About Us
About Mathematizing Spirit
In the modern world, scientific and holistic or spiritual ways of knowing have increasingly been separated. Education often fragments knowledge into isolated subjects while separating logic from creativity, science from meaning, and intellect from lived human experience. Many students (up to 90%) experience STEM learning as abstract and disconnected from deeper questions of identity, purpose, and interconnectedness. Frequently prioritized is memorization and standardized outcomes over coherence, imagination, interdisciplinary thinking, and whole-child development.
Introducing AMT- A groundbreaking, research-based teaching philosophy that merges axiomatic clarity with metaphorical depth—showing that mathematics and metaphor are two sides of the same coin—allowing educators and students to feel and sense the curriculum as a whole.
Our Philosophy
At Mathematizing Spirit, we explore how scientific and spiritual ways of knowing can work together rather than remain divided. Through Axiometaphorical Thinking (AMT), we provide educators, researchers, and lifelong learners with a framework for building coherence between logic, metaphor, mathematics, consciousness, culture, and meaning.
Our work is inspired in part by the 1999 UNESCO and International Council for Science Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge, which called for greater dialogue between modern science and traditional and Indigenous knowledge systems. We believe one of the great educational challenges of our time is helping learners navigate both rigorous scientific thinking and the deeper human search for connection, wisdom, and purpose.
AMT offers a practical and academically grounded approach to this challenge by revealing the shared structures underlying mathematics, metaphor, systems thinking, and human understanding. Our mission is to help cultivate a more integrated, creative, and whole way of learning for the 21st century.
Vision
To spark a global shift in K–12 education by uniting logic and imagination through Axiometaphorical Thinking™—allowing educators and students to feel whole.
Mission
We deepen systems thinking and post-materialist science to inspire educators and students. Our mission is to cultivate:
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity
- Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Core Values
Innovate
Challenge conventions to discover deeper truths.
Trust
Build authentic, respectful learning relationships.
Serve
Encourage educators and students to be in their purpose.
Meet Dr. Troy Shepherd
(he/him, they/them)
Founder of Mathematizing Spirit
OCT, PhD
Dr. Troy Shepherd is a learning coach, researcher, and author, who integrates the academic and the spiritual into a powerful educational philosophy. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in science, commerce, and education—and a Master’s and PhD in Education from the University of Toronto.
His research delivers a compelling mathematical proof demonstrating that mathematics and metaphor are inseparable, offering educators a new paradigm for cross-disciplinary and culturally relevant teaching.
Dr. Shepherd has presented this work at leading institutions including the World Congress of Education, University of Toronto, and York University—igniting thought leadership in schools worldwide.