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If you're on "information overload" in your search to find answers for yourself or your loved ones, you can undoubtedly see: this is more information. In addition to more information, however, you may find on this and the pages that follow a blessed gift of clarity.

Most neurodevelopmental specialists, cognitive trainers, and/or general learning centers don't publicly articulate their beliefs. Since the ways that we help people are so different, we believe it's important for us to share where we're coming from. It's easy for people to talk past each other when they don't set aside time to define vocabulary. We tend to assume that others share our understanding of particular words as we speak, even though it's common for speakers to use the same word differently, or to use different words to mean the same thing.

To explore this potential for confusion, consider the declaration "No, I'm not! I'm going to run it this way!" Jot down what you think the speaker meant by the word "run." Then, look up the word "run" in a dictionary. What could the speaker have meant?

Communication easily goes awry, especially when professionals are speaking with those who don't share their professional backgrounds. We want to learn and grow with our clients. We want to communicate clearly, which is why we've written these pages on Integral Learning™. Whether or not you agree with everything that follows, we look forward to helping in whatever ways we can.

The kind of changes we regularly help effect in learners are possible in part because we've been trained to "see things" and know what to do about them. These transformations are also possible because of the universal nature of learning principles. On this and the pages that follow, we'll be exploring these principles, which together form an approach we call Integral Learning™. If you're using a recent Internet browser, click the headline "Making Sense of Things," below, to read more. (Otherwise, just keep on reading.)

When we and our loved ones struggle, it's natural to try to make sense of things. It's rare, however, to realize that we can choose how we make sense of things—or that the ways we choose to make sense of our experiences will, in large part, determine the answers we find. Specifically,

1. Will we seek answers in our biology, in our lives as individuals, or in our lives as part of a broader group or culture?

2. Will we turn to the past or future, seeing our current struggle in light of a story (called—big word alert—a "diachronic" approach), or will we turn to the present, seeing the breadth and depth of what can be known about this moment (called —big word alert—a "synchronic" approach)?

Placing our answers to both of these questions in a table yields six general approaches to making sense of things:

There may be merits to each approach.

•   Developmentalism: Certainly, understanding developmental stages can help teachers and therapists structure curriculum.

•   The Way of Psychiatry: Certainly, as neuroendocrinology improves our understanding of the chemical functions within us, we will one day be able—with much more precision than we can now—to change our brain chemistry by changing our actions, environment, and nutrition (including supplementation with specific hormones, minerals, amino acids, and probiotics). The current state of psychiatry, however, leaves much to be desired—in part due to a logical error called "reification," which we'll explore later.

•   The Way of Psychoanalysis: Certainly, people get "stuck" when they dwell on events in their past. And certainly, it's important to address events from our past as we remember them. Unfortunately, the way of psychoanalysis often encourages people to dredge their memories for painful events, to mentally rehearse those events, to assert their own innocence in those events, and to reject feelings of guilt as invalid and harmful—the exact opposite of a healthful, synchronic psychology (the kind championed, for instance, by Dr. Terry Warner and Dr. James L. Farrell).

•   The Way of Current Events: Certainly, understanding current events in our communities and world can sometimes help us understand events in our lives. Unfortunately, it's easy to be lured into the thrill of being a spectator or dulled by passive entertainment—and either can keep us from responding as agents of healthful change.

When God became human in the person of Jesus, He didn't prioritize explaining developmental stages, exploring human chemistry, or delving into childhood traumas to understand people's current actions. Moreover, he largely brought historical and spiritual perspective to current events of his time, rather than searching for meaning in events as they happened. God left whatever worthwhile advancements may come from these fields to a later time.

Chiefly, Jesus advanced the Light of Truth and the Way of Truth.

1.  The Light of Truth is this proclamation: God's faithfulness to those who appeal to Him for mercy establishes their identity. The most important question is not "Who am I?" but, rather, "Whose am I?"

a. Those who appeal to God for mercy recognize that their own power and goodness are limited.

b. They mourn the wrong they have done.

c. They trust God to treat them justly and with love, even in the midst of their darkest hours.

d. They acknowledge God's authority, as Creator, to do with His creation whatever He wishes.

e. They surrender the course of their lives to Him.

