And While My Body Sleeps
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And While My Body Sleeps
Adrienne Felice's "And While My Body Sleeps" offers a glimpse into the academic world of parapsychology, centered on Professor Lang Evans's ambitious project at Fields University. The novel's strength lies in its detailed depiction of curriculum development and the initial recruitment of students exhibiting psychic gifts. Felice crafts a believable scenario for establishing such a department, a feat complicated by skepticism from established academic circles. However, the narrative sometimes falters in fully developing the individual potential of its gifted students, who, despite being culled from popular classes, can feel somewhat generalized. A particular passage detailing Evans's careful selection criteria for his elite core highlights the author's attention to the practicalities of building a research group. Ultimately, the book serves as an intriguing, if occasionally understated, exploration of the institutionalization of psychic research.
📝 Description
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And While My Body Sleeps, published in 2001, follows Lang Evans establishing a parapsychology department at Fields University.
Adrienne Felice's 2001 novel, And While My Body Sleeps, centers on Lang Evans, a scholar appointed to lead a new parapsychology department at Fields University. His position is made possible by a generous endowment, allowing him to craft a detailed curriculum for studying psychic phenomena. The story follows the initial phases of this academic program.
The book addresses the recruitment of students who display unusual abilities and the ethical questions that arise when studying such capacities. It examines the difficulties involved in incorporating research on psychic or esoteric subjects into a standard university setting. The narrative reflects a time when academic interest in consciousness and anomalous phenomena was growing after periods of marginalization.
Published in 2001, this novel emerges during a period of renewed academic interest in consciousness studies and anomalous phenomena. This followed decades where research into areas like parapsychology often existed outside mainstream scientific circles. The early 2000s saw ongoing discussions about the scientific standing of parapsychology, with contemporary figures like Rupert Sheldrake publishing work on concepts such as morphic resonance, which questioned established biological theories. The book's focus on institutionalizing psychic research places it within the broader history of attempts to legitimize and study the paranormal within academic structures.
💡 Why Read This Book?
• Gain insight into the academic structuring of parapsychology programs, as depicted through Lang Evans's curriculum development at Fields University in 2001. • Understand the challenges and methods involved in identifying and recruiting individuals with psychic aptitudes for research, a process detailed in the book's early sections. • Explore the interplay between established academic institutions and the study of anomalous phenomena, a tension relevant to the broader history of parapsychology.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When was "And While My Body Sleeps" first published?
The novel "And While My Body Sleeps" by Adrienne Felice was first published in March 2001.
What is the primary setting for the novel's academic pursuits?
The novel's academic pursuits are primarily set at Fields University in Wisconsin, where a new parapsychology department is established.
Who funds the creation of the parapsychology department?
The establishment of the parapsychology department at Fields University is made possible by a generous endowment from a wealthy woman.
What is the main focus of Lang Evans's academic program?
Lang Evans's academic program is dedicated to the exploration of psychic phenomena, aiming to create an innovative curriculum in parapsychology.
What kind of students does Lang Evans select for his research?
Lang Evans selects an elite core of extraordinarily gifted students from his popular classes to participate in his specialized research.
What is the author's background or known works?
Information about Adrienne Felice's broader authorial background or other specific works beyond this publication is not detailed in the provided summary.
🔮 Key Themes & Symbolism
Academic Parapsychology
The novel meticulously details the establishment of a parapsychology department at Fields University, funded by an endowment. It highlights Professor Lang Evans's efforts to craft an innovative curriculum and recruit students with exceptional psychic abilities. This theme explores the challenges and potential of integrating the study of psychic phenomena within a traditional university structure, examining the administrative and pedagogical aspects of such a specialized academic field.
Selection of Psychic Talent
A core element of the narrative involves the identification and selection of students who possess extraordinary psychic gifts. Evans culls an elite group from his popular classes, indicating a focus on empirical observation and the gathering of individuals with demonstrated anomalous abilities. This theme explores the criteria for recognizing and harnessing psychic potential for research purposes.
Exploration of Psychic Phenomena
The overarching goal of Lang Evans's program is the exploration of the vast mysteries of psychic phenomenon. The book positions this exploration within an academic framework, suggesting a structured and scholarly approach to understanding consciousness and its potential beyond conventional scientific explanations.
