[MD] Mind-body practice

[david buchanan]

Bo said to dmb:
About doing harm, what good is it that this small group hails Pirsig when the MOQ in its orthodox interpretation will be the laughing stock of academy if it ventures outside this circle. While the SOL explanation makes it the way it was meant to be and immune to attacks. Test it!

dmb says:
Actually, the difference between your SOL reading and the philosophical mysticism I prefer is very much related to the issue of academic acceptability.

Late last spring I submitted a term paper as part of my application package so that philosophical mysticism is literally part of what got me accepted into graduate school. Before I applied, I'd taken a class with the program director to show her that I could do the work (The poor woman had to read it twice) and it scored the highest grade. More recently, a term paper produced for my pragmatism class focused on the radical empiricism of James and Dewey. This also scored the highest grade and he has since agreed to be my thesis advisor. So I'm telling you that nobody at the "academy" is laughing at this "orthodox interpretation". Quite the opposite. This is why I have repeatedly suggest that you investigate mainstream pragmatism and particularly James's radical empiricism. These experiences have served as a kind of reality check and of course I'm thrilled at the fact that these academic professionals have found it to be more that just acceptable. The program director and my advisor both understand that my final thesis will be an expanded version of these papers and they're both fine with it. Wish I could describe the looks on their faces. The reactions have been encouraging beyond my wildest dreams. I'm getting a little weepy just thinking about it.

As for testing your SOL reading, I wouldn't know how because I can't make any sense of it. 

Thanks for giving me an excuse to report this (and please forgive my lack of modesty) because I know that Robert Pirsig reads these posts every morning.

dmb 
_________________________________________________________________
Watch “Cause Effect,” a show about real people making a real difference.
http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/MTV/?source=text_watchcause