Technology, Nature and the Spirit by Dustin W. Pack - a Service Project presented at Atlantic University's Fall Convocation, September 30th, 2013

1. TECHNOLOGY, NATURE
AND THE SPIRIT
Dustin W. Pack
Service Project
September 30, 2013

2. Agenda
• Spiritual Reflections on Nature
• Road to Service
• Environment Defined
• Digital Creatures
• Building Spiritual Reflections
• Conclusion

3. Spiritual Reflections on Nature
• Perennial Philosophy
• 2 Reflective Exercises
• 13 Perennial Plants
• Meditation Timer
• Nature Journal

4. Spiritual Reflections on Nature
A Mental Model for Perennial Philosophy:
Perennial plants bloom across the spring and
wither in the fall. Their resilient rootstock
allows them to grow year after year.
Perennial Philosophy is the resilient rootstock
of the major religions and spiritual practices
that survive across the cycles of time.

5. Dandelion
The Dandelion is a perennial weed that produces small
flowers that later transform into seed heads. Many
dandelion species reproduce without pollination. This
causes each offspring of the dandelion to be an exact
genetic replica of its parent. The Dandelion, if untreated
can cause nutrient problems in lawns, gardens and
cropland.
Perennial Connection
Weeds require detection and action for corrective
measures. There may be weeds in our spiritual practices
right now that need our attention. Apathy in taking care
of weeds and ourselves is common. A Dandelion in the
garden may look small and unassuming but in reality it is
eating away nutrients that could be going to your
tomatoes and cucumbers.
In meditation we may find ourselves with spinning
thoughts (weeds) intruding on our garden of peace. Like
a good gardener we can recognize the thoughts,
understand their existence and then gently remove them
from the mind. More thoughts may come and we can
remove them just as easy so long as we have patience.

6. Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy can be found in the Eastern United States and
Canada. It presents itself in vine form or as a bush and is
distinguished by its 3 leaf stems and hairy vines. The
leaves may look oval with a tapered tip or have a mitten
like appearance. Poison Ivy represents a well known
harmful plant but is only one of many types of plants that
can cause painful rashes and itching.
Perennial Connection
Not all experiences in nature are pleasant and not all
spiritual practices lead to painless growth. Sometimes
our spiritual endeavors cause our illusions to be broken
and much pain ensues. Sometimes we go too far and fast
into a practice without caution and find ourselves in
painful situations. The dark night of the soul and other
spiritual crises are real. Like Poison Ivy, preventative
knowledge is the best means to keep out of trouble.

7. Reflection Exercise
The Willow tree has a strong shallow root system while the Hickory Tree derives its
strength from a deep root system that can tap into minerals other plants can’t. Both
systems accomplish the same purpose through different ways. Can you find a similar
instance in your spiritual life of two seeming contradictions working towards the same
purpose?
“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound
truth may well be another profound truth.” – Niels Bohr
The perennial spiritualist may sometimes need to be able to balance between seeming
contradictions. The perennial philosopher may be able to believe in a universe that is
designed by clockwork karmic laws as well as a universe ruled by a supreme power that
cares about each individual’s growth towards the source.

8. Meditation Timer
“Meditating on the breath is a basic technique to practice mind and
body awareness. To meditate on the breath sit in a comfortable
position with body slightly erect. Clear your mind and focus on….”

9. Nature Journal
Take pictures and write your own observations from within the
application.

10. Road to Service
Atlantic University Classes Taken Across 3 Years:
Introduction to Transformative Theories and Practices
Spiritual Crisis
Qualitative Research Methods
The Inner Life: Dreams, Meditation Creativity…
Origin and Destiny of the Human Consciousness
Becoming a Teacher of Mission in Life
Becoming a Teacher of Dreamwork
An Introduction to Visual Arts Skills
Mythology and Symbolism
Religion, Spirituality and the Transpersonal

11. Road to Service
Atlantic University Mentors:
Candis Collins
Raye Mathis
Cameron Plagens
Bobbie Ann Pimm
Henry Reed
James Van Auken

12. Environment Defined
*Source Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends/explore

13. Environment Defined
*Source Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends/explore

14. Environment Defined
*Source Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends/explore

15. Environment Defined
*Source Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends/explore

16. Environment Defined
Gardening, fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching, nature, Virginia Beach, national parks
*Source Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends/explore

17. Environment Defined
Technology is a growing part of our lives
Downward trend of activities in nature
Disconnect between today’s youth and
the natural world

18. Digital Creatures
More connected and less connected
Exposed to spiritual concepts in disguise:
• Networking
• Creating
• Mentoring

19. Digital Creatures
Target Audience:
Modern men and women who want to
begin a spiritual practice closer to nature
but don’t know where to start.
Peripheral Audience:
Anyone who likes to contemplate the
transpersonal in a natural setting.

20. Building Spiritual Reflections
The Mental Model
Plant and Transpersonal Research
Spiritual Graphic Arts
Interface Design
Publishing

21. Reflection Exercise
Language is our greatest tool to communicate with one another and more importantly with
ourselves. We place labels on objects and concepts to describe what is.
Root Plant
Pattern
Spore Bearing
Plants
Algae
Mosses
Seed Bearing
Plants
Ferns
Flowering Plants
(Angiosperms)
Monocotyledons
Conifers
(Gymnosperms)
Dicotyledons
All plant life represents different expressions of the root plant pattern.

22. Reflection Exercise
Universal Truth
Eastern Religion
Hindu
Buddhism
Western Religion
Tao
Judaism
Islam
Christianity
Catholicism
Protestantism
All major religions represent different expressions of the universal truth.

23. Spiritual Graphics Art

24. Spiritual Graphics Art

25. Interface Design

26. Publishing
Apple Review Process
Key Word Search Terms
Software Description

27. Final Product (iPad)

28. Final Product (iPad)

29. Final Product (iPhone)

30. Conclusion
• Free to Download on Apple App Store
• Open Source Software
Future Updates:
• More Plants!
• User Submissions
• …more Apps?