2.  The Way of Truth is this proclamation: Those secure in their identity in relationship to God can—following the example of Jesus—inject the power of love into their knowledge, skills, habits, awareness, relationships, and faith.

Both the Light and Way of Truth magnify courageous love for God and others. They diminish self-glorification, self-preservation, and rugged individualism. They encourage us, as the Apostle Paul did in his letter to believers in Rome:

Let love be without hypocricy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Love one another warmly in brotherly love; take the lead in showing honor to one another… Rejoice in hope; endure in tribulation; persevere in prayer… Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (12:9–10, 12 & 15)

Have you ever done something that was hard to do?

Have you ever kept doing something that took a long time to do until you finished?

Have you ever made a lot of mistakes while you learned to do something?

We call things that seem difficult to us, take a long time for us to do, or are complex enough that we don't get them right the first few times through challenges.

Everyone has experienced challenges. We all experience them. Most challenges help us learn and grow. We call the process of learning and growing during these challenges practice.

Most challenges are a lot alike. Over time, we learn to recognize ways they're similar, and we learn ways of responding to similar challenges. We call the ways we respond to similar challenges strategies. As we practice particular strategies, we usually find similar challenges less complex.

Many times, we can respond to simpler challenges without thinking much at all. We call the ways we respond to simple challenges skills. As we practice skills, we usually find challenges that use these skills take less of our time and effort. We call the process of reducing our effort, time on task, and frequency of errors efficiency.

Again, we call the process of reducing our effort, time on task, and frequency of errors efficiency. Sometimes, we can make what we're doing very efficient. Our bodies have been designed to respond to simple or familiar challenges, then quickly relax—yet not fully. As long as we weren't overwhelmed by the challenge we just faced, our bodies have been designed to remain ready for the next challenge. A challenge seems simpler if we both

1. Recognize a similarity between a challenge we're facing and others we've faced in the past and also

2. Remember an efficient strategy we can use in response to the challenge.

A challenge seems quicker and easier if we can meet it head-on with appropriate skills.

Sometimes, we can't make what we're doing very efficient. Even trying actually hampers our success. Almost everything we do proceeds in somewhat predictable patterns, many which have been or can be discovered with enough scrutiny, then conveyed as rules.

There are rules that describe efficient driving, for instance: different places to look, different times to look there, how to do shoulder checks, how to shift a manual transmission, how to see the road while checking the rearview mirror, how to respond to other cars' sudden braking or swerving, how to navigate among pedestrians while remaining aware of traffic—how efficient drivers handle each of these can be codified, written down, and studied. Our minds, however, can only process so much information at once, and a new driver's mind has enough to think about without trying to remember all these rules.

For a new driver to become a safe, efficient driver, there is simply no substitute for time behind the wheel. Eventually, after being immersed enough in the experience, each driver's responses become automatic… and, often, automatically aligned with "rules" the driver never studied nor memorized.

Other times—as is often the case with academics—learning rules explicitly can make a challenge seem simpler, easier, and quicker to master. It's important to consider when explicit instruction is likely to help῅ and when it's not.

We call responding to challenges with strategies and skills we haven't yet developed to the point the challenge seems familiar or easy confusion. Confusion isn't necessarily bad: confusion lets us know that (a) we're immersed in an unfamiliar or highly complex learning situation, and/or (b) we need to develop strategies and skills. Confusion also cues us to remain alert—to relax, yes… but to not fully relax until we've either hit a road block or developed the strategies or skills we're missing.

