Exploring Ancient Sundanese Psychology and Stoicism: Assoc. Prof. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. Collaborates with Physicology Expert Intan Pusvitasari to Formulate Inner-Based Pedagogy for Adolescents
Kuningan, May 23rd 2026 – Ms. Intan Pusvitasari, M.Si., a physicology expert, presented an interdisciplinary breakthrough bridging physics, psychology, with Sundanese cosmology in an academic Focus Group Discussion (FGD) titled "From Erasure to Emplacement: Reclaiming Sundanese Ecotheology in Digital English Language Teaching." The focus group discussion, held in the sacred area of Pasir Batang, Kuningan Regency, was initiated by the Lead Researcher and Lecturer in the English Education Department at UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, Assoc. Prof. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. He is intensively collaborating with her to delve deeper into the psychological aspects of ancient Sundanese society in order to map out how the concept of inner-based learning could be practically applied in modern classrooms. Furthermore, there is a strong intersection with the Western concept of Stoicism, which focuses on emotional energy efficiency, and both academics are committed to dissecting this philosophy together to develop a holistic pedagogical approach.
Through her scientific presentation, Intan delivered a sharp critique of Western linear epistemology and offered a fresh alternative based on circular-spiral thinking to reshape the direction of Indonesian education. She views that the current conventional approaches are no longer capable of addressing the moral and emotional challenges faced by the younger generation. Therefore, the presence of this physicology framework is expected to serve as a new compass for educators in designing more holistic teaching materials. This idea sparked a warm discussion among the education practitioners present in the sacred forum.
In her presentation session, Intan Pusvitasari, M.Si dissected the dichotomy between the Western paradigm, which tends to be rigid, reductionist, and linear, and the Nusantara paradigm, which prioritizes communality, reciprocity, and cyclical understanding. She argued that the Western model, born from the Industrial Revolution era, often traps the learning process in a rigid input-process-output logic. As a result, this system produces a generation alienated from nature, the community, and even their own inner selves, manifesting in high levels of adolescent anxiety and fragile emotional resilience. In contrast, Sundanese cosmology, offers a systemic understanding of boundaries and interdependence, which forms the foundation of regenerative thinking. While modern education only chases numerical targets and administrative fulfillment, these local values instead offer sustainable inner harmony. Through the understanding of these circular spatial boundaries, students are invited to recognize their own limits and respect the living spaces of other beings around them.
Intan Pusvitasari, M.Si. also highlighted the crucial difference between the concepts of sustainability and regeneration. According to her, sustainability merely slows down destruction, whereas regeneration actively restores both the ecosystem and the human inner self. Referring to the Physicology framework she developed, she explained how the laws of physics merge with human emotional mechanics. Just as a physical system requires a safety valve to release inner pressure and prevent malfunction, humans also need spaces for reflection, rituals, and daily journal writing to channel emotional tension before it accumulates into trauma or burnout. She added that high emotional burdens act like a large mass in physics that slows down the movement and character growth of students. When this safety valve is not provided by the school environment, students will remain trapped in acute anxiety. This circular inner restoration is the key to giving birth to resilient humans who are in harmony with nature.
She illustrated this concept brilliantly through an analysis of the Lutung Kasarung story, positioning the character of Purbasari not as a passive victim, but as a model of resilient psychological endurance. Purbasari's exile in the wilderness of Pasir Batang was essentially a phase of "mechanical incubation" and noise reduction. Amidst the silence of the forest, external social friction ceased, allowing her inner self to recalibrate with Guru Minda. "Building regenerative humans cannot rely solely on Western linear approaches but must also incorporate local wisdom approaches that are circular-spiral," Intan asserted while explaining how Purbasari allocated her energy efficiently by focusing only on things within her control, a principle aligned with Stoicism. The forest in this narrative is no longer viewed as a frightening place of exile, but rather a spiritual laboratory where the restoration of inner frequency takes place. Purbasari successfully converted social isolation into a profound power of introspection thanks to her foundation of moral integrity, which remained unshaken by slander. This model of resilience is highly relevant to be adopted by today's teenagers who are continuously bombarded by relentless digital stimuli.
Furthermore, Intan Pusvitasari proposed the integration of the noble values of Silih Asah, Silih Asih, and Silih Asuh (it is also grouded in BIMA Framework) as the main pillars in building a learning culture in the classroom. Teachers no longer act as rigid instructors dictating learning formulas, but rather as mentors who provide a safe space for students to express their inner feelings. By marrying teaching activity and ecological care, students are invited to think globally while remaining grounded in a strong local identity. This process of sharpening, loving, and nurturing creates a living and mutually supportive classroom ecosystem, far from the individualistic Western competitive atmosphere.
This physicology framework synergizes directly with the international digital learning project led by Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. This web-based project is designed to develop ELT modules rooted directly in the living archives of Pasir Batang. Technology, in the view of physicology, must not alienate humans from the reality of the earth, but rather must strengthen their semiotic expansion outside the classroom. Through the integration of this grounded digital curriculum, UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon solidifies its steps in birthing a new model of English education that is sovereign in knowledge. This new epistemology is expected to restore not only the previously dry language education methods but also return the harmony of the human soul with the universe.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri