Process Work ideas

As we bring awareness into the dynamics shaping us, we discover a surprising and creative direction appear, even within the most serious and troublesome situations.

The theory and methods of Process Work, now applied in such diverse areas as community conflict resolution and coma work, began with Arnold Mindell’s - see Wikipedia - discovery that the patterns in nighttime dreams were mirrored in the experience of body symptoms. Amplify the experience of a body symptom and discover what you dreamed last night. Process Work methods access the 'dreaming pattern' and its meaning and creativity.

Mindell, originally a physicist and Jungian analyst, went on to discover how these patterns appeared in unintended communication signals (auditory, visual, proprioception, kinesthetic) and in relationship dynamics and how to work with them (see APPLICATIONS). He went on to study the subtlest signals and perceptions that precede more overt signals and symptoms. The work also evolved in the areas of facilitating large group and community work, focusing on political and social issues. As the work evolved, Mindell ( and others) wrote many books.

Chaos theory, complexity, and non-linear change

In modern sciences, ‘chaos theory' and ‘complexity theory’ have led to understanding non-linear change in unstable systems. In relatively stable periods, small inputs yield small results. Add a little salt, and it's a little saltier. But, at certain moments, when a system is ripe for change, a small input yields a major shift. This is known as the 'butterfly effect '- the movement of a butterfly in Hong-Kong changes weather patterns in New York. Caught in repeating problems, people often feel stuck in a system that doesn’t change. We all know this experience. Bringing awareness into the interactions, profound shifts can occur. Awareness is the ingredient that can bring radical shifts of insight at a personal level, and feeling and behavior change within the individual, an organization or at a community level.

Deep Democracy

The term, ‘deep democracy’ used by Arnold Mindell, refers to a deeper democracy, beyond representation of different voices and the notion of majority rules. Communities are wise when all parts and points of view are supported to interact with awareness - including those viewpoints usually left out. It also means including all dimensions of our experience - the level of content, issues and rank dynamics, as well as the emotions, underling roles and polarizations (for eg. The role of oppressed and oppressor, or leader and follower). It also includes the underlying unity and humanity we also share. The term deep democracy is usually used for describing facilitation of groups and communities, but its underlying orientation is valid for individual work too, to actively support an interaction among all aspects of our wholeness.

Systems

Individuals, organizations and communities often describe problems and conflicts that repeat and cycle. Think of a conflict you feel stuck in. We get locked into a polarization of roles. This polarization occurs internally, as well as between people in relationship and in large scale community conflict. If you learn to facilitate a polarization internally, this can free you, so that you are not locked in a conflict, but able to facilitate the interaction with others. Conversely, working in community with the polarized positions of social and political issues, can free the individual from feeling stuck, frozen or alone with their experience.