PRINTOn the Job: Judy Weber
Learn how to find peace of mind with Judy Weber at the School of Metaphysics
J Tara Ballenger
Judy Weber, pictured here in her home, has been teaching metaphysics for more than three years. Columbia’s School of Metaphysics currently has four teachers and 10 students, but Weber hopes to increase those numbers.
April 17, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
You can be whatever or whomever you want to be. It’s possible for anyone, says Judy Weber, teacher and director of Columbia’s School of Metaphysics. Using four cycles of coursework, the school is devoted to students achieving a mastery of consciousness — when people gain the mental power to perceive life in a fresh way with a refined purpose. Weber starts with concentration exercises as she introduces students to meditation and visualization tools. She teaches them to cut through inner turmoil to hear and understand their inner selves. She is thrilled to watch her students become conscious in the physical world as they move on in life without fear, with honesty and finally, with peace.
Vox: What does the director of the School of Metaphysics do?
Judy Weber: I am responsible for developing the school. That includes starting new classes (and) letting people know about the school and what it is we have to offer.
Vox: Why did you become a student of metaphysics?
JW: In 2002, I joined the school with the intention of learning how to meditate. When I tried to meditate, I couldn’t hold my mind still. I just sat there with my eyes closed thinking. That was specifically why I joined the school. They said it would improve my memory. So those two things were my impetus for starting it. I never had the intention of staying past learning, but I became fascinated with this study.
Vox: What are some exercises you do in class?
JW: Throughout the coursework, there are several concentration exercises where you hold your mind on one object for a period of time. There’s memory exercises, and there are exercises in visualization, which is also holding your mind on an object, but it’s in a different way so you’re seeing a picture of something.
Vox: What can keep students from achieving a mastery of consciousness?
JW: Fear of change. Fear of being different or of being seen different is another big thing. Many times people will hold themselves in fear. It’s saying, “I can’t do that,” when, in fact, you can.
Vox: What accreditation do you need to be a teacher at the School of Metaphysics?
JW: You need to have completed the first cycle of lessons, which takes about nine months. To receive an actual teacher’s certificate, you have to have taught so many people to completion of the first cycle. When you’ve completed that and (are) under the guidance of someone else, you are then able to receive a teacher’s certificate.
