Analysis of recent literature on experiential education provides material for a model for learning experiences in experiential education. The model is constructed from six interconnected and overlapping parts, ranging from the profoundly foundational to the more specifically tactical. First, the learning experience attends to the human condition. Second, the learning experience transcends the boundaries of academic or other disciplines. Third, learning experiences are rich in group interaction while simultaneously promoting autonomy and independence of individuals. Fourth, the learning experience is risk-laden. Fifth, the experience involves a 3-part learning sequence: readiness, action/performance, and reflection. The final characteristic of a learning experience is the high degree of concreteness or reality of the action phase. A university English course called "Self-Reliance in a Technological Society" provides a check on the model. In the course, students read and discussed a variety of literature on self-reliance, while simultaneously buying, renovating, and selling a small house; all six critical ingredients of the model were present in the course. (MH)