HEALING WAYS
ENCYLOPŒDIA
Self-Help Ways for Healing the World
Copyright UN-Inma All rights
reserved. May be copied with acknowledgement for non-profit purposes. Written
from 1993 onwards. Last Updated
April 2014. Note: any word or expression
marked with a (*) is earmarked for further discussion. The wisdom in this extensive
Encyclopaedia has been drawn from the grassroots people of the East Asia
Oceania Australasia Region. Consistent with their way, this wisdom is freely
available on this page for non profit purposes. A Starting Place: Living – Mini Awareness
Experiences for transforming from existing to Living PLAYING WITH POSSIBILITIES You may want to play with these ideas
and incorporate them into what's already happening. There is a mass of ideas in this
page. Everything is in alphabetical order. Clicking the cursor on the words
in blue will allow you to jump to where that concept is discussed. Clicking on the 'back' icon will
allow you to return to where you were before. A sequence of 'back' clicks
allows you to retrace a few steps. Some of the micro-experiences
may be used in micro moments - as an opportunity presents itself. Some exercises are mentioned. You
may like to experience them with your nurturing friends. Some folk read up on a few
micro-experiences each day and then seek opportunities to use them. This is a small sample of very
simple acts that may make a difference:
THREADS 'Threads' are strings or
sequences of jumps in this page. Here are some threads others have found useful
as starters. After exploring one reference, click the 'back' icon to come
back to this spot and then click the next step in the thread. 'Self nurturing micro-experience
starter' thread: Strategies for arousal flexibility 'Relating with other's
micro-experience starter' thread: 'Getting started' thread: Setting up a small gathering' thread
Using local knowings and practical wisdoms Conjunctions - Use of in Story Telling
Embedded Suggestions, Implications,
Presuppositions And Commands The Ergotropic and Trophotropic systems
Frame - Setting up a 'Desired State' Frame
Frame - Setting up 'Interrupt' Frame Frame - Setting up 'Need Not To Know' Frame
Listening - Process and Content Maps - Internal Representations Resolving Independently of Cause Strategies for Arousal Flexibility Strategies for Shifting Emotional States
List of Further Micro-experiences Under
Construction Ambiguity occurs when words may have more than one meaning. Ambiguity may be intentionally used in healing. It is possible for the listener to hear one meaning at a conscious level and to also take on board further meanings at unconscious levels. These further meanings may have healing potency. This pattern may be used where for some reason the person may reject or sabotage healing ways. Refer ethics, awareness of consequences, and sovereignty. Ambiguity may be used to
create curious confusion or a
therapeutic moment. Ambiguity is one aspect of requisite variety. Example: 'Healing people can make a big
difference.' A sentence like this may be
used, for example, in helping setting up a 'healing frame' to a context. The
ambiguity in the above sentence sets up at least three possible meanings:
Refer Fuzzy Language for an example of using
'generalising' and 'deleting' to set up ambiguity. Refer metamodel. Process: Using words that sound the same
which have two or more different meanings (homonym). This pattern may be used
to set up healing possibilities. Example A: It's possible to always (all ways)
do something! The first meaning implies rigidity.
The second meaning (more hidden) means 'to become more flexible' - almost the
opposite to the first meaning. It's possible that this second meaning can
'ring bells' at deeper levels. Sometimes just one such sentence can 'strike a
chord' and 'resonate' within the person - to loosen them up. See requisite variety. Example B: 'Changes can occur
so that nuisances (new senses) can make a difference.' If the word 'nuisances' is
sensed, it is embedded within the notion of change implied by the words
'changes' and 'difference'. The second meaning 'new senses' creates a reframe of
'nuisances' and hints that we make maps
or representations of our senses. 'New' further strengthens the
idea of change. 'Can occur' sets up a presupposition.
Other
examples: sea see cents sense no know sore saw soar paw pour poor scene seen due dew morning mourning wheel we'll The English language is full of
words and expressions that provide scope for this pattern! Keep an eye out for them. They're
good to play with. A typical response set up by a
few repetitions of a simple stimulus. For example, the use of a young child's
name accompanied by a 'tone of disapproval' can quickly set this experience
for the child as a 'stop doing that' message, with resultant interrupt to
behaviour. In traffic, the red traffic light means 'stop' and we use the
brake; the green traffic light means 'go' and we accelerate. The lights are
'visual anchors'. Accompany an experience, such as
recalling pleasure, with perhaps a slight touch on the wrist and repeat this
a few times. Soon the same wrist touch can enable ready access to pleasure.
Anchoring is pervasively used in everyday life, though rarely noticed. It has
wide applicability in healing. Any sub-element of any sense (e.g. tone) can be
used to set up an anchor to activate experience in the same or a different
sense. For example, using an auditory 'tone' to stop a child touching
hot ashes. We can practice setting up an anchor
by exactly repeating a simple and unique stimulus a few times when we're in a
particular state. Keeping the stimulus different from others to ensure
multiple anchors are not set off. Test that the anchor is working by
activating the anchor when you are not in the state to see if you do activate
that state. If it doesn't work, continue the process when you are in that
state and repeat test. Sometimes it may be
appropriate to have a person take on an assignment involving them in learning
from first-hand experience. Another nurturer may enable the person in setting
up and carrying out the assignment. Any of the micro-experiences and frames
within this page can be built into the assignment. The assignment can be an
isomorphic metaphor (*) for contexts and aspects in the person’s life.
