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PRIMAL AWARENESS
Don Trent Jacobs
wahinkpe@yahoo.com
Rochester, Vermont
Inner Traditions Publishing: 1998
ISBN: 0892816694
Book Review: by Larry
Stednitz, PhD
A number of years ago, author Don Jacobs paddled the Rio
Urique, deep into Mexico's Copper Canyon, with Members of
the Tarahumara Indian tribe. In his book, Primal Awareness,
Jacobs describes the physical and spiritual trials he endured
on this adventurous and dangerous wilderness journey. This
trip down the Rio Urique nearly killed Jacobs, and resulted
in a heightened awareness of life; the meeting of his conscious
and his unconscious. This journey is both physically and spiritually
exciting, ultimately contributing to the essence of experiential
learning. His near death experience in Copper Canyon led to
a series of understandings over the next few years and a clear
framework for experiential learning on many levels. He emphasizes
the path to learning and finding one's own harmonious living.
Jacobs divided his book into two parts. The first part discusses
the discovery of what he calls "CAT-FAWN." CAT stands
for Concentration Activated Transformation, the belief that
all significant learning comes through concentration, which
includes focused attention, meditation, imagination, intent,
observation, discrimination, contemplation, adoration and
hypnosis. All serve to bring experiential information into
the center of one's being for processing. FAWN, or fear, authority,
words and nature, are the primary influences that continually
trigger our concentrative mechanisms. The second part of this
book presents how we learn to live and why, and explores these
concepts in detail.
I found this book compelling and difficult to put down. Those
exploring the outer limits of experiential education and life,
embracing the realms of psychology, anthropology, education
and mystery could consider Primal Awareness as a
useful guide.
The proceeds of the book sales go to the Tarahumara Indians
of Mexico.
About the Author:
[Don Trent Jacobs is a faculty member at Fielding Graduate
Institute, and an associate professor at Northern Arizona
University in Yuma, AZ. From 1998-2001, he served as Dean
of the Education Department at Oglala Lakota College. He holds
doctorates in health psychology, curriculum and instruction,
and is the author of more than a dozen books.]
Copyright © 2005, Woodbury
Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced without prior
approval if the copyright notice and proper publication and
author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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