Process Work - some basic terms and concept used in our work Developed by Drs Arnold & Amy Mindell For more information www.aamindell.net

A Whole Systems Approach

Deep Democracy Deep democracy is the elder’s multidimensional metaskill (feeling attitude) towards life which recognizes the equal importance of : consensus reality issues and concerns (facts, issues, problems, people) dreamland figures (roles, ghosts), and the essence (common ground) that connects everyone.

Levels of Deep Democracy Consensus Reality Measurable ‘agreed on’ concepts Roles and responsibilities, Rank and power Dreaming Level Unintentional communication signals The ‘ elephant in the room’ ghosts Projections, fantasies Body language, atmosphere, felt sense Essence Level Inspiration, passion Sense of unity & oneness Motivational level The Tao, or Earth’s intelligence

World Work Worldwork (WW)is both a small and large group process work method that uses Deep Democracy to address the issues of groups and organisations of all kinds. To resolve reality problems and enrich community experience, WW focusses on finding and employing the power of an organisation or city’s dreamlike background (e.g. projections, gossip, roles, and creative fantasy). WW facilitators listen to the land, do inner work, and practice outer communication skills involving role consciousness, signal and rank awareness to enrich organizational life. WW has been successfully applied to the analysis of, and work with, multicultural, multileveled, Aboriginal communities, universities, small and large international organizations, city hot spots and world conflict zones.

Eldership Eldership (as a feeling attitude) comes from your deepest self and its direction. This skill involves Deep Democracy, plus the sense that the world is your child - interweaving the sense of the equal importance of individual viewpoints and the grand mystery behind it all.

Conflict Facilitation Framing and Levels The facilitator can frame a discussion by remarking about the different levels or dimensions people are speaking about e.g. one person may speak about consensus reality issues and outer action while someone else is speaking about feelings (dreamland). Then, someone else might speak about a common ground (essence) that unites us. This clash of levels can be the source of conflict itself! The facilitator can frame things by saying that there are many levels arising simultaneously; one person is talking about outer action while another is speaking about her feelings. Ask which direction to focus on while remembering the other aspects.

Ghost Roles Ghost Roles are a part of dreamland. They refer to those things that are spoken about but not directly represented by anyone in a given group. Some typical ghosts are: ancestors who are spoken about but who are no longer present, the “bad” person who is not in the room, the environment, etc. Getting into, representing, and expressing the views and thoughts of ghost roles can be important keys to the process. And it is important to know that everyone shares these ghost roles.

Roles The concept of roles belongs to the dreamland aspect of group process. While each role such as “boss”, “worker”, “patient”, “helper” seems to be located with a given individual or group, it is actually a “time spirit” that needs to be filled by many of us. In other words, each role is much great than any one individual or group. And each of us is bigger than any one role. In other words, people are not roles. They do, however, often get stuck in a role. A mature and effective group will enable people to move fluidly between roles.

Edges An edge refers to a moment when someone speaks but is unable to complete what she or he is saying due to personal reasons or because of actual or felt group restrictions. It can be very helpful to ask the person why it is so difficult to speak and, if circumstances allow, to help the person go over that edge and complete what she or he is trying to say. Alternatively, the facilitator can help the person by imagining and going over that edge for her or him.

Double Signals A double signal means that someone is conveying one message that they are identifying with or intending in a given moment, while simultaneously expressing something else that is further from their awareness with their words or body. For example, I might say that I want to relate to you. That is my intention. However, at the same time I look down and do not look at you. This is a double signal. It can be very helpful to focus on double signals, to give the person time to investigate what that signal is expressing and to bring that information into the conversation.

Hot Spots A hot spot is an intense moment in which there is a strong emotional clash between individuals or the whole group or when something forbidden or intense happens that causes everyone to become silent or frozen. When hot spots are not focused on, they are the source of future escalations. Therefore, it is helpful to notice hot spots, to slow down, and go deeper into the feelings of each side of the conflict. Hot spots can be the doorway to deepening the process.

What is Rank ?   In Sitting in the Fire, Arny Mindell, the founder of Process Oriented Psychology, defines, rank as ‘the sum of a person’s privileges’. He goes on to say that it is ‘a conscious or unconscious, social or personal ability or power arising from culture, community support, personal psychology and/or spiritual power’. Whether you earned or inherited your rank, it organises much of your communication behaviour.

Types of Rank Social / global rank Comes from race, gender, sexual orientation, class religion, education, health, age etc. Spiritual rank Is independent of culture, family and the world. Comes from having ‘justice on your side’. Also from a connection with something divine and transcendent that guides you and keeps you centred even in a storm. It sometimes frees a person from the worries that plague others.  Psychological rank * Comes from feeling secure and cared for. Also comes from surviving suffering and coming out stronger and more compassionate. May come from awareness, self-knowledge, inner work or self-esteem.  

Signals of Higher Rank You determine how available you are to relate. You determine time, place and duration. You determine communication style. Tendency is to be ‘cooled out’, non-emotional, rational and to expect others to be the same. When relationship issues arise, you think it is the other’s problem. You can’t understand the other and see them as crazy, illogical, disturbed or angry. Tone is detached, objective, condescending, patronising. Sense of superiority, smugness, self-confidence, high self-esteem.

Rank and Revenge Besides all of the various rank signals, which express our often unconscious experience around rank, revenge is a common means of interaction around rank differences. When we are hurt, feel put down or feel that our status is threatened, revenge becomes a way for us to hit back, acquire rank or keep the rank we have. Revenge can be a conscious or unconscious form of communication.

Rank as a Double Signal Because many of us for one reason or another find it difficult to fully identify with the rank, power and privilege that we have in the world, often it will appear indirectly in our communication signals e.g. our superior or shaky tone of voice, in the way we determine our availability to meet with others, in our body language, etc.

Unconsciousness of Rank Most of us are unconscious of our rank at one time or another, particularly when we have higher rank. It is usually those with less rank, who make those with higher rank aware of their status. When we are comfortable, we tend to take our high rank for granted and lose our awareness of how others might feel around us. This is the case in all kinds of rank situations, whether it be social, global, spiritual or psychological. When we have a lot of global or social rank we are often not aware of the privilege and ease we have in the world and how others with less global rank don’t share this. When we have a lot of spiritual rank we might not be aware that when we speak we are so powerful that even those with global or social rank feel powerless.

Freedom and Rank It does not appear that we can simply eliminate the concept and feeling aspects of rank. However, we can be aware of rank dynamics and use differences of power and privilege for our mutual growth and learning. In interaction, rank is really a fluid process asking for our awareness. The sense of power flips quite rapidly between people from moment to moment, as different kinds of powers are processed and experienced. This kind of fluid awareness around rank is a freedom that we all might share: it is a freedom that is beyond the definitions of rank and centres around growth and relationship.