'Isomorphic' means of similar form. The metaphor may match any one or more of
the behaviours, ideas and emotions that may be part of a current
dysfunctional context or more functional future potential. The assignment may
create scope for corrective emotional
experiences (*), allowing the person scope to use requisite variety (*) and ADT WR (*). Example: 'prescribing the
symptom' (*). A person is overweight. This person has
the habit of having her refrigerator filled with food 'in case friends
dropped in' - tons of ice-cream and plenty of chocolate cake. The assignment
is set up such that she is to give away, or throw out all the food currently
in her fridge and elsewhere in her home. She has to find a food store two
kilometres away and go on foot and only purchase food for herself for that
day. She is only to eat food purchased by herself. She has to carry the food
back in her arms. Any food not consumed within a day is to be discarded and
fresh food purchased the next day. The assignment structures physical
exercise every day. She can also feel the weight of the food first-hand. As
well, the person is given the assignment to put on exactly two
kilograms in weight. She returns after two weeks having
put on the two kilograms. She is then given the frame 'that for this
fortnight, your weight has been under your control.' For the next two weeks she is to
continue her routine and has to put on one more kilogram. Again she
fulfils the assignment and puts on the one kilogram. During the first four weeks of the
assignment she has walked an extra 112 kilometres. Fifty six of these involve
carrying all her food. All the exercise is increasing metabolism and she is
gaining physical tone. The next assignment is to lose three kilograms
'as she is now getting better at having her weight under her control'.
Again she fulfils the assignment.
Each week thereafter the assignment is to loose a certain level which she
does achieve. In enabling a person to take on a
personal assignment, part of the nurturer's task may be to:
We may think about how we
could so challenge or engage the other person so they do do the
assignment. As well, the nurturer may use any one or more of the
micro-experiences in this page to complement the healing work done on the
assignment with other healing ways. Both the nurturer and the other person
may use requisite variety
(*) that is, if something does not work, try something else. Laceweb
action research has been active in the Atherton Tablelands in Far North
Queensland since the 1970s. One focal area on the Tablelands is Yungaburra.
The following is an example of one
fortnight of Laceweb activity around the town of Yungaburra on the Atherton
Tablelands in 1994:
Yungaburra Market Having all senses focused in
the present and attending to what is happening in the here and now external
reality. What is happening before us becomes the centre of sustained attention.
Attending in uptime is invaluable in maintaining rapport and relating to
others. In contrast, to attend to internal experience such as imagined
experience or recall of past experience is called 'attending to downtime'.
Refer concentrating (*), rapport
(*), listening (*), reporting (*), becoming familiar (*)
maps (*) and downtime (*). Actions have consequences.
It's possible to act without considering or taking account of consequences.
This may lead to harm and strife. An awareness of possible and likely
consequence may guide action. Some wonderful healing action can be
ecologically intuitive with no prior idea of specific consequences and
everything may proceed within an ethical
(*) 'safety (*) frame (*). A sense of
personal safety (*)
and ecology (*) may suggest that we do have an 'awareness of consequences' in
enabling support for this person at this time, context and place. An 'if
this, then that' strategy (*) can be used to generate options (*) and possible
outcomes. Anchoring (*) may be used to set up:
Good mental health, like good
physical health, is more than just the absence of illness. To live reasonably
well in modern society requires an understanding of health in all its
aspects. For an individual: Good mental health is a
consistent sense of positive well-being. For the neighbourhood and the nation Mental fitness is the belief,
perhaps unspoken, that most communities have a general resourcefulness that
makes possible a vigorous, harmonious and creative way of life in which all
citizens can find a pathway to reach their potential. Such a hopeful philosophy
requires that we be positive and deliberate in caring for our own health. It
also requires that the laws, institutions and customs we give our assent to
should be such that healthy way of life is possible and indeed encouraged. Our chances of health are influenced
by our genetic inheritance and by the circumstances and conditions in which
we grow and mature. What are the factors involved? There are many
understandings: Maori people speak of the four cornerstones of health:
If any dimension is threatened, the wairoa
(total well-being) is threatened. A similar approach has five
aspects:
A person is in a bind if something is
happening and there is little if anything they can do about it. Often people
don't recognise the bind and this non-recognition contributes to them being
stuck. A double bind is where there
is absolutely nothing they can do about it. It is possible to set up
therapeutic double binds so the person MUST change. Example: The following example was very
powerful for the women concerned and produced profound change. It involved a
person who stated that she was continually getting into terrible situations
with men because she could not say 'NO!" In a healing group context a
male nurturer said, 'Say 'No!' to me!'. The person either had to say 'No!' or
refuse to say 'No!' which was also a 'No!' The nurturer had placed her in a
therapeutic double bind - that is, in a bind and there is nothing she can do
about it. Additionally, this bind has healing potential. She went into a passionate confused
dilemma and with emotion building started yelling, 'No!, No! No!' many times
with great emotional force until she was completely spent and with tears and
smiles hugged the nurturer for helping her. She later reported that she could
say 'no'. Notice that being in the healing group context (*) and the healing frame (*) and subtle
aspects of the nurturers being are aspects that may well have enhanced the
therapeutic nature of the bind. Refer attending (*), listening (*), representations (*) and rapport (*). Refer awareness of consequences (*), sovereignty (*), ethics (*), safety, and personal safety (*). Also refer Accessing
Wellness BONDI
JUNCTION EXAMPLE
During the late eighties an
enabling group of around 20 evolved a dispersed urban Laceweb therapeutic
community in the Bondi Junction area. During its life of about eighteen
months about 145 people became involved. Regular healing gatherings were
arranged with other happenings, events and healing sharings taking place on
an ad hoc basis. During the regular 'sharing'
days, anyone enabling a group session had around a minute and a half to have
people 'doing', and learning by doing. 'Show ponies' who wanted to show off
their grand theories got a gentle caring wind-up at 60 seconds, and told
gently to give up at ninety seconds if they were still talking. 'Watch how
others do it and have another go next time! Using this 'action frame'
participants gained a very wide range of healing micro-experiences.