We call learning and growing through challenges and confusion stress. Here's a basic formula:

Challenge + Confusion = Stress

Sometimes, a challenge seems to go on and on—or we face so many subtle challenges, our confusion seems neverending. This can be very unpleasant. It's natural for people to turn inward and feel afraid, to grow numb and feel angry, or to grow vigilant and feel detached. This is sometimes called the Flight or Fight response to strain. It hampers learning. Here's a modified formula:

Extreme Challenge or Enduring Confusion = Strain

Sometimes, a person's mind-body temporarily shuts down in response to extreme challenge or enduring confusion. Most often, the shut-down is temporary—the body's Fright (or "play possum" response. We call a more severe shut-down in response to strain shock, and we call the events that preceded shock—usually sudden, severe challenges—traumas. We generally don't learn or grow much during  traumas. Traumas generally shut down learning for a while. We can often, however, learn and grow as a result of  traumas. We call the process of learning and growing as a result of trauma recovery. Here's a final basic formula:

Trauma before Recovery = Shock

Let's review with a brief quiz, with answers to follow:

1. True or False: The process of reducing our effort, our time, and our frequency of errors is called efficiency.

2. Responding to challenges…

a. with underdeveloped strategies or skills is called confusion.

b. without a fright, fight, or flight reaction is called stress.

c. with a fright, fight, or flight reaction is called strain.

d. that seem sudden or severe, or to confusion that seems never to end, is called shock.

e. All of the above.

3. Technology and modern conveniences can help make our lives easier. Producing and using them, however, can expose us to small amounts of toxins—from electromagnetic radiation 100,000+ times greater than our ancestors faced just two generations ago to chemicals from plastics which mimic hormones that help regulate our body's attention and immune mechanisms. Which of the following best describes this situation?

a. The monotony, extreme temperatures, and muscle fatigue of manual labor are often stressful, but we're learning just fine.

b. Many, subtle challenges keep our mind-bodies in ongoing confusion—a strain that hampers our learning.

c. The traumas of persecution, rape, murder, famine, and tribal warfare put us in shock, which temporarily shuts down our learning.

Continuing our quiz…

4. Today's child safety devices reduce the amount of time children have in loving contact with their parents; in electrostatic contact with the ground; and in self-directed exploration of their environment—all natural helps to development. Our reliance on pre-packaged foodstuffs, hired help, and the T.V. for babysitting reduces the amount of time children have to model caregivers' problem-solving strategies. Children are bounced from place to place with little continuity of experience. Which of the following best describes this situation?

a. The monotony, extreme temperatures, and muscle fatigue of manual labor are often stressful, but we're learning just fine.

b. Many, subtle challenges keep our mind-bodies in ongoing confusion—a strain that hampers our learning.

c. The traumas of persecution, rape, murder, famine, and tribal warfare put us in shock, which temporarily shuts down our learning.

Continuing our quiz…

5. Current television programming, movies, and most video games present images from one camera angle (also called "point of view" or "perspective"), then change camera angles before a viewer/player can make sense of the experience verbally. As we viewers/players stop trying to make rational, verbal sense of our experience, activity in the frontal cortex—the decision-making part of our brains—predictably declines, regardless of the content we're watching. Neurochemically, we become more susceptible to advertising hype and to the worldview presented in whatever we're watching.

Whether or not we "talk about the show afterward," for hours at a time we have practiced not  rationally, verbally processing our experience. Equally as bad, in response to the very real strain of confusion that our senses endure as we watch, our brains secrete endorphins—the so-called "pleasure chemicals" responsible for the "runner's high" some athletes report after physical strain. Largely unconscious of any strain and having been pleasurably rewarded, we habitually return to visual media to practice not  using our intellect. Which of the following best describes this situation?

a. The monotony, extreme temperatures, and muscle fatigue of manual labor are often stressful, but we're learning just fine.

b. Many, subtle challenges keep our mind-bodies in ongoing confusion—a strain that hampers our learning.

c. The traumas of persecution, rape, murder, famine, and tribal warfare put us in shock, which temporarily shuts down our learning.

Answers: 1. T; 2. d; 3. b; 4. b; 5. b

Learning to keep our stress response proportional to the challenge is important for learning in general—and also for recovery from trauma. An ongoing fright, fight, or flight response impedes recovery. People with chronic fright, fight, or flight responses are significantly less adaptable after trauma: they go in shock more readily, and their recovery tends to take longer.

