Maricopa Community Colleges  WED259   20004-20055 
Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 02/22/00
WED259 20004-20055 L+L 2 Credit(s) 2 Period(s)
Visual Meditation
Focuses on the use of physical objects and mental images as the focal point for meditation. Focuses on the standing and sitting meditation of the Egyptian and West African traditions and the pantheon of images used to represent life's day-to-day processes. Includes discussion of Egyptian and Yoruba philosophy and the use of natural and artistic items, special words or symbols, religious allegories, and graphic images as focal points for meditation. Prerequisites: WED257 and WED258.
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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
 
WED259   20004-20055 Visual Meditation
1. Demonstrate the basic principles of Visual Meditation. (I-VI)
2. Explain the concepts of Ma'at, Ase, Orisha, and Aje as they relate to the practice of Egyptian and West African Visual Meditations and the management of physical, emotional and work related stress. (II, IV, V)
3. Describe the basic tenets of the Egyptian Mystery System and the West African Healing Traditions of Yoruba IFA that apply to the practice of Visual Meditation, stress management and optimal health. (II, III, V)
4. List the reported and documented health benefits of regular meditation practice. (IV)
5. Assess suitability of Visual Meditation for students. (V, VI)
6. Guide and evaluate a student's progress in the use of Visual Meditation as a stress management and health enhancement discipline. (VI)
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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
 
WED259   20004-20055 Visual Meditation
    I. History and Development of African Visual Meditation
        A. History of meditation in Africa
        B. Contemporary practice of IFA Consciousness in Africa and the world
      II. The Concept of Ma'at and the Reality of Age
          A. Define visual meditation
          B. The Concept of Ase in Yoruba IFA
          C. Experiencing Ase
            1. African sitting visual meditations
            2. Natural items and environments
            3. Special words or symbols
            4. Religious allegories
            5. Graphic images
          D. Ase and thought
        III. Concepts of Health
            A. Health in the Yoruba Cosmology
            B. Health in the Egyptian Cosmology
          IV. Philosophy of Practice
              A. Visual meditation and stress management
              B. The flow of Ase
                1. The Yoruba/Yogic view of the body
                2. Visual meditation exercises
              A. External
              B. Internal
              C. The concept of Orisha and Aje in IFA Visual Meditation
            V. Visual Meditation and Stress Management
                A. An African view of stressful things
                B. An IFA view of stressful things
              VI. Case Studies and Research Studies
                  A. Medical and Cultural Anthropology, therapeutic meditation and trance among indigenous people
                  B. Contemporary research on the medical efficacy of meditation in clinical and non-clinical settings
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