Friendships were formed. No one had to be alone for Christmas dinner. The
community was mutually supporting. Around 50 attended the regular
healing sharing days that were held in a private home. People brought food to
share. We had regular mini banquets throughout the day. A few minutes before
we 'returned to session' was 'preening time'. Everyone would do a minute of
housework. 50 people doing a minute’s housework six times on the day and the
place was always super tidy by the end of the day. All plates and cups were
always washed and ready for the next banquet!
Dr Neville
Yeomans’ House where Healing Sunday was Held Refer Evolving a Dispersed Urban Wellbeing Community. Specifying in detail:
Some people make very impoverished
and or problematic maps of their experience. Calibrating another's maps
provides scope to enable the other person to make more richer or ecological
(*) maps or representations
(*) of their world and the possibilities open to them. As a simple example, some people may
think and speak using extensive deletions
(*). Refer language metamodel (*). Example: 'I am upset'. Typically they are upset about something
or somebody in the past, present or future. Details have been deleted. Other examples: 'We are going tomorrow.' 'Where?', 'With whom? and 'When?'
has been deleted. 'Going' is poorly specified - 'How are you going?'' It may be that the person is being
'closed' - just doesn't want to talk much right now. If this 'deleting'
pattern is sustained, it may be more than being 'closed. It may indicate that
the person is regularly leaving all the deleted material out of the representations (*)
they make of their world. That is, they may be operating with very
impoverished maps. Helping a 'deleter' recover deleted
material may assist such a person in having richer maps. Refer sensory submodalities (*) and creating
possible futures (*). Nurturing may drain energy and be
very wearing. A strong sense of personal
safety (*) may allow us to pace ourselves and monitor our
resourcefulness, energy levels and indicators of stress (eg. check
breathing). Ethical (*) concerns also call for
withdrawing support when our own capacity to be of help is very low to the
point of not been helpful to the other. There is virtue in developing and
calling upon a support network who may monitor fellow carers. Sometimes we attend to large chunks
of a context. Sometimes to we attend to small chunks. Sometimes shifting the
size of the chunk we are attending to can be valuable. Example A - Stopping
irritation A young child is teething - it's
crying and irritable and throwing food on the ground. These 100's of small
moments throughout the day may have the potential to escalate irritation in adults.
However, all these potentially irritating moments may become as nothing, as
the parent from time to time makes momentary shifts in downtime (*). They may tap into the
big picture - of experiencing the glow of pride now in seeing the child
developing to adulthood and making his or her way in the world - a shift in
the chunk-size being attended to, from 'small' to 'big'. The parent's
reflections may take in possible wonderful futures and takes pleasure in
these. Example B - Interrupting
overwhelm Overwhelmed person: 'There's 1,000s arriving tomorrow
for the gathering and I have to set up this whole water system by tonight!' Nurturer: 'Is that a left-hand or right-hand
thread?' The person refocuses the overwhelmed
person's 'chunk size' from 'total system' to 'small component'. A person 'X' may see in person 'Y',
problematic aspects of X's own life that is really not present in Y's life.
This is called 'projecting'. For example, Peter says, 'John you shouldn't be
telling people what to do all the time and judging and condemning'. Peter is
doing precisely what he is telling John not to do! If Peter is doing
these behaviours continually, and John virtually never does it, then
typically Peter is projecting. Ensuring that we are not projecting while in
the enabler role may assist the nurturer to focus on issues that are
present in the other. It also helps in being clear about the enabling.