The daily challenges of most people in the Developed World are plentiful, varied, and subtle—even when they seem severe. Since challenge and confusion can strain us alike, it's easy to confuse the two. We search for what plagues us, but when the causes are many and subtle, they're difficult to find. Moreover, as we grow ever-more vigilant in our search, we actually tend to overlook causes right under our noses.

Have you ever searched for your keys on a summer evening when you're relaxed? Have you ever searched for your keys when you're running out the door, already late for an important meeting? Under which scenario did you find them more easily?

In general, we have fewer and less severe sources of stress than people in less-developed countries. Since the sources of our stress are harder to identify, however, we tend to become confused and hyper-vigilant.

It is becoming increasingly common for the mind-bodies of Westerners to recoil from sensory stimulation (as occurs in autism-spectrum conditions), to turn against themselves (as occurs with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and auto-immune conditions), or to "help" by dulling awareness to the mess we're in (as occurs with depression). The dangers we face seem hidden: Where are they? we wonder. What are they? What's attacking me?

We often carry this strain into our relationships. In the midst of ongoing confusion, we perceive a need to justify ourselves or our (in)action toward meeting other's needs. Children justify their (in)action or disobedience; parents justify their (in)action or unkindness; consultants justify their lack of knowledge or care; siblings, spouses, employees, or employers, too—each of us, with the many hats we wear, tries to justify ourselves over against "the other" many times a day. We dampen attention and motivation in the process.

The ways we carry strain into our relationships aren't new. The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to his pupil Timothy, records how easily we follow a four-stage progression from truth and life to collapse and ruin. It's as if, walking through the mountains, we abandon

1.  The Path of Humility—We become proud and diseased with questionings and contentions of words. Our pride, questionings, and contentions darken…

2.  The Trail of Knowledge—We become deceived, disregarding what we know of natural consequences like reaping what we sow. We embrace envy, strife, slanders, and evil suspicions which, corrupting our intuition, plunge us into incessant fighting within ourselves and among one another. Instead of being thankful for and content within the life of God, we follow God (if we do so at all) primarily as a means of gaining money, power, or "fire insurance" from hell. Eventually, we abandon…

3.  The Walkway of Wisdom—We become ensnared: we fall into temptation and habitually pursue foolish and destructive desires, which keep us from experiencing…

4.  The Field of Life—We experience death, destruction, and ruin.

The many, subtle sources of stress we face today have essentially added a stage before those above:

0.  A Forest of Enduring Confusion—We lose clarity of perception, making it all the easier to lose our way along the path of humility. We simply don't see the many good choices we can make.

But it needn't be so! It's possible to retrain our mind-body's fright, fight, or flight response to work through enduring confusion, so we can better follow the way God has made for us beyond the age-old, four-stage path toward ruin above.

God truly is the creator of everyone and everything! Even more, the Bible tells us, He is a Father to each person who trusts Him and obeys His Word. As the apostle John reminds us:

(1) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves God, who fathers, also loves those who have been fathered by God. (2) In this we know what we love the children of God: when we love God and do His commandments. (3) For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. (I John 5:1–3)

God is a wonderful, loving Daddy to each person who trusts Him and obeys His Word. For some who are trusting God and obeying His word, however—perhaps for you, reader—it is difficult to think of God as Daddy. Sometimes, this difficulty arises from poor relationships with earthly fathers. For people who were mistreated by their earthly fathers, especially, the Father-image of God can be difficult. The difficulty of seeing God as a loving Daddy may be compounded by a particular way of seeing the Father's relationship to ourselves and our sin. We rarely see that…

1. Though it takes practice to see God's commands in this light, they're for our own good, and they're not burdensome. Like a loving Father, God tells us what's best for us, but too often we don't believe Him. Instead, like rebellious adolescents, we accuse Him of being unreasonable and not understanding. We defend what we want to do, based on what we think is right and wrong. Over time, we each begin to think we're right—and that anyone who disagrees with us is wrong. Still, God loves us: He warns us where this attitude leads, but He doesn't take offense.

