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The application deadline for this program has passed. No further applications are being accepted. The information on this site may be helpful if you are interested in attending in the future.  

You might also be interested in expanding your language skills through the Language Institute at Penn State. Other adventure-based courses can be found online at www.programs.psu.edu/Adventure. 

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Faculty-led, world-focused

Penn State faculty-led programs offer students the guidance of trusted faculty, with the freedom to explore the world. Our faculty will create the ideal itinerary for you.

Mystical London: English Nondual Traditions

"I behold London: A Human awful wonder of God. He says: Return, Albion, return! I give myself for thee: My Streets are my Ideas of Imagination. Awake Albion, awake! and let us wake up together." William Blake, Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion

For one month each summer, students can live and study in the vibrant metropolis that inspired visionary thinkers from William Blake to Charles Darwin. In this year's faculty-led English department program, students join an acclaimed teacher and scholar of the history of science and literature to explore and contextualize writings from early and modern authors of the British visionary traditions of magic, science, poetry, and prose — mapping the patterns of mystic England where texts enacted the veritable "experimental science" of the mind, the "spells" of stage, drawing room, garden, museum, and pub. Diverse mystical writers such as Julian of Norwich, Thomas Traherne, Charles Darwin, Coventry Patmore, and Helena Blavatsky sought not only to describe the world but to merge with it in a way akin to "nondual" philosophies of India; this was their distinct magic, and London was at the center of much of it.

Students will begin with early texts that will contextualize the role of meditation, contemplation and magic in British literary history, moving historically through the poets (e.g., Shelley, Blake, Wordsworth), artists (e.g., Blake, the pre-Raphaelites), and scientists (e.g., Darwin, Huxley) of contemplation and transformation. With the help of these texts and the locales of London and The Lake District, we will collectively explore the transformative effects of these nondual traditions, evolving a view that integrates the seemingly opposed viewpoints of science and spirit, self and other.

The students will stay in shared apartments in Kensington, located in west central London. Nearby attractions include the Victoria and Albert Museum, Kensington Palace, and the Natural History Museum.

 

Courses Offered

All students must enroll for 6 credits.

Mystical London: English Nondual Traditions (3 credits)
ENGL 199 or ENGL 499

An essential sector of mystic thought attempts to explain and obtain the conditions allowing one to "speak to" or "speak with." Michel de Certeau, "Mystic Speech"

Writer Alan Watts once described himself as being in the business of "Effing the ineffable" — putting the unspeakable into words. Discourses of mysticism are collectively defined by this paradoxical attempt to describe the indescribable, and in so doing they explore the limits of literary and rhetorical practice of any given historical moment. And mystic texts, while often well out of the mainstream in their content and style, are hardly marginal in the usual sense; perhaps precisely because mystic writers must explore the very limits of discourse, mystic texts are at the core of many literary traditions. This course will trace the history, forms, and practices of mystic texts in the English language tradition, mapping a dynamic genealogy of what is possible, and not possible, to "eff." With a focus on British mystics, our London location will enable us to research some rare texts found in the British Museum, visit the home of natural mystic Charles Darwin, behold some of the work of the visionary William Blake in the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, do archival research at the London Theosophy Library, and explore other local "mystic" sites.

Three times each week, students will compose blog posts on the readings as well as a lengthier essay (10 to 12 pages) that focuses more deeply on the readings and our discussions. Class will be conducted seminar-style with intensive discussion and dialog.

Texts:
The Cloud of Unknowing
Richard Rolle
Walter Hilton
Julian of Norwich
Margery of Kempe
Thomas Traherne
George Fox
Percy Shelley
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Thomas Carlyle
Erasmus Darwin
Coventry Patmore
Alfred Wallace
Charles Darwin
Helena Blavatsky
Annie Besant
A.R. Orage and the New Age
Evelyn Underhill
Aldous Huxley
Julian Huxley
Alan Watts
Wei Wu Wei

Ezra in England: Ezra Pound and the English Avant-Garde (3 credits)
ENGL 199 or ENGL 499

The term avant-garde — which calls to mind innovation and experimentation and, as a noun, designates a contingent of forward-thinking individuals — can only be awkwardly applied to modern English arts and letters. At the turn of the century, the English seemed hopelessly behind the artistic movements raging in Italy and France. Eventually, England did produce an avant-garde of its own, but there also remained much anxiety about English art being behind the times.

The career of the poet Ezra Pound is in many ways indicative of England’s uneasy avant-garde. When Pound arrived in London in 1908, his poetry was backward looking: he specialized in dead languages; his muse was Dante; he rewrote 12th-century Troubadour poems. Within a few short years, however, Pound redirected his attention toward the future. He became the center of a literary salon culture whose collective intention was to take English art and, as Pound famously announced, “Make it New.” The first goal of this class, then, will be to trace out the distinct phases of Pound’s development during his London years (1908–20) — from his fascination with medieval Provençal poetry to his branding of Imagism, from his attempts at ancient Chinese translations to his launching of Vorticism. No less important, though, will be looking to the other writers, intellectuals, and artists — Ford Madox Ford, T.E. Hulme, Rebecca West, Wyndham Lewis, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, H.D. — that Pound inspired, managed, and contended with as he worked to build up an avant-garde. In the course of our investigation, we’ll pay particularly close attention to the magazines in which the avant-garde publicized their newest manifestos, poetry, prose, and visual arts. We’ll also make our way out into London to experience the spaces in which avant-gardists socialized and to visit the art galleries that now collect their art.