Institutionalization of Esoterica
This theme addresses the effort to bring esoteric subjects, specifically parapsychology, into a formal academic setting. The narrative questions how such a department is founded, what curriculum it offers, and how it interacts with the broader university environment. It touches upon the societal and academic acceptance of studying phenomena often relegated to the fringes.
💬 Memorable Quotes
Direct passages from the work, attributed to the author.
“Lang will finally have free reign to create an innovative curriculum”
— This highlights the academic freedom and opportunity Professor Evans receives, enabling him to design a novel educational program focused on psychic research without the usual institutional constraints.
“asks them to participate in a series”
— This phrase suggests the initiation of a specific research project or study involving the selected gifted students, hinting at the experimental nature of the parapsychology department's work.
“an elite core of extraordinarily gifted students”
— This emphasizes the selective nature of the program, focusing on individuals with exceptional, perhaps rare, psychic abilities identified for advanced study and research.
“his lifelong passion to explore the vast mysteries of psychic phenomenon”
— This reveals Professor Evans's deep personal commitment and long-standing dedication to understanding the enigmatic aspects of the human mind and consciousness.
“Fields University in Wisconsin”
— This grounds the narrative in a specific geographical and institutional setting, providing a concrete backdrop for the development of the parapsychology department and its research.
🌙 Esoteric Significance
Tradition
While not explicitly tied to a single esoteric lineage like Hermeticism or Gnosticism, the work engages with the broader tradition of exploring consciousness and psychic abilities that underpins many esoteric systems. It frames these explorations within a modern, academic, and potentially secular context, seeking to apply structured inquiry to phenomena often discussed in mystical or occult texts.
Symbolism
The concept of 'sleep' in the title may symbolize a dormant or unexplored aspect of human consciousness, contrasting with the 'awakening' or active exploration of psychic abilities by the students. Fields University itself can be seen as a symbol of structured knowledge and rational inquiry, serving as the vessel for investigating the less understood domains of the mind.
Modern Relevance
The novel's focus on the academic study of psychic phenomena remains relevant today, particularly with ongoing research into consciousness, neuroscience, and subtle energies. Thinkers and practitioners in fields like quantum consciousness studies and parapsychology continue to explore the boundaries of human potential, drawing parallels to the institutional efforts described in the book.
👥 Who Should Read This Book
• Aspiring parapsychologists and researchers interested in the foundational steps of academic program development in the field. • Readers fascinated by the institutionalization of esoteric studies and the historical context of psychic research within universities. • Students of consciousness and anomalous psychology seeking narratives that explore the potential for extraordinary human abilities within a structured academic environment.
📜 Historical Context
Published in 2001, "And While My Body Sleeps" emerged during a period where the academic study of parapsychology continued to work through the complex relationship between empirical science and subjective experience. While mainstream science often viewed such research with skepticism, the late 20th and early 21st centuries saw persistent interest from various quarters. Figures like Dean Radin were publishing influential works on psi phenomena, advocating for rigorous scientific methodology within the field. Simultaneously, the rise of the internet facilitated broader dissemination of information and discussion on paranormal and psychic topics, creating a more accessible, albeit often less critically curated, landscape than the academic institutions depicted. The novel's premise of establishing a funded department reflects an ongoing, though often contentious, aspiration within parapsychology to gain academic legitimacy.
📔 Journal Prompts
Lang Evans's innovative curriculum for psychic phenomenon.
The selection criteria for extraordinarily gifted students.
The role of a wealthy woman's endowment in establishing Fields University's department.
Initial research projects involving the elite core of students.
The challenges of integrating psychic exploration into academic life.
🗂️ Glossary
Parapsychology
The study of alleged psychic phenomena and other paranormal claims, including purported extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis. It seeks to understand consciousness and its interaction with the physical world beyond conventional scientific explanations.
Psychic Phenomenon
Events or abilities that are believed to occur independently of the known laws of physics and biology, often involving mental or spiritual powers such as telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition.
Endowment
A gift of money or property that is given to an institution, such as a university, and is usually invested to provide income for the institution's use.
Curriculum
The subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college, or the specific content and structure of a particular course.
Extraordinarily Gifted Students
Individuals identified within the narrative as possessing exceptional or unusual psychic abilities, selected for specialized study and research within the parapsychology department.
Fields University
The fictional academic institution located in Wisconsin where the parapsychology department is established and Professor Lang Evans conducts his research.
Lang Evans
The protagonist and head of the new parapsychology department at Fields University, dedicated to exploring psychic phenomena.
This book appears in 1 collection
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