INSTRUCTION POINTS:

A robe (yet not designed) is for formal occassions, but a mobius loop may be used elsewise. The effect must be the same, however.

FIRST: On the robe, or mobius loop: read them the page from the book/site. (White on this side...) Mobius strip metaphor: Awareness of both sides, without end.

You must engender a great difference between standing in your robe, and without it. This is to allow you to relax without it, and, in it, to be completely into your role. (& out of your regular identity.) With--you must have a Zen frame of mind; without ego.

A practitioner will don the robe/loop for a minimum of 10 minutes/day, as a type of externally-focused meditation. (it's not relaxed, tho.)

Explain what a disaster it'd be if a witness got caught in an important public error.

1. Always leave yourself an "out"; an escape phrase. Don't be positive. Couch your observation in possibilities and disclaimers. e.g.: "My impression was..."
2. A Witness has no opinions, no personality. He says not "I", but "The Witness..." "The Witness observed... is aware of..."
3. While you're official, do not get caught up in casual conversations. They lead to diminishment of attention and purpose. You'll lose your edge. You must engender a great difference between standing in your robe/loop and without it. This is to allow you to relax without it, and conversely, to be completely into your role when in it. In it, you must have a Zen frame of mind--without ego.
4. A Witness must know the language, meanings and perhaps etymology of every word used. We must define our terms in order to communicate accurately. He must be aware of how few words he's actually looked up in a dictionary, and how many he's just assumed from the context he's heard it in.
   There are no absolute synonyms; at least, people have their idiosyncratic connotations/ definitions. I insist on: "religious" as distinct from theist; metaphysical from philosophical.
5. A Witness must be aware of the body language of others, and of his own, during a report.
6. A Witness is a receiver of reality, not a teacher. He/ She says very little. His awareness/connection is so high that, paradoxically, he may appear detached.

PREJUDICES: How to minimize the "Rashomon Effect". (SEE it!)
A FW must know his own prejudices, because his memories will tend toward them. They'll tend to melt into images in that direction.
It's good to know your prejudices, not only to fight them, obviously, but to know even what they used to be, after you've fought them off. That will help tell you what still remains, for nothing completely disappears, only fades.
A note on the word "fight". That seems to assume the fight will be permanent. It's easier to work on changing them; then, with awareness, compensate for what's left and whatever comes up out of natural human leanings.

A FW must know the likely prejudices of others, to make various compensations, and to read likely inaccuracies in the other's reporting of their perceptions.

PERCEPTIONS:

• An important point: Never assume; it implies knowledge you don't have. (No you don't.) Hypothesize. Your language must be exact. Great vocabulary and proper use of fine distinctions is required. For class, have at least a miniature house in sight, to ask the color. On the other side, we'll paint it gaudy; chartreuse and purple.
• How do your previously-formed ideas influence what and how you see? (especially those you haven't really thought critically about. It's doubtful you can ever re-examine every) idea you have! Learn to do it on the fly!)
• A witness may hesitate to describe an event that is performed by a magician, and yet, such results can be brought about under ordinary circumstances by flukes of statistics. Nature performs sleight-of-hand events on occassion. Rare things do happen. If they didn't, we'd call them non-existent things!
• Be most careful when referring to someone's apparent thoughts or feelings. "His expression was one which usually/often signifies an X reaction."
• The phrase "I think I saw X", is unclear. What does it mean? That you're saying that you're sure? You positively think so. Does it mean dubious? "Oh, I think so..."

Techniques: the Fair Witness should know the side effects of their awarenesses, avoidances, and their "practical laziness". You see what you:

• 1: ...want to see.
• 2: ...are used to seeing. (Selective inattention again.)
• 3: ...expect to see. (it's too much trouble to renew your mental pictures of people. Hard to avoid; it's practical to be lazy.)

  ---

  You gotta know how your perception is influenced by:
  • A: ...your previously formed ideas. (especially those you haven't really thought critically about.)
  • B: ... your most recent experience (i.e. a movie; an argument; a headache.)
  • C: ...your most basic experience (your childhood; your traumas.)
  • D: ...your strongest desires. (If it's profitable or pleasurable, you'll most likely see it lean that way. And, for those dating, that new person is a lot better lookin' before than after.)
  • E: ...your habitual strategies. They can trick you. Bar-bets depend on this.
• The resolution of a Witness's eyes improve with attention. Even the vernier focus improves, but especially the brain perception. More image-processing is done on it in the brain. The more raw image is fed in, the better the result, especially if that image is in motion. A quick scan does not give good resolution.
  Disconnect your eyes from your brain/expectations.
  Amplify what draws your eye. A FW in a robe is like a racecar driver on the track, aware of reality and humanity at a high pitch, like a bird has a nearby cat's attention.
• Never say "his reality", as if there were different ones. Say "his perception" of reality, which certainly does differ. The only thing that differs is the perception. The other thing often meant by that is their "environment"; things impacting upon them particularly.
• There are several levels of sureity. Say once a year, maybe:
  "I'm as sure as I can be."
  More often:
  "I am fairly sure."
  "My strong impression was..."
  "My weak impression was...".

Observation: I show something, then ask about it.

Reporting-language. Ask class for best words for an example. Class suggests improvements, critiques.

"translation" list. e.g. "more than one" means: two or more, not assuming any more than two, or perhaps one point one.

You must consider claims of vested interests. Including stats. A study funded by a vested interest is not a study. Double-blind is the only worth-while experiment.
"Significance" in a smaller group is more reliable.

I'd require more, but this course is more basic and necessary to understanding anything else. A light version should be taught in kindergarten, etcetera!
Other basics would be covered in class: psych 102 (especially ego, placebo effect, hypnosis, advertizing, conformity, ...) Language, Basic Science, Logic & Fallacies, Physical & cultural Anthropology, Comparative Religion, Bar bets (unexpected truths),

TESTS/GRAD Requirements: (All grade-points.)

• Read my book, and write a reply paper to one of my essays.
• Read my list of books, articles. (Watts, Maslow, Lovelock, ...)
• Write an essay of your stance and opinions.
• Give an address in class, and lead discussion about it.
• We may test your detachment and awareness in class.
• Write a Haiku. (pass/fail)

• A few approved "higher" college courses. (like those above)
• read and discuss, or a reply paper to all my essays.
• give an address and moderate a discussion-group.
• Recruit a few.
• Read a list of books, articles. (Watts, Maslow, Lovelock, etc.)