Refer 'separating out own stuff'
(*) and 'awareness of
consequences' (*). Concentrating on something(s) means
that we are not concentrating or attending to something else. For example
watching internal imagery tends to interrupt seeing externally. Attending to
the arrival of a dear friend whom we have not seen for a while may mean we do
not notice a head ache. We can use this capacity for healing - focusing on
the desired states and outcomes, and disconnecting from the aversive. Refer
associating (*), attending in uptime
(*), down time (*), distracting (*) and
dissociating (*). In making sense of language, the mind
tends to chunk what is joined by conjunctions. Examples of conjunctions
are:
We anticipate links. For example: Westerners hearing the sentence
fragments 'knife, fork and .....' would
anticipate 'spoon'. 'cup and .....' would anticipate
'saucer' 'lock and....' would anticipate
'key' 'Conjunctions' may be used to link
ideas (sentences and sentence fragments). Example: The gathering is Sunday. You may like to come along. These two sentences can be linked by
saying: 'The gathering is Sunday and
you may like to come along.' This new sentence links together
something obviously true (the gathering on Sunday) with a suggestion (you may
like to come along). Note that the last two words are an embedded command (*). Linking 'suggestions' to 'things
obviously true' It has been found that if a
suggestion is linked to a number of things that are obviously true, the
suggestion also tends to be accepted. Pattern: Use conjunctions to link three obviously
true statements to one or more suggestions. Repeat this pattern till you
obtain outcome - for example, a shift to profound relaxation. Example: 'While you're resting there and the
chair is comfortable and you have your feet up, you're already beginning
to slow down, and you have set this time aside for relaxing, and
that's a good thing because it can refresh us, and so perhaps
you can, make yourself even more comfortable now ...' The pattern in the above
example: Obviously true: You are resting there. The chair is comfortable. You have your feet up. Suggestion: You're already beginning to slow
down. Obviously true: You have set this time aside for
relaxing. Relaxing is a good thing. Relaxing can refresh us. Suggestion: Perhaps you can make yourself even
more comfortable now Linking two presuppositions
to three things which are obviously true Presuppositions and assumptions may
also be more easily accepted when linked to things which are obviously
true. Example: Because the harvesting is starting
next week it's celebration time so people from the next village have been
invited to a big feast and while that's happening we may explore
healing ways that work and share micro-experiences. Because the harvesting is starting
next week (obviously true) it's celebration time so (obviously
true) people from next village have been
invited (obviously true) to a big feast (obviously true) and (conjunction) while (sets up presupposition) that's happening (obviously true) we may (softener) explore healing ways that work
(presupposition) and (conjunction) share micro-experiences'
(presupposition) This pattern may be used in many
ways for healing. Refer presuppositions
(*), ethics (*), helping (*) awareness of consequences
(*), and sovereignty
(*). CONJUNCTIONS - USE OF IN STORY
TELLING: Healing storytellers tend to use
conjunctions to join virtually all sentences so that the story flows along
with differing things all linked together. This tends to become both
engrossing and enchanting and draws us into the story reality and away from
everyday life. Framing the context as 'story telling' sets up a 'context
role' for the other as 'listener'. It also removes any of the normal
indicators that it is the listener's turn to speak. Refer example from Distracting (*). Example from The Prince and the Hag (Conjunctions are in italics.) 'Once upon a time there was a young
prince who was so bossy everyone was heartily sick of him and he
couldn't wait to be king so everyone would have to do what he
wanted, and he became very sick himself and all of the healers
tried to heal him and he was sick to death of all this and yet
he just got sicker and sicker until he thought he would die, and
finally one of the healers said, 'Only the old Hag at the edge of the
world can save you', so he orders them to take him to the old hag, and
as they reach where she lives the healers become afraid and run
away and hide and the old hag appears unto him and he says,
'Hag, I am your Prince and you have to heal me, for I fear I
will die', and the old hag says, I will obey you this time, but
on one condition - you have to marry me first', Refer Sovereignty (*). Further example in using
conjunctions with other healing patterns: 'Perhaps you can begin to settle
down now, and it may well be that things can change without you having
to do anything, as heart rate, and breathing, and all
sorts of internal processes, can settle down without you needing to do a
thing, and you can do any shifts that will make you even more
comfortable now, and ....' The healing patterns in this example
are explored in 'Embedded suggestions,
implications, presuppositions and commands (*). You may want to
use this example to see if you can identify the healing patterns that it
contains before shifting to the Embedded suggestion link. Using content free generalising
allows the other their sovereignty
(*) and the freedom to explore and enrich their own wellbeing (*). The process: Use generalisations (*) that have no
content to allow the other person to add their specific meaning to what we
are saying. Our words do not have 'content'. The hearer adds his or her own
meaning to our words. Example: 'Perhaps you have some things
you may want to work on in new ways. And you may have some
concerns and other things we can explore and some
aspects you may want to follow up later.' The words in italics are
generalisations:
CORRECTIVE
HEALING EXPERIENCE Sometimes one experience can
heal, such that we never forget the learning associated with the healing.
Touching the stove burns! Old man, a respected Australian
Aboriginal elder set up contexts rich in possibilities for corrective
emotional experiences to occur during the six weeks youths typically stay
with him. Events that happen may be framed as healing experience by Old Man and
he, or any of the boys, may pick up on the learnings - enhancing (*) and anchoring (*) them.