2. If we don't change our attitude, however, we soon start to do whatever we want. We wander further and further from the ways God has told us are best for us to follow. Still, He loves us: He warns me of where these actions lead. He lets us face the consequences of our actions, too—sometimes refusing to bail us out, even when we think we need His help the most. But He's still patient and encourages us to come back home: His arms are open wide.

3. It's not long before our actions hurt a brother or sister, though. In fact, the more we practice going our own way, the more we start to injure others—usually unintentionally, but with awareness we might be hurting them, nevertheless. Now, like a loving Father whose child has been injured, God gets angry. It's true: He cares about each of us just as much as He cares about the ones we're hurting. But it's also true: He cares about the ones we're hurting just as much as He cares about each of us, and He's not going to stand by while we hurt them.

4. He will eventually pay back to each of us what we have done, in the waywardness of our hearts, to those under His care: we will be cast out into the darkness of spiritual death.

Throughout this entire process, God loves us—though He will eventually take up the cause of our victims, avenge the wrongs we have done to those we've hurt, and withhold from us the mercy we could have extended and the good we could have done, but didn't. He's just, yet He's also loving. Too often, however, we don't see His love, and we embrace the Way of Death.

We've read one of the apostle Paul's synopses of the Way of Death in I Timothy 6:4–10. We read the apostle John's exploration of the Way of Death in his first letter (called I John). John provides us with three words (Greek word alert), which we might represent as a series of concentric circles:
• All adikia (#3) is hamartia (#2); I Jn 5:17.
• All hamartia (#2) is anomia (#1); I Jn. 3:4.
• Through adikia (#3), hamartia leads to death (#4); I Jn 5:16–17.

Here's what each of these terms mean. Below, we've described the Way of Death in first person. Each of us has traveled it to some extent or another:

1. Out of Control (anomia): I grasp at things I can never possess; I allow my own, selfish desires to blind me to choices I can make for my own and others' good. I override that "still small voice" of God, speaking to me through spiritual intuition. If I stopped to think about it, I would know I'm not choosing good and, in this way, really betray myself. But I don't want to admit this! Thus, I justify myself: quickly, I deprecate the person I had before felt led to help. Is she a nuisance? Is he a fool? An ingrate? The less deserving of help the other person is, the more easily I can justify my choice not to help them. Through self-betrayal, my way of being shifts from humble to proud. I do not recognize the poverty of my spirit, nor mourn my condition (Matthew 5:3–4).

2. Missing the Point (hamartia): I separate myself from God. Instead of walking with God, enjoying His presence, I wander away and disregard the principles He has called me to follow for the good of His people, including myself. I allow my pride to pervert what I know. I think of myself as mightier than I am and purpose in my heart to do whatever I want. I fail to accurately assess or control my strength: I envy, boast, and become suspicious of others, hungering and thirsting after money, wealth, or fame (Matthew 5:5–6). Hamartia is often translated "sin." It is the most common New Testament word so translated.

3. Injustice (adikia): If I continue in self-betrayal, self-justification, and a path of sin, I will eventually damage others. I begin to hold them in contempt, which undercuts any confession I make and retards any desire I feel to make restitution for the damages I've caused. I may become liable to civil or criminal prosecution and punishment (Matthew 5:22a). Too often, I cast mercy aside and heap guilt upon myself (Matthew 5:7–8), becoming consumed in continuing the path I have taken. This is sin of a greater magnitude.

4. Death (thanatos): As I perpetuate injustice, I become accountable for the injustice and also for the course I took which got me there: disregarding God's mercy and guidance. I have exalted myself and judged others—an act justly balanced by God casting me down. I have condemned others, too—an act justly balanced by God condemning me. My condemnation of others hardens my heart and hastens my death. If I refuse to make peace with the Lord and, to the extent possible, with those I have wronged, I will eventually die, cut off from God's kingdom of light and truth (Matthew 5:9–12).

