Jon22: The Website of Jonathan Dobres

Hi there.  You’ve probably come to my site seeking information about Stalking the Wild Mind, a class that Professor Barrand teaches at Boston University.  I know this because I can see the search terms that people use to find my website, and “stalking the wild mind barrand” starts popping up shortly after the Spring class registration, reaching a crescendo in popularity in early September.  It’s okay.  Don’t be afraid.  You’ve come to the right place.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I loved this class.  Not everyone feels the same way, but love it or hate it, I guarantee you that there is no other class like it.  I know students who rolled out of bed just to make it to lecture.  The class tends to put people in a different state of mind.  It is unusual and has a strange attractive power.  You won’t really have to take notes, for instance.  You’ll be assigned papers, but you won’t be given a page limit or a preferred format.  This tends to throw people off, and personally, I always got a kick out of watching people struggle with the idea that they could do it however they wanted.

You’ll enjoy reading the books for this class.  I’ve kept several, and I know I’m not the only person who’s done so.  You may not always agree with what’s in them, and at times you may question Joseph Chilton Pearce’s sanity, but you’ll enjoy them.  Travels is fantastic, and if you’re the kind of person who hates to read assigned materials on principle, you should get over it and at least read that one.

Let’s talk about the professor who teaches this class.  Professor Barrand is truly one of a kind, for lack of a better cliché.   RateMyProfessor.com, a site that contains the opinions of people who essentially have nothing better to do with their time, is a poor reflection of what he’s really like (though most reviews are positive).  He started his academic career in psychology but long ago made a transition into anthropology, and his approach to the class reflects a mixture of both these backgrounds.  I wouldn’t say that “scientist” is the right word to describe him.  He’s more of a storyteller and explorer these days.  The most succinct description I have for him is this:  “Professor Barrand is the kind of person who teaches a dance class from his motorized wheelchair.”  I have always admired him greatly, for many reasons.  After my time in Wild Mind, I did two semesters of directed study with him, and I’m sure that had it not been for this, I wouldn’t be embarking on a cognitive sciences PhD.

His style is extremely laid back.  Oddly, some people cannot cope with this.  There are no exams and—flying in the face of academia—he will insist that your papers reflect your personal opinions and experiences in the class.  What will you cover in the class, you wonder?  Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that.  Dowsing rods, tarot cards, energy healing, hypnotism, whatever else you might get to.  He’s not huge on schedules and deadlines.  Hopefully I’ll be able to stop by to give you a presentation on perception.  I always enjoy that one.

Did I mention the singing?  Barrand likes to sing as a way of introduction, usually about one song per week, and he’s got a good voice.  He will occasionally require the class to participate in the chorus.  Don’t be nervous about it.  That’s the beauty of folk songs, as he once explained to me.  They still sound good even if you’re tone deaf.

I can’t promise you bolts of lightning and revelatory experiences and psychic messages from the beyond.  Could it happen?  Sure.  I saw some genuinely weird things in that class, things that really made me stop and reconsider how I look at the world.  You’ll get out of Wild Mind what you put into Wild Mind, so when Barrand tells you to go out on the BU Beach and use your dowsing rods, please do.  That’s really my biggest piece of advice.  This is not your typical college class, and you’re not going to get much from the books and lectures by themselves.  If you want to get something out of it, the only way is to actively participate in it.  Keep an open mind.  Whether or not you end up liking the class, it will surely give you a lot to think about, and at the very least, you’ll have fun while getting those four credits.