Refer assignments (*). Every artistic aspect of a culture
(a way of life) may be used for nurturing healing. Examples:
Cultural healing action draws on
influences from traditional and other cultures around the World, especially
from the Philippines, though not simple applied. Cultural healing action may run for
less than an hour to several days (or weeks). People may be involved in
energetic and not so energetic games and activities. Enablers may have a broad concept of
activities and possibilities for the time together. The process may start out
with some structure or context, or a felt need of the participants. After a
time, activities and games may begin to emerge (*) out of the spontaneous
responding of the participants, with action evolving from the energy and
inclination of the moment. In a very real sense, the
participants evolve their own experience together. Enablers may be there as
resource people, though never as directors or gurus. Cultural healing action tends to be
'wellbeing' based rather than 'issue' based, although issues may both emerge
and be resolved. Contexts may be created allowing states of wellbeing to
emerge. Typically, liminal (*)
experiences create fertile contexts
(*) with emergent properties
(*). People begin exploring new ways of being in the world together and in
the process, issues tend to cease to be. Action may place people into
'desired states' so that prior problematic behaviours are no longer a
concern. To explore 'why' they used to do something when people have now
changed becomes a some-what irrelevant exercise. Finding who was 'at fault'
in prior behaviours is not particularly ecological or useful. Refer 'resolving independent of cause
(*). In keeping with the previous
paragraph, action focuses on what is wanted, rather than on what is not wanted.
Often enabler suggestions to explore what is wanted will have people talking
about what the do not want. This may be reframed to being 'exploring what we do
want. Participants of all ages may explore
creative and artistic ways of examining local cultural wellbeing matters that
concern the participants and their communities. Generative wellbeing acts may
result in many issues ceasing to be. Examples: generative wellbeing acts such as:
Participants may create short plays,
songs and rhythms, poems, stories, dances, murals and postcards, and other
materials about these things. A strong sense of group and community bonding
may develop or be strengthened. Often others - friends and relatives - may
join in towards the finish of the gatherings to experience performances,
games, and perhaps an exhibition of artistic products. Typically,
participants have rarely, if ever, participated in artistic expression
before. To casual observers, people's
cultural healing action may appear to be a curious mix of childlike
activities, where grown-ups, adolescents and children may sing simple songs,
work with crayons, pens, markers, pencils, chalk and coloured paper, and play
games. Some of the processes: Social Mapping. Participants may explore the
function of personal and community maps
(*) and their significant features. They may construct social maps, or maps
of their community's or their individual concerns; detailing points of
origin, the destination, the landmarks and signposts, etc. - using cut-outs,
drawings, and found objects. The creation of social maps may focus on
producing graphic and directional representations of individual and community
wellbeing aspirations, ideal situations, and possible courses to take. Refer
creating futures (*). Conflict Studies. Conflict may be a motive force for
art - as in life. Recognising this, in some contexts, games and exercises
exploring the various kinds of conflict may make up a significant portion of
the early life of some cultural healing action. Physical conflict may be
explored through such games as Tug-of-War, Dragons Tail, and various group
Tag games. These may illustrate the tension that may evolve if force is used,
particularly to oppose. The value of unified action, cooperative teamwork and
therapeutic mediating ways in conflict resolving situations may be
highlighted. Contexts may be rich with possibilities to incorporate/ embody
any of the healing ways you know and those included in this page. Jog-Freeze is a verbal conflict
experience - participants jog in a circle and when two or three people are
tagged, the jogging stops. Then the tagged people come into the centre of the
circle and have an improvised healing mediation (*) and seek to understand
each other's maps (*).
These little segments are then discussed to explore factors that sustain and
resolve conflicts. Hidden disagreement may be explored
by assigning subtexts (for example, undisclosed agendas, attitudes, motives
and outlooks) to participants, then having them interact showing only a
'superficial character' embodying a totally different subtext to the world.
As an example a person may have an open subtext of 'Act strong because life
is a jungle and it is the survival of the fittest'. This may be linked with a
hidden one of 'Do not trust anyone - people only use you up'. Participants
eventually try to discover each others' subtexts as part of their differing maps (*) as a source
of obvious, but implicit conflict among themselves. These processes provide
rich opportunities to use many of the micro-experiences contained in this
page (refer rapport (*),
attending in uptime (*), listening
(*), reporting (*), representations - maps
(*), and metamodel (*).
Image Theatre and Forum Theatre.
The conflict exercises may naturally
progress to image theatre, a basic device used in enriching wellbeing for
issue dissolving. Participants often divide into groups of at least five, and
each group devises three tableaux (frozen postures, attitudes, images and
dialogue) depicting:
Forum theatre builds from image
theatre. The situations presented in the group in stages can now be developed
into a more fluid dramatic piece, complete with movement, sound, etc. The
participants (still divided into groups) develop the piece either completely
(ie., an aspect of wellbeing is enriched - a concern is resolved) or up to a
crisis point only. Pieces are then performed with others as observers.