Each of us, at some point, has embraced the Way of Death. Each of our children, as they have aged, has at some point embraced the Way of Death, too. We've hurt one another. In many cases, we're still hurt—each of us. The Bible calls what we've done sinning.  Biblically, sinning isn't just violating God's law. Rather, sinning is

•   Predictable—If sinning were more complex, it would be easier to maintain a sense of pride despite being duped by sin's wiles. In all its multifarious forms, however, sinning is predictable: it proceeds along the same four-fold path revealed in Scripture, as outlined above.

•   Pervasive—Sinning infects our every aspect: our heart and strength, our intellect and intuition, our discernment and desires. There isn't a single aspect of who we are that isn't touched by the negative effects of our wandering from the law of God. (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 7:25-29; 9:3; Romans 3:10–20; 3:23).

•   Progressive—Sinning is never stagnant; like mildew or yeast, it grows and infects when left unchecked. Like rust, it destroys from within, even when things may look fine on the surface. (Proverbs 5:22; Jeremiah 13:23; Ephesians 4:17–19)

•   Pernicious—Sinning leads inevitably, inexorably toward destruction and death. No one breaks a command of God and comes away unscathed. If we think we've gotten away with a little breach of what God has told us to do for our own good, we deceive ourselves. "God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7; c.f., Proverbs 14:12)

Keeping in mind these aspects of sinning can help us see God's love in His response to our sins, and even more in how He has rescued us from the Way of Death, which we'll examine later.

Let's continue our quiz, with answers to follow:

6.  When we can't locate the subtle sources of our anguish, it's natural to become hyper-vigilant, leaving no stone unturned. As we come to understand how widespread the sources of our stress are, it's also natural to become afraid, recognizing that we can't avoid them all. In our fear and confusion, our mind-bodies enter a fright, fight, or flight response, which hampers our learning. Dealing first with our confusion is most consistent with…

a.  The Way of Truth, which explains the present in light of current experience. This Way often recommends preserving a healthy level of challenge while reducing general strain.

b.  The Way of Psychiatry, which explains the present in light of one's brain chemicals and genetic makeup. This way often recommends taking drugs, since differences in brain chemistry can affect mood—despite drugs' documented dangers, despite repeated demonstrations that brain chemistry can change as we change our beliefs and actions, and despite potentially lifelong side effects from trying powerful drugs for just a few weeks, to "see if they help."

c.  The Way of Psychoanalysis, which explains the present in light of one's past. This Way often recommends unearthing childhood traumas that may be hampering current learning, despite the prospect of years of expensive psychoanalysis on the horizon—and despite how easy it is, in recalling past mistreatment, to feel justified for not changing in the present.

d.  Developmentalism, which explains the present in light of one's missing or maximizing crucial developmental stages. This Way often recommends removing as many challenges as possible, since challenges can hamper learning. (Everything not "developmentally appropriate" to a learner's age or experience must go.)

Continuing our quiz…

7.  When training according to the Way of Truth, we can expect

a.  Purposefully chosen challenges, which we can stop when we need to, effectively retraining our fright, fight, or flight response and reducing our confusion.

b.  Stress, possibly including enduring the elements, working hard, and getting fatigued from manual labor. Hard work rarely hurts learning and often helps it.

c.  Natural consequences of our choices—even when those consequences are bad—since we can learn from them.

d.  Natural consequences of others' choices—even when we're harmed by enduring them. This gives the church and state governments opportunity to establish justice; it develops perseverance and hope for ultimate justice in those harmed; and provides opportunity for forgiveness when a wrong-doer repents and makes restitution.

e.  All of the above.

8.  God has given us solutions to four of the five stages of sinning mentioned thus far. God's solutions, which we'll explore soon, are truly amazing! For which of the following (present in Bible times but not pervasive until late in the Modern era) has God not  recorded a solution in the Bible:

a.  Strain caused by enduring confusion.

b.  Pride caused by unchecked self-betrayal and self-justification.

c.  Deceit caused by chafing against the guidance of God's law.

d.  Consumption caused by doing violence to others.

e.  Death caused by consumption and deceit.

