The Lighthouse Presentation

When you're going to step through a doorway, it's usually a good idea to know something about what's on the other side. It's also wise to know how to get through the door. But first of all, it is necessary to know that a door exists and that all doors are not identical. In the Lighthouse Presentation, we shall discuss a special kind of door which in Vista jargon is referred to as a Door (always capitalized).

The Point Betsie Lighthouse is located on a busy shipping corridor which traverses the length of Lake Michigan. Whereas many lighthouses warn of danger or offer a safe harbor, this lighthouse signals the point where change must happen. When ship captains recognize its beacon, after traveling a substantial unwavering distance, they must make an abrupt change of direction to remain on course.

Likewise, when we desire change, that new direction is the result of moving away from something distasteful, seeking something we want or a combination of both of these. During this period of transition it is most appropriate to recognize the existence of Doors.

The Vista Collegium Program champions a change in perspective so that a participant may attain and retain a purposeful direction to their life.

The intent of this pursuit is to provide a general knowledge base known as "core beliefs" or "controlling contentions" which act as a filter that ground the relevance of questions asked. The combined intellectual skill of coordinating this inquiry, filtering with core beliefs and maintaining a balance while in diverse social settings is a Vista Collegium concept known as integration.

A subset of standard controlling contentions or beliefs are called touchstones in the Vista Collegium Program.