Members of this audience stop the performance any time a person has concerns
about what is being presented. During the replay, people stopping the
performance do not to talk about why they want to change something. Rather
they assume the role of the actor concerned or simply add another actor in
the drama. The process can go on until the audience agrees that the
performance offers a rich representation of the wellbeing enriching
process. If the performance is one that stops
at a crisis point, the audience supplies a resolution to the crisis. As many
actors again from the audience may rise to modify the piece. At the very end
of these processes, a forum may be held with everybody present involved to
further explore the presentations. Forum theatre thus becomes a process for
dismantling the alienation between actors and audience typical of formal
theatre. It also may serve as a rehearsal for action in the real conflict
situations represented in the pieces . The healing cultural activities and
dynamic 'group relating' may provide
corrective (*), remedial and generative emotional experiences that
may lead to personal and group concerns actually being healed/resolved during
the process of exploring them. At the same time participants may be
gaining competencies that they may use in the future. Cultural healing action may enable
healing potential within therapeutic space. It may create opportunities for
exploring inner experience and outer reality - exploring the space between
'appears to be real' and 'experientially real', ie. what is felt somatically
(in the body) - enriching the capacity of 'individual self' and the
'collective self' - as healer/actor in experiencing 'safe abandon' - surrendering
to the unfolding moment and catching the flow - re-experiencing early
childhood preplay processes of embodiment, projecting and role, dramatic play
- exploring within the 'personal theatre' of the individual and community and
creating the healing theatre of the group as a whole. The above processes may
be used to enrich wellbeing while gaining the requisite micro-experiences in
the process. Healing Cultural Action involves
actively fostering and sustaining cultural wellbeing. It fosters people
extending their own culture as a balance to other cultures that may be
dominant, elitist and oppressive. As well, it is a movement for intercultural
reconciliation and wellbeing. It may foster the development of
Quick Response Healing Teams to resolve local community and international
conflict. It may provide scope for people to actively engender and promote
values, language, practices, modes of action, arts and other aspects
of a way of life (culture). These in turn may enable social emancipation,
intercultural healing, cultural justice, as well as social and environmental
wellbeing. Generally people do not want to be
confused. However being both confused and very curious is an excellent state
for learning. It leaves one open to new ways of perceiving. The
taken-for-granted is on hold. A state of curious confusion is laden with liminal (*)
possibilities. Refer the Interrupt
pattern (*) for an example of the healing use of curious
confusion. DEBRIEFING Laceweb processes may sometimes have
enablers and nurturers simultaneously charged up with excess arousal, and
drained - like having the accelerator and brake on simultaneously. People may
assist others and themselves in clearing unwanted states and renewing
energies. Typically, a return to relaxed energised resourcefulness is
valuable. Later if desired, in a resourceful state, the outcomes of the prior
enabling/nurturing may be explored. Refer 'caring for carer' (*), shifting arousal states (*), liminal (*) and ultradian rhythm
(*). Processes:
In Indo-European languages, nouns
may imply a reality that is more greater or more substantial than that of a verb
or adjective. A noun can imply that there is a 'thing' that 'exists' - that
has a name. There's the idea that once a thing is named we somehow know something.
'Oh, he has 'attention deficit disorder'. Once verbs have been
nominalised (turned into a noun form) we tend to sense that there is a
'substance' behind each kind of action. When this has happened - when the
notion of a 'substance' has been created, it's all too easy to assume a
substantial reality behind the word. We suggest, that for many nouns, this is
problematical. To put this another way, people
pervasively turn active process into the passive and static by the shift from
verb to noun - from 'doing' to 'thing' - for example, from 'failing' to
'failure'. One wit said problematic 'nominalisations'
are nouns you can't fit into a wheelbarrow. For example the noun 'failure' - you
can't put 'failure' into a wheelbarrow. Other examples are 'decisions',
'jealousy', and 'aggression'. Let's say a person says: 'I am a failure!' It sounds so final, so fixed. The
verb 'to be' (I am. You are. S/he is) sets up an air of
certainty. It is the case! 'You are a failure!' And it sounds
so all pervasive; a failure at everything under the sun. 'What a
reject!' Consider what happens when we
'de-nominalise', that is, shift from the noun 'failure' back to the verb
'failing'. We now get the sense of a very different and circumscribed on-going
process - that is in no way static. It may change. The new sentence: 'I am failing.' invites us to explore further. We may guess that the deep structure
(*) of this sentence is something like : 'Someone is somehow failing,
sometimes, somewhere, in some context, in relating somehow with someone or
more, in doing or not doing something, somehow, and feeling somehow as a consequence.' Immediately we can see that a lot of
what may be 'going on' has been 'left out' of, or deleted, (*) from the first sentence.