Continuing our quiz…

9.  When we don't act on the good that the "still small voice" within us invites us to do, we betray ourselves. We kill our learning by justifying being as we are. Since our conscience still convicts us, however, our self-betrayal is accompanied by self-justification: quickly, we deprecate the person we felt prompted to help. Is she a nuisance? A fool? An ingrate? The less deserving she is of help, the more we can justify our choice to pass by. Of course, by deprecating a person we felt led to help, we invite her to justify herself. We effectively kill her learning, if she doesn't choose to follow a different path. Each of us, in general, does this many times each day, but we rarely recognize we're doing it. In fact, our perverted sense of right and wrong actually blinds us to what we're doing: we're so busy justifying ourselves that we miss our many opportunities to choose differently. This phenomenon makes it very important to…

a.  Reduce our level of challenge by isolating ourselves from others, since they're the main problem anyway.

b.  Reduce our confusion, so we can perceive clearly and learn alongside those we care about, choosing what's best for everyone involved.

c.  Recall our traumas—how often we have been a victim—even though we're confused and likely, as we recall more details, to feel increasingly justified for not  changing.

Answers: 6. a; 7. e; 8. a; 9. b

Learning With Integrity

As we learn alongside those we care about, we can't always know or guarantee the outcome. Integral Learning™ means learning with integrity—with an awareness of ourselves, an understanding of the process of learning, and a commitment to do whatever it takes to learn. It focuses first on the Light of Truth—the good news that those who have been alienated from God, gradually dying, can be adopted as His sons and daughters and filled with His life and love. Then it examines the Way of Truth, exploring ways that our sensations, language, and concepts can clarify (or distort) our learning, and ways we can act on this learning in courageous love.

Integral Learning™ means doing whatever it takes to learn, even if "whatever it takes" means relaxing a push toward excellence at any cost and breathing a sigh of relief. Sometimes, "whatever it takes" means exploring the learning process from new angles and being open about our frailties in a supportive, non-judgmental climate. Sometimes, "whatever it takes" means learning to step back, adopt a broader perspective, and apply an increasing repertoire of thinking strategies. Sometimes, the process from "this mess we find ourselves in" toward true freedom looks nothing like what we imagined.

Perils in Purpose-Driven Learning

What kind of education do you imagine? Professionally, education is often divided into curriculum—what knowledge, skills, habits, awareness, relationships, and faith are taught—and instruction—how these things are taught. The questions "Why are these things taught?" and "What do we want children to become?" often guide selection of curriculum and instructional techniques. Historically, those with power to shape curriculum and instruction (the upper class) have given different answers for their own children than for others' children.

They have defended classical education—designed to produce culturally informed critical thinkers—for their own children, while pushing for "progressive" education—designed to produce good citizens and proficient workers—for common children. Amazingly (from an historic perspective), they have also marketed "progressive education" well enough that today, many professors of education, teachers, and parents ask for it.

Both classical and progressive education have merits, but neither approach contains within it a comprehensive way to resolve learning problems as they arise.

1.  Today's progressive educators see a learner struggle and generally assume his or her brain hasn't developed normally, and/or that the learner doesn't believe in him/herself. Recommendations? Sensory play with an OT a couple times per week, plus small group work with a social worker to build self-esteem and self-efficacy… until the child is measurably on the road to becoming a good citizen and productive worker. Sometimes, this works. (It meets a few learners' needs. Sometimes.)

2.  Today's classical educators see a learner struggle and generally assume (s)he hasn't drilled basic skills to mastery, which can actually structure the brain. Recommendations? More drill, until basic skills are mastered. Many times, this works. (It meets more learners' needs. More often—but not always.)

Every model of education that focuses primarily on outcomes—whether progressive, classical, outcomes-based education, or the contemporary "standards" movement—faces five additional difficulties, which you can read about here. (You may see approaches you've tried in the descriptions.) Or, you can keep reading, aware that if we want learners

1.  To perceive, remember, choose, create, imagine, and reason dynamically;

2.  To adjust to changes in themselves and their environment; and

3.  To support a rule of law over governing figures, corporate interests, and individuals, including themselves,

(all good goals), then people other than the learner can't completely engineer the entire process. Each of these goals requires learners to eventually take ownership of their learning, which means parents and educators can do a lot, but we cannot, ultimately, ensure a child turns out well. The only way for learners to excel at being free is to practice freedom, which limits what those other than the learner can do. We can do a lot; we can't do everything.

