This document summarizes a study on using visualizations to develop spiritual literacy. It discusses relevant theories on spirituality, spiritual development, and psychosynthesis. The study involved relaxation exercises, visualizations, and reflective activities with students. Analysis of the data found links to dimensions of spirituality and indications that the visualizations triggered memories and spiritual awareness related to self, relationships, and emotional state. The researchers plan to expand the pilot study into a larger nationwide project to further examine the use of visualizations for developing spiritual literacy.

1. Using Visualisations to Develop the
Aesthetic Aspects of Spiritual Literacy.
Emma McVittie & Paul Smalley
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

2. The Theory Behind the Practice
The project draws on a variety of theoretical
constructs which were used to structure the
project activities and examine the findings
Spirituality and Spiritual Literacy
Visualisation techniques
Psychosynthesis
Physical literacy
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

3. Spirituality - multi-dimensional
“An inclusive education for spiritual development would need
to begin from the fact that spirituality is inevitably defined in
the context of the beliefs and values of the person defining
it and that, therefore, spirituality is pluralist.”
(Watson,2006:116)
Wright (2000) gives us a starting point for discussion but not
a universal definition.
Crossman (2003) no generalised definition
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

4. Spiritual Development v Spiritual Literacy
Belousa (2009) – talks about the “manifestations of a
person's inner way” in a “spiral like process that moves
according to each person's rhythm.”
“Spiritual literacy helps a person to acknowledge and
maintain a relationship with the self, others, environment,
natural world and the ultimate.” (Belousa, 2009:225)
“Making meaning at a profound level through personal
narrative.......providing these spaces for children to ask
'bigger questions' and enabling them to respond and reflect
upon their learning.” (Binder, 2010:22)
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

5. Mapping the spiritual experience
Hay and Nye (1996) Categories of spiritual sensitivity for
young children
Ingersoll (1996) Spiritual well-being inventory from a
counselling perspective - 10 dimensions
Fisher (1998) A model of spiritual well being in relation to
health
Elton-Chalcraft (2002) Four dimensions of spirituality
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

6. Aesthetic Aspects
Whitehead (2010) Physical Literacy
Psychosynthesis (Assagioli, 1911) – roots in
psychology and counselling.
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

7. Pilot Structure and Content
Relaxation and preparation exercises
Visualisation
Discussion
Reflective activity
Interviews 5-10 minutes with 6 pupils.
Follow up with the same 6 pupils
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

8. Data Snippets....
The data that follows has been tentatively
analysed and clearly supports the theory of
psychosynthesis.
The examples show:
Reflective activity after visualisation
Follow-up reflective activity with pebble and
music only
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

9. @EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

10. @EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

11. Emergent Themes – Part 1
Self awareness: Saw own reflection in the water
Awareness of relationships “Thought someone would be at the
end of the garden .”
“Thought like if I’ll meet somebody
in the garden.”
Ego-centric or self aware? “relaxed because there was no-one
around me and that was my only
chance to get peace”
Emotional transformation From anger to calmness
'Here and now'/inner/lost in the Felt “sad” “cause you’d seen all this
'flow‘? stuff and you’ve not been before
and you have to leave”
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

12. Emergent Findings – Part 2
“The pebble helped me to remember my garden”
“I found my pebble in a hole, I found it straight
away”
“The music was the same as the first time I visited
the garden”
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

13. Tentative Conclusions
Links to dimensions and categories of spirituality
The artefact appears to trigger memory (Bone,
2007)
The memory of the imagined journey is able to
trigger indications of spirituality as a memory of
a physical journey (cf Whitehead 2010)
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic

14. Future Plans
Secondary Pilot
Large scale study – October 2012
Primary and secondary schools nationwide
Project leaders will conduct the interviews
Remove the cues on the reflections
@EmmaMcV @PabloPedantic