As well, it contains 'generalisations'
(*) and 'distortions'
(*). To begin to specify generalisations
we may ask: How specifically are you
failing? The response we look for is 'generalisations
specified'. To recover deletions we may
ask:
The responses we are looking for are
'deletions recovered'. The distortion lies in the
universal all pervasive mood implied by the word 'failure' The response we are looking for is distortion
removed. The other questions can begin to put
what's happening into a more dynamic frame that the person can do something
about. Answers to the above questions can
lead to healing action. For example: Other: 'I am a failure!' Nurturer options: 'What have you
been failing at?' (recover deletion) Then: 'How specifically? ( specify
generalised verb) The language metamodel (*) can then be
used to specify the persons map
(*) or internal representation of what is going on. Nominalisations almost invariably
involve generalising
(*) the underlying verb and deleting
(*) and distorting (*)
contexts (*) content (*),
process (*) and meanings (*) - refer language metamodel (*). People may easily become overwhelmed
by creating lists of unresolved issues in noun form. For example a group of
bureaucrats created the following list of unresolved issues:
After making the list, you could see
the energy drain out of them. 'The same old chestnuts!' This was followed by
a group sigh of resignation, or to denominalise, they were all resigning
from taking action. What would your reaction be if you were given this list
of things to resolve? Notice the 'feel' of the list when
it is denominalised. nominalisation denominalising lousy decisions deciding delegation problems delegating control problems controlling profit being profitable liquidity having sufficient money morale feeling good cooperation cooperating coordination coordinating recognition recognising remuneration remunerating The second list virtually tells you
what to do. The words are expressed as process and action. The words
themselves prompt clues in resolving the issues. 'How specifically? What?
With whom?' Which list would you prefer to resolve?
Probably neither! Though it demonstrates healing possibilities Often a group of people will refrain
from discussing certain things, particularly if discussion will activate
aversive consequences and 'up the ante' - increasing uneasiness, aggression,
anger, depression and the like. Often this non-discussing is also never
discussed, and this 'second - level' non-discussing in turn is not discussed.
Having problematic aspects of life that are never discussed may create binds (*). If the
non-discussing is not noticed by anyone involved, then everyone may be in a
bind, and there is little any of those involved will ever do about it. If the
non discussing is non-discussible, it may slide into a double bind - and from
within the 'system', it may be that nothing can be done about it.
Often there will be well developed
strategies to prevent discussion - for example 'easing in', where people
hedge around the topic. As soon as they, or others become uneasy, the topic
is changed or dropped. Dissociating (*) and sensory submodality shifts (*) may be
used to link people to non-discussible themes in 'safe' ways so that some
entry into the 'non-discussible' may be possible. Watch for high level (very abstract)
inferences (*) that
people may be making about others. Seek to have these specified using the
language metamodel (*). Dissociated recall or imagining
involves being able to watch and/or hear ourselves in some context by
seeing and hearing our self (and perhaps others) from a 'third' person perceptual position
(*). This is a profoundly different experience to reliving the experience as
it happened previously, such that we see things unfolding as if looking
through our eyes. This is the associated position.
Recalling in associated vision typically activates the emotional
states that accompanied the original experience. In contrast, viewing the
experience in a dissociated way typically results in far less or no
emotional re-experiencing. This distinction may allow the
exploring of the past without activating devastating emotion. Refer sensory submodalities (*), concentrating (*) downtime (*) and uptime (*). DISTRACTING Distracting can be used in healing,
especially where a person is experiencing pain. 'Patch the clown asks the
child if he wants to see his floppy fish. The child is exhausted from getting
his burn bandages changed in the remote Russian hospital and when the child
looks up and sees Patch for the first time with his ridiculous floppy plastic
fish he is completely enchanted and tells Patch he is the most beautiful
person he has ever met and then the little boy clowns with Patch as the
nurses change the rest of his bandages and the boy is so lost in enchantment
that he gives no evidence of pain as the nurses, with tears running down
their cheeks at the profound beauty of the moment, finish their gruesome
task.' Refer interrupt (*) and concentrating (*). DOWNTIME 'Downtime' refers to internal sensing
by recalling or imagining seeing, hearing or feeling something,
or becoming engrossed in thinking. When people go into downtime, concentrating (*)
more and more of their experience on internal sensory experience, they
can change to profound dissociating
(*) from the here-and-now external happenings. This state is what's
called 'everyday trance states'. Typically, we all
enter into everyday trance states many times every day. Just ask a person
what they did last week and typically you can see their eyes defocus as they
go into internal to recall. Typically they can revert back to everyday
reality instantaneously. Sometimes it may take a few moments to reorientate.
While deeply into internal sensing
or attending to their thoughts, they can be completely deaf and blind to the
external world. However they still be able to attend at deeper levels
(preconscious) to the nurturer. For example, they may still respond to, and
take on healing suggestions. Refer sovereignty
(*), ecology (*) and awareness
of consequences (*). Downtime can be contrasted with 'Uptime (*). EMBEDDED SUGGESTIONS, IMPLICATIONS,
PRESUPPOSITIONS AND COMMANDS It is possible to 'bury' a
suggestion, implication, presupposition or command within a sentence. This
pattern may be used for creating healing possibilities that may be responded
to at deeper levels and that may bypass critical aspects that may sabotage healing.
