General Education Requirements
Not currently certified for a requirement. Courses are typically considered for Ways certification a quarter in advance.
Course Description
Consciousness and Self Psychology will first explore the phenomenon of consciousness, the medium through which we perceive our existence and the force which allows us to reflect and to wonder. A natural product of examining consciousness is the exploration of the notion of a self, an individual entity which we construct through our conscious awareness. Through readings, discussions and student presentations, this course journeys through theories of existence, consciousness and identity formation to offer a scaffolding for deep creative reflection and inquiry, and a springboard off which we may dive headfirst into the mysteries which both haunt us and give us life.
Meet the Instructor: Giovanni Dandekar
“I am a lifetime wonderer of existential quandaries, and I find the pursuit of personal understanding of the universe and our place in it to be a cornerstone of meaning and purpose in life. After getting a degree in Biomedical Engineering, I went to medical school to become a physician. Having always been fascinated by the human experience, neuropsychology and the stories we all tell of our lives, I decided to train in Psychiatry at Stanford; the intimate human engagement in mental health work is endlessly rewarding. Professionally, I am a practicing psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. I serve as the Medical Director of Stanford Hospital’s locked acute inpatient psychiatric unit, where I oversee interdisciplinary patient care and instruct resident physicians and medical students. More recently, I have taken the role of Medical Director for a mental health tech startup.”
