I think this is pretty cool, It's from a class of mine. enjoy the reading!
Human Map Resource
We will be using a map modeled on the form and content of the human being. Using these different aspects of the human as a common conceptual paradigm for our class, we will generate deeper understandings of the essays we read, analyze and write. These are meant to be generative concepts, and you can think of these ideas as keystones that can help frame a way of seeing ideas and anchoring meaningful expression as you reflect on your personal experiences for the essays of the course.
Material: In the human, material is what we are made from. It includes our ancestors (parents, grandparents, tribe, lineage), our nationality, our DNA or genetic coding, our bones. If we think of the human as a house, the material aspect of us would correspond to the basement of the house; we build our lives upon it and we keep many of our resources there. When we turn the light on in the basement, or clean it out, we often find what we needed, or throw out what is no longer useful. The material self refers to our resources, our history, our foundation.
When writing, we can think of the material as our basic structures—the form of an essay or its main focus or content. We use our common language to express ourselves and we can choose to use that language in various ways. We can also think of the tradition of writers and writing, our shared rules and conventions, the grammar and syntax that helps us to recognize one another’s ideas. In terms of content, we can also think about the narrative that tells our personal history, our ancestors, our families of origin, our beginnings and the places where we take root in our lives.
Vegetative or Feelings: In the human, feelings arise from organ systems that help us take in nourishment, digest and metabolize our food, get rid of wastes and sense when we are hungry, cold, hot, tired, etc. Our sensory awareness (smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing) is vital in order to show us what we need to take in or let go of. For example, if we eat unclean food, our digestive system lets us know by urging us to get rid of it. We feel pain or nausea, or a sinking feeling. The feeling aspect of the human corresponds to the vegetable kingdom. Like plants, we are alive; unlike plants, however, we also move from place to place, reason and use our feelings to take action.
In writing, we associate description with feelings. When we describe, we use our senses to convey in words what we see, feel, taste, touch and smell. We use emotion to draw a reader in or to make a crucial point. We anticipate the reader’s emotional response to what we have written and choose our words so that we can shape the meaning we desire. We pay attention to concrete details that stay close to the actual felt experience of something. We may dwell on the feeling or emotion of a particular idea in order to draw out the taste of it for a reader.
Animal: Our animal aspect is the part of us that moves. It gives us our power, our ambition, our strength and our ability to pay attention. We have instincts and we are able to protect and defend ourselves using our animal nature. We register the world through automatic nervous system responses which allow us to survive when threatened (fight or flight). We sniff out what we need to survive and thrive and we employ strategy when necessary to throw off the predator or catch our prey. It is our animal nature that makes us habitual and sometimes leads us to follow the herd.
In writing, we can think of how the author acts, portrays him or herself, or uses power. We can track sentences to uncover the author’s strategies or to ascertain how he or she leads the reader through the terrain of the essay. We can look at how the author represents a particular group or displays him or herself as part of a subset within the larger culture (i.e., gender, profession, team). We can look for ways the author bolsters his or her power or authority, such as finding resources (using research to back up claims) or appealing to powerful ideas common to the culture.
Human: Our minds allow us to integrate and mange the various aspects of ourselves. We use this human mind to make decisions about what is appropriate based on our resources, our senses, our power, etc. The function of the mind is to pull together the information we receive from our inner selves and the external environment to allow ourselves to function as a whole being. Our minds can sometimes overpower us, or trick us, or lead us into dead ends. The human mind is connected to the heart, and it is with our hearts that we can often sift through our ideas to find truth, authenticity and compassion.
Writers rely on their creative and critical thinking skills not only to compose but also to combine and integrate all that they bring to the writing of an essay—brainstorming, ordering, formalizing, revising, integrating and editing. The best writing is that which allows the writer to discover new insights using original thinking. Writers shed light on new ways of recognizing and understanding our experiences as thoughtful and reflective beings.
Resource Tools
Integrity: For the human being, integrity is the ability to stand upright, be authentically oneself, stand in truth and connect with what gives us life. In an inner way, we say some has integrity if she or he has good character, strong family roots, the ability to speak the truth, stand firm and garner respect by giving respect.
When writing, we can think of integrity as the foundation of grammatically correct sentence structure or logically constructed paragraphs. We can also think of integrity as a voice that conveys truth and authenticity rather than superficial or fleeting ideas. An essay that has a solid structure appropriate to its subject can be said to have integrity. When we offer someone feedback that is honest and respectful, we are speaking from a place of integrity.
Flexibility: Flexibility allows the human being to be dynamic, open, and able to grow and change. Flexibility helps us get in touch with our feelings and responsiveness and move to put them into action in our lives. When we remain flexible, we are dynamic, and we tune in to the inner and outer rhythms of life; we can continue to grow and change throughout our lives.
In writing, flexibility is creativity. When we remain open to new ideas, we become able to embrace and develop more within the scope of our ideas. We bring to life new ways of expressing ourselves. We stay close to our sensory experience and can use vivid and concrete description to bring ideas to life for our readers. We can also remain open to hear what others have to say about what we have written so that we can grow and change when beneficial. Flexibility allows us to deepen or widen our thoughts as we put them into words, and it allows us to include more in our thinking and in our words.
Reflectiveness: For the human being, the ability to step back and think about our situation is what allows us to rise above our animal nature and be more fully human. We take in the view, look at our situation from a variety of perspectives and consider possible ways of seeing what we are doing, what we are up against, what is needed. With reflection, we develop insights, or we shed light on our situation.
Reflection is vital to writing well and writing with sophistication and complexity. When we look at our ideas and take the time to consider them in different lights, we can begin to develop insights. We use critical thought to illuminate the value of an idea or to develop analysis that puts it into a new light. We put our writing aside so that we can come to it renewed and refreshed, see it with new eyes and begin to revise—or re-see—what is written there. The perspective of readers can give us fresh insights into our own work and lead us toward revision that improves our essays.
Surrender: For the human being, surrender is the place of quiet. We can feel and sense the awe of life, the power and beauty of nature, and the value of respecting the source of life that is larger than us. In quiet, we can be present to our life as it unfolds and we can find the calm core of the inner being that helps us center ourselves and know how to be. Surrender allows us access to compassion, humility and wonder.
In writing, we are constantly faced with the blank page. We walk into the challenges of our assignments, like the challenges of our lives, and find the words we need. Many writers describe this as a state of expectation--the quiet waiting for the words to come or the sudden burst of inspiration when words begin to flow and we are not sure where they come from. Writers sometimes have the experience of looking back at a piece of writing and wondering “How did I do that?” This feeling recognizes the state of inspired surrender and trust.
Note: The above material is based on the work of Solihin and Alicia Thom and Alexandra ter Horst from the book Being Human, published by Ad Humanitas Inc., Portland, OR, 2004. I am a practitioner of therapeutic work based on these concepts. See the following links for more information:
