Graduate Diploma Courses

Asiana Institute curates the best of currently available graduate coursework, making available a program that integrates chaplaincy training, contemplative science, and explorations into science based nonmaterialist studies of quantum physics, metaphysics and related psi training. 

These courses are currently being curated and will be offered as standalone as well as diploma level graduate programs. 

Most importantly, these programs will be offered in many cases on a low-cost or dana basis, allowing serious students the ability to acquire knowledge and skillsets without the burden of inflated tuition fees. 

Examples of the Coursework, which shall also include collaborations with other academic universities and institutions offering cost-effective Chaplaincy education: 

Diploma in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Consciousness Studies

The following 6-course program provides a focused, integrated sample curriculum. Proof of completion of a minimum of self-study paced courses (plus a capstone dissertation) qualifies students for the Diploma in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Consciousness Studies. 

Each course is designed to be 8–10 weeks long, suitable for online, self-paced, or hybrid delivery. The program blends traditional Buddhist training with contemporary, evidence-based explorations of consciousness, preparing chaplains to serve in hospitals, hospices, prisons, communities, and emerging contexts involving anomalous or transformative experiences.

1. Buddhist Chaplaincy Training: Principles and Practices

Course Description

This foundational course introduces the vocation of the Buddhist chaplain. Students learn to offer compassionate spiritual care grounded in the Buddha’s teachings while developing practical skills for end-of-life, crisis, and community support. Emphasis is placed on ethical boundaries, cultural humility, and the cultivation of presence.

Syllabus 

• History and contemporary models of Buddhist chaplaincy  
• Core teachings: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and the Brahmaviharas  
• Ethical guidelines, professional boundaries, and self-care  
• Active listening, ritual, and pastoral presence  
• Working with dying, grief, and trauma  
• Interfaith and multicultural competence  
• Case studies and role-playing scenarios  
• Building a personal chaplaincy practice

Required Reading 

• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (1975)  
• Selected chapters from Buddhist Care for the Dying and Bereaved (ed. Jonathan S. Watts & Yoshiharu Tomatsu)

2. Nonmaterialist Science of Consciousness

Course Description

Students examine scientific and philosophical evidence that consciousness is fundamental and not reducible to brain activity. The course bridges post-materialist research with Buddhist analyses of mind, showing how these perspectives deepen chaplaincy work and spiritual care.

Syllabus 

• From materialism to post-materialist paradigms  
• Quantum physics, observer effects, and consciousness  
• Parapsychological research and anomalous cognition  
• Theories: panpsychism, idealism, and dual-aspect monism  
• Buddhist models of mind (Abhidharma)  
• Empirical challenges to brain-based consciousness  
• Implications for ethics, healing, and chaplaincy  
• Current debates and future directions

Required Reading 

• Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century by Edward F. Kelly et al. (2007)  
• Beyond Physicalism: Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality edited by Edward F. Kelly, Adam Crabtree, & Paul Marshall (2015)  
• The Science Delusion (U.S. title: Science Set Free) by Rupert Sheldrake (2012)  
• The Conscious Universe by Dean Radin (1997)

3. The Science of Near-Death Experiences

Course Description

This course reviews rigorous research on near-death experiences (NDEs), including veridical perception and transformative aftereffects. Students explore how NDE data supports nonmaterialist views of consciousness and informs compassionate care for the dying and bereaved within a Buddhist framework.

Syllabus 

• Historical development of NDE research  
• Common phenomenological features and stages  
• Medical/neurological explanations vs. survivalist interpretations  
• Veridical and shared-death experiences  
• Buddhist parallels: the rebirth teachings  
• Long-term aftereffects and integration challenges  
• Ethical and clinical support for NDE experiencers  
• Applications in hospice and grief chaplaincy

Required Reading 

• Life After Life by Raymond A. Moody Jr. (1975)  
• Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience by Pim van Lommel (2010)  
• Erasing Death: The Science That Is Rewriting the Boundaries Between Life and Death by Sam Parnia (2013)  
• The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences edited by Janice Miner Holden et al. (2009)

4. Non-Human Intelligence (NHI) and Consciousness

Course Description

The course examines reports of non-human intelligence (NHI) encounters and their implications for consciousness studies. It integrates Buddhist cosmology (devas, nagas, and other realms) with modern research, preparing chaplains to support individuals whose experiences challenge conventional worldviews.

Syllabus 

• Definitions and contemporary NHI/UAP contexts  
• Cross-cultural and historical accounts  
• Buddhist perspectives on non-human beings  
• Consciousness implications of NHI contact  
• Psychological, spiritual, and ontological impacts  
• Key researchers and case studies  
• Ethical chaplaincy guidelines for anomalous experiencers  
• Expanding models of reality in spiritual care

Required Reading 

• American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, and Technology by Diana Walsh Pasulka (2019)  
• Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences by Diana Walsh Pasulka (2023)  
• Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers by Jacques Vallée (1969/1993)  
• The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge by Jeffrey J. Kripal (2020)

5. Meditation Jhanas and Altered States

Course Description
Students study and practice the jhanas (meditative absorptions) as taught in classical Buddhism. The course connects these states to neuroscientific research on altered consciousness and shows how jhanic skills enhance chaplaincy presence, resilience, and the ability to guide others.

Syllabus 

• Samatha vs. vipassanā: foundations of concentration  
• The eight (or nine) jhanas: descriptions and progression  
• Practical methods and teacher guidance  
• Neuroscientific correlates of deep meditation  
• Benefits, risks, and psychological integration  
• Jhanas in Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna traditions  
• Using jhanic skills in chaplaincy settings  
• Personal practice journal and reflection

Required Reading 

• The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation by Henepola Gunaratana  
• SuttaCentral.net Suttas and related essays  
• Practicing the Jhanas by Stephen Snyder & Tina Rasmussen (2009)  
• The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science by Culadasa (John Yates) with Matthew Immergut (2015)

6. Integrative Seminar: Buddhist Chaplaincy and Consciousness Studies (Capstone)

Course Description
The capstone synthesizes the entire program. Students apply nonmaterialist consciousness frameworks, NDE insights, NHI perspectives, and jhanic practice to real-world chaplaincy scenarios.

 A final portfolio dissertation demonstrates readiness for professional service.

Syllabus 

• Synthesis of key concepts across the five prior courses  
• Advanced case studies involving death, anomalous experiences, and altered states  
• Developing a personal chaplaincy philosophy  
• Practical interventions and ritual design  
• Research literacy and evidence-based spiritual care  
• Community engagement and continuing education  
• Portfolio development and peer review  
• Graduation reflection and future pathways

Required Reading 

• Selected peer-reviewed articles and case studies from prior courses (provided in the learning platform)

These courses are self-contained yet build progressively, allowing flexible enrollment while ensuring the diploma reflects comprehensive training.  

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