Students are expected to have impeccable attendance, to participate in lively discussions, and to complete each week’s reading assignments. They will be required to write a number of short responses that critically engage with the assigned readings and a final (10 to 12 page) essay that grapples with some of the larger questions of the course.

Eligibility

The program is open to all Penn State students and students from other universities with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average. Applicants are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Students are encouraged to apply early, as enrollment is limited.

Faculty

Richard Doyle is professor of English and Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State and is the author of a trilogy of books on information and the life sciences. The latest, Darwin's Pharmacy: Sex, Plants, and the Evolution of the Noösphere, was published by the University of Washington Press in 2011. Doyle recently wrote the Afterword to a new volume of Philip K. Dick's Exegesis, placing it squarely with the contemplative tradition. Professor Doyle is a Fellow at the Hybrid Reality Institute and a Distinguished International Fellow of the London Graduate School.

Robert Volpicelli is the research assistant for the Hemingway Letters Project (2011–12) and the Edwin Erle Sparks Fellow, The Humanities Program (2012–13). He received his master's degree in English from Penn State in 2011.

Expenses

The total program fee includes two components: tuition (6 credits) and a class fee (based on activities and location). All the students will pay the in-state tuition rate for 2012 Summer Abroad programs.

Expenses NOT covered are (American dollars; estimated):

• passport
• personal expenses
• optional excursions
• round-trip airfare (approximately $1,500 plus tax)
• most meals
• textbooks and supplies 

For passport information, visit www.travel.state.gov/passport.

Estimated Tuition (6 credits)

Out-of-state students will be charged the out-of-state tuition rate until the first day of the program. At that time, the students’ bursar account will be adjusted to reflect the in-state tuition rate of $681 per credit.

In-state students will pay tuition according to their standing and the Penn State tuition schedule.

$4,086 in-state/out-of-state

The University reserves the right to revise the schedule of tuition and charges without further notice. For more information on tuition, visit http://tuition.psu.edu.

Published rates are effective for fall 2011 and spring 2012.

Class Fee

The class fee of $2,695 includes insurance, lodging, some meals, transportation in the London vicinity and to various sites, entrance to museums and theatres, and administrative expenses.

Estimated Total Program Fee

The estimated program fee of $6,781 ($1,000 nonrefundable deposit applies to the class fee) includes tuition as well as the class fee.

Information Technology Fee: 1 to 4.5 credits, $82; 5 to 8.5 credits, $180; 9 or more credits, $240

Financial Aid

For alternative grant, loan, and minority scholarship information, visit the Education Abroad Financial Aid and Scholarships web page.

Refunds

All cancellations must be received by the planner, in writing, by mail or fax. Do not use eLion; it does not remove you from the course, and you will be held responsible for all fees. Full refunds minus the nonrefundable $1,000 application fee will be made for cancellations received at least thirty days prior to the first day of the program. Refund requests made after that time will not be honored, and the participant or sponsoring organization will be responsible for the fees.

How to Apply

Students are limited to one application in the Summer Education Abroad registration database; however, if dates allow, applicants may participate in more than one program. 

If you are interested in having your application "copied" to additional programs, please email summerabroad@outreach.psu.edu. The $1,000 nonrefundable deposit must be submitted for each program in order for the applications to be complete. The deposits are later credited to the class fee or refunded if the student is not accepted. Please email summerabroad@outreach.psu.edu if you have any questions.

Submit your online application through Penn State Education Abroad.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 22, 2012, at 5:00 p.m.

Deposit: The $1,000 nonrefundable deposit must be submitted to complete an application. If the student is not accepted, the deposit is refunded. Otherwise, the deposit is applied to the class fee.

Cancellation: The University may cancel or postpone any course or activity because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the University will refund registration fees but cannot be held responsible for any related costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.

Access: Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing special accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the planner at 800-252-3592.

Space may be available after the application deadline. Please contact the planner to determine availability and/or to be added to the waiting list.

 

Contact Us

Regarding program content:
Richard Doyle
Professor of English and of Science, Technology, and Society
The Pennsylvania State University
139 Burrowes Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-3754
Email: rmd12@psu.edu

Regarding application process:
Lisa Clapper
The Pennsylvania State University
240 Outreach Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-5144
Fax: 814-865-3749
Email: SummerAbroad@outreach.psu.edu

Regarding financial aid:
Office of Student Aid
The Pennsylvania State University
314 Shields Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-6301

For alternative grant, loan, and minority scholarship information, visit the Education Abroad Financial Aid and Scholarships web page.