On the pages that follow, we'll explore each type of learning, along with problems that occur in learning, then "put it all together."

Right now, however, you may be thinking, "There's an awful lot of information here." If so, you're right: there is. Learning isn't always easy, and understanding learning is going to take some work.

You may also be thinking, "This doesn't apply to me." And again, you may be right. Our bodies' attention mechanisms and physical structures support everything we do and feel. Since the McNatt Learning Center, Inc., specializes in working with learners' attentional mechanisms and physical structures, our clientele is correspondingly diverse—from those diagnosed with autism-spectrum conditions, AD/HD, bipolar, or Tourette Syndrome to those diagnosed with learning disabilities or dyslexia; from those with posture or balance difficulties to those diagnosed as atypically or exceptionally gifted; and from those seeking to alleviate pain to those seeking an academic or athletic edge.

The information that follows covers a wide array of concerns, and not all of it may be relevant to you or your family. In the pages that follow, however, you can discover why some of what you've tried has worked, while other approaches you've tried haven't. And you can deepen your understanding of learning. With that said, let's look at an outline of where we're headed:

The Big Picture

To get a "big picture" of learning, we'll examine

1. The Light of Truth (And Our Problematic Resistance to It)

Learning isn’t confined to a classroom; we’re learning all the time, yet it’s common for those with learning challenges—and, sometimes, for those who love them—to give up on themselves, their relationships, and their hopes for a better future. The health of our learning and the health of our mind-bodies are inseparable. For this reason, it’s important that we first explore:

a. What are common “solutions” to problems of the human mind-body (the soma and its psyche)?

b. Why don't these “solutions” work?

c. Why is a different approach needed?

2. The Identity and Aspects of Every Learner

There are many ways to classify how we experience the world. Some groups of people may classify a person as brain and body, recognizing that (of course) the brain and body are related. Others may add terms like heart, mind, will, and emotion—or spirit, soul, and body. Many ancients would be shocked to hear bowels and kidneys omitted from current-day discussions of what it means to be human.

The McNatt Learning Center, Inc., is a Christian ministry/business. Though we work with people of many faiths, we believe that the Bible is God’s message to humankind. The same God who created this universe has also spoken to us through the prophecies, teachings, and life examples recorded in the Bible. We thus find it interesting to explore: according to the Bible, what are the "parts" of each person, and how do we relate to God through each aspect of who we are?

The Nitty Gritty

As we understand what learning is, and who we are as learners, we're better able to consider what we can do about learning problems. Thus, once we've explored the above, we’ll be ready to consider

3. The Four Types of Learning (and Two Guiding Questions)

a. How do we know what we know?

b. How can we distinguish natural learning from normal (or cultural) learning?

c. In what ways can we make space for natural learning?

d. In what ways can we facilitate normal learning?

e. What makes learning complex?

4. The Integral Learning Model: Learning involves taking in, sifting through, becoming aware of, and responding to impressions from our senses and our own consciousness. How does this process work?

The Application

By this time, we'll have explored learning problems, the learner, the learning process, and the Integral Learning model, and we'll have investigated some ways to address problems with each. Next, we'll look at some applications:

5. The Role of “Expert” Assistance (And How to Choose Help)

When do problems with any of the above require “expert” assistance, and what criteria can one use in choosing an “expert?”

6. The Four Approaches to Instruction (Which Correspond to the Four Types of Learning)

In general, how can we ensure learning success—moment-by-moment, with or without an expert’s assistance? With the above knowledge under our belts, we can!

Our Promise

We personally promise: if you’re willing to invest time in your own learning and to truly grapple with the ideas presented in the following pages, you will come away with powerful new insights into your own learning. You will come away with powerful insights into your own past and current learning challenges. And you will come away with powerful insights into learning, difficulties with learning, and solutions to learning problems your loved ones are likely facing right now.

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