archaeology, psychology, physics and mysticism and pulled them all together in the most powerful and convincing way. I don't think I will ever look at life, the universe and our part in it in quite the same way again.
Maggie Gibson, Designer and mother
Clearly lays out the appropriate meeting points of physics, psychology, anthropology, myth and religion, and how they weave together to explain our evolution and potential future… a practical tool for anyone who sincerely wishes to know how one 'ticks' and better understand his or her own purpose in this life.
John Bell, Diplomat
A very thought provoking, enriching and enlightening experience. Sharing ideas and concepts with people on the course who are also searching and making connections provided me with the energy to move on.
School Teacher
Useful and pragmatic way to evaluate one’s path in the esoteric science of spiritual development.
Inspiring, thought-provoking and timely. A courageous and passionate effort to bring together knowledge from all disciplines, and from sources ancient and modern, in an attempt to provide a coherent explanation of the nature of consciousness. Having attended conferences delivered by scientists at the forefront of current research into consciousness and come away disappointed, I was delighted to find that Joe and Ivan dared to ask the questions so few people are brave enough to ask. They may not have all the answers yet and they are bound to encounter criticism, but at least they are trying to understand what so many others have dismissed as unknowable, and have had the temerity to submit a testable and potentially falsifiable hypothesis to explain the relationship between subjective and objective reality. While it would be easy to dismiss some of their ideas as “pseudoscience”, they have thrown down the gauntlet to scientists and philosophers alike to contribute to the discussion, which is long overdue and so very much needed at this time. The human race is now engaged in a race to become fully human before we wipe ourselves off the face of the Earth and take most other species with us. It’s time for everyone to wake up now and this course may provide a catalyst that can begin to bring about the necessary paradigm shift to help us to recognise the unity underlying our diversity. Perhaps even at this eleventh hour, we still have time to put aside our differences and learn to live together, take care of one another and become the gardeners and caretakers of our home planet. Maybe then we will evolve into the enlightened species that we have the potential to become. Now that would be a pattern-match to behold! The importance of the work of these two great men should not be underestimated. Thanks guys!
Very ambitious in scope and depth. Looking forward to taking advantage of the option to view it again and again.
Human Givens ideas must become part of the schools and universities curriculums world-wide. The Human Givens approach makes the difference between information and knowledge distinguishable. The former is offered in bulk by nearly all educational institutions. The latter is rare and it is what Human Givens is all about.
I enjoyed the exploration of consciousness through science and quantum physics but suspended the scientific view and dropped a critical factor to explore further the view that life form could not have evolved by chance. Joe’s views on what is the purpose of consciousness perception and meaning gave huge credibility to the organising ideas presented. Questions as to why it is possible pattern matching influences may create consciousness etc are validated well .Ivan’s personal stories where helpful in practical application of the theory presented. It is a very interesting course covering aspects of biology psychology neuroscience philosophy.
The organising ideas presented by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell in this course offer a new story for understanding consciousness and approaching the “really big questions”. For me, personally, the course gave me an “aha” moment where my often confused responses to a random religious education were given a new context through their theory’s relationship to current, and perhaps more culturally relevant, scientific ideas. What’s more, it has broadened my appreciation of their approach to psychology, psycho-therapy and the value of self-development. One question: I wanted to join the online discussion forum but perhaps it has now played out its course. If not, is there a link to it?
As a hypnotherapist, I really feel I am adding to my toolbox with these wonderful online courses. Would you consider adding more for those of us living outside the UK? Thanks very much for the course – I love Joe’s touches of humor!
I learned such a lot completing this course. It’s been really interesting and has made me want to carry on and learn more.
The presenter was engaging, amazingly human, and gave fabulous examples. I would love to complete the Diploma – I wish Human givens could come to Australia to teach. Have already done some counselling study but this really brings things together and ties in latest research to models of therapy.
