1. Existence is an immersive experience
2. The way that an individual relates to this experience is socially constructed.
3. It is possible to ‘construct’ ‘supra-immersive’ states.
4. All supra immersive states are characterised by an intensification of experience
5. They carry with them some elements of risk in relation to to personal and/or group equilibrium
6. They can be ranked on a continuum in relation to their (subjective) “hyper-intensity”
7. ‘Supra immersive’ states and the “hyper intensive experiences” they generate can be
   1. self induced (trance; meditation; extreme physical activity);
   2. induced by the interaction upon the individual of external stimuli (hypnotic drugs; music; books)
   3. induced by powerful others (cults, captors, academics)
   4. collaboratively induced by peers (encounter groups; mass hysteria)
   5. induced by combinations of elements a, b, c and d
8. “Hyper intensive experiences” can be placed upon a (subjective) continuum in relation to their life enhancing or life threatening properties
9. Over-exposure to ‘hyper intensive experiences’ (in terms of duration or level of hyper intensitivity)  can result in desensitisation or withdrawal (shell shock; psychosis; depression)
10. Conversely, ‘hyper intensive experiences’ can facilitate and/or accelerate and/or generate individual and/or communal learning
11. If higher education is to use this potential in a risk sensitive and positive way it will be important to elicit the characteristics of those socially constructed ‘immersive states ’that maximise the potential identified in (10) and minimise the risks identified in (9).

PAS/Jan 08

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