Thanks for the feedback Jean – we are taking our training to America, and have had Australians fly there to join us, you can find out more at: https://humangivensnc.com/trainings/2018-courses/
The essence of Human Givens counselling and that which renders it such a successful therapeutic modality is that it is derived from, built upon and an is an expansion of the best of all other therapeutic approaches as well as a menagerie of the most up-to-date and effective solution focused strategies devised to facilitate the restoration of good mental health and well-being to Human Givens clients. The organising idea that is Human Givens is a bio, psycho, social model developed against a credible and ever updating backdrop of knowledge about human behaviour, neurobiology and psychology which is all the while birthing and fine tuning effective interventions and strategies to improve mind/body function to wellness in a short, sharp and science-based fashion. This course not only teaches the efficacy of counsellors themselves coming to their practice with a healthy and fluent knowledge of psychology and human behaviour, but actually provides the relevant tutorage on some of these pivotal, psycho-educational topics: brain hemisphere function, the function of the emotional brain, the role of problematic states in human behaviour such as trance states, the role of imagination, the power of free will and ones observing self, gender differences re thinking, feeling and communication. I found the reference to psychotherapy versus pseudo therapy within this course, most enlightening. Together with a detailed revelation of some of the common myths about counselling, I’m clearer now on the profile of a good counsellor and look forward to employing Human Givens tried and tested techniques for restoration of balance in the lives of my clients going forward. The APET model is a very valuable tool for assessing at what point a therapist needs to intervene and begin the RIGAAR process to facilitate a speedy return to clarity, balance and general well-being, and the efficacy of both are masterfully shared on this course. This course identifies the significance of clarifying nominalisations from abstractions to who did what to whom so that the real issues are addressed speedily. The myriad of passive knowledge required by good therapists to facilitate rapid rapport building is beautifully delivered by Joe, from pacing and leading to breaking rapport smoothly, an art form requiring much practice and perfecting. Objectivity, clever questions, accurate summarisation and goal setting are hugely important in an effective therapy session and this course deals admirably with the preparation of therapists and aspirant therapists for such. Rehearsal as a form of accelerated learning is acutely reinforced with a variety of very fine examples of the importance of rehearsing success before the client leaves the therapy room. Suffice to say that by using guided imagery and by communicating with a metaphorical mind, a skilled therapist will be able to help clients to separate the concept of their core identity as different altogether from their perceived problems. This course is uniquely capable of preparing therapists for exactly that using its evidence based styles and techniques. As long as clients understand that they arrive into this world with fundamental emotional needs that must be met but that they have a set of resources to aid and abet exactly that, then the wonderful content of this course teaches therapists how to give hope to clients and motivate them to engage their own ‘healing brain’. ‘Sometimes you hear a voice through the door calling you, As a fish out of water hears the waves… COME BACK, COME BACK. This turning toward what you deeply love saves you’ Rumi
I really enjoyed this course, I found it to be very informative. I particularly liked the way Joe used examples in the videos creating a greater understanding of the topic.
I recently completed both HG courses. I am grateful that each course provided material that I can use immediately in my practice. Most of all I am grateful that both personally and professionally there are practical and concrete ways to address human needs and improve life using our innate resources.
This course was great to emphasise some of the skills from previous modules, and also to bring together all of the skills needed to structure a good therapy session with a client. Valuable information! Joe delivers his information in a clear and concise way, giving lots of workable examples. He is a very knowledgeable and likeable person, whom you can connect with easily even on video 🙂 Thanks Joe!
Well paced lecturing style, fascinating and hope filled content, very easy to follow and understand. Enough science to make a lay person feel informed but not too much to make that same person overwhelmed. Excellent stuff thank you.
I really enjoyed this Module and learnt lots. I love the way Joe presents and it is a pleasure to listen to his seminars. The module questions helped me to do active learning and to remember key points. Can’t wait to start my next module.
Excellent on-line course – clear and well structured. Great idea to break up the course content with multiple choice questions – I like the way the icons bounce up and down to let you know what to click next!
Very useful course. A concise summary of Human Givens Counseling. Great job right from the first segment comparing HG counseling to the way many of us were initially trained to be therapists, and the harm some of those methods could cause. I look forward to reviewing the content of this course again. I find the questions to be a good and useful review. Joe is an engaging speaker, as well as endearing, with his sense of humor and smile. The quality of the audio and camera work is superior to most training videos I have taken in the past.
It was as exciting as it seemed when I first read about the approach. I’m also really pleased to find something that fits with my own values and philosophy of life.
This course has renewed my enthusiasm for my profession and shown me clearly what I need to be doing from now on to make a concrete difference to people’s lives. Such a humane, positive and realistic approach.