Used with ecology (*) and respect for sovereignty (*). Refer ethics (*). General form: 'Perhaps (softener) you can
(embedded command).' Examples: 'Perhaps you can begin to settle down
now, and it may well be that things can change without you having to do
anything, as heart rate, and breathing, and all sorts of internal processes,
can settle down without you needing to do a thing, and you can do any shifts
that will make you even more comfortable now, and ....' This can be specified as: Perhaps (softener) you can (sets up embedded command) begin to settle (embedded command) now (using time to set up a
presupposition that they will begin to settle) and (conjunction) it may well be that (softly
(may) sets up suggestion) things (generalising - content free so
allowing the person choice) can (sets up suggestion) change (presupposition - suggestion) without you having to do anything (obviously true) as heart rate (obviously true) and (conjunction) breathing (sets up suggestion to
'breath slower') and (conjunction) all sorts of internal processes (generalisation
sets up suggestion) can (sets up suggestion) settle down (suggestion) easily (presupposition) and (conjunction) you can (sets up embedded command) do any shifts (generalised
command) that will (strong set up - using
'will') make you (using 'necessity' distortion (*) even more (assumes current level
of comfort) comfortable (embedded suggestion/presupposition) now (using time to set up
presupposition) The general form of the above
sentence is: 'Perhaps you can B now and it
may well be that C as D and E and F can G without
you H and you can I that will make you J now and
....' where the letters in bold are
suggestions or commands or help set these up. 'Perhaps you can begin to
settle down now and it may well be that things can change without you
having to do anything as heart rate and breathing and all
sorts of internal processes can settle down without you needing
to do a thing and you can do any shifts that will make you even
more comfortable now and ....' A context may be set up which is
rich with possibilities. Everyday life may be, for small moments or perhaps for
a long time, 'enriched' - framed as healing wellbeing - as joyful, light -
the healing power of playfulness and laughter - or spiritual - a glance - a
smile - for perhaps a few hours - marked out - a boundary - and a beautiful
setting with flowers and the setting sun. ERGOTROPIC AND TROPHOTROPIC SYSTEMS These two complementary systems are
fully discussed in the associated page Healing
the Mindbody. Also
refer Healing Artistry, Gene Expression and Gene
Modulation ETHICS The following ethical frame-work is
a model that may be used: For enablers and nurturers:
Personal Accountability Enablers and nurturers:
Recognition of Current Limits For enablers and nurturers:
Public Discussion of the Together
Approach Refer Together (*). For enablers and
nurturers:
Respect For Other Lifeways For enablers and nurturers:
Some thoughts and sensory
experiences become anchored (*)
or otherwise linked to other thoughts, sensory experience or behaviours.
Perhaps as an example, for an 'angry young man', any mention of the word
'police' can trigger rage. Refer synaesthesias (*), strategies and loops (*) and sensory submodalities
(*). A frame 'sets off' and enriches a
painting. Other things may be framed. Suppose you have decided to have a few
friends over to your place. It is possible to 'frame' the time together in
particular ways - We may set up a frame as we invite people. Some
examples:
A 'frame' may be an actual or
symbolic border - an edge, setting something apart, creating a space (*), a
place (*) and/or context (*). A
frame may help in constituting meaning. A frame can put a 'boundary'(*) on a context.
This is a context of a 'particular kind'. This is what is going on. This is
the 'definition of the situation' (*). The frame can assist us in making
sense of what we see, hear, feel, taste and smell. A frame can clarify the meaning of
behaviour. For example, a person sees another jumping around outside in a
'crazy' fashion - clutching his shirt. Having the additional piece of
information that a poisonous spider has fallen down that person's shirt
'frames' what's going on, or more particularly, reframes (*) 'crazy' into 'self
care'. Framing and reframing can be extensively used in healing. Refer interrupt (*) Example - The fight 'We see a fight going on down a
lane. A shot is fired. Three men grapple the gun off a fourth. A mugging? Two
men hold the gunman. A third is punching him. Call the police! Wait - further
down the lane we notice two camera men and a women with a sound boom. A few
others are standing with clip boards. Ah yes, they are making a film. That's
what's going on! Four men rush out of a door in the lane and start bashing
the men who are restraining the 'gunman'. Are they part of the film or have
they also mistaken this for a mugging? A person with a clip board is yelling
at them to stop. Does he want to stop the shoot for some reason because the
entrance of the four into the fight scene was not quite right or are they really
mistaken strangers? Wait! Here comes the police. It is really a fight? No,
these are pretend police and its part of the story line. The police jump out
and we hear one say to the other. 'Okay, make this look good!' And they run
up the lane. Yes, they are part of the film? A second police car arrives and
the old women calls out from a second floor window. 'I cant see it, but the
shooting and fighting is down the lane. The police run up and pull their guns
and jump out into the lane and yell for all to freeze. These are real police
and they are mistaken? Or is the mistake also part of the film. We notice
others filming from the roof tops. Are they part of the film crew or is this
a film about making a film? Will someone please tell me what's going on?' Here we have an example of laminas
(*) layer upon layer upon layer of embedded frames. Deframing is to suddenly suspend or
interrupt a frame - allowing the other person the freedom to have another
frame emerge. An Example of Deframing: A person is about to hit another
person. The person being attacked remains poised and says, 'Do you know what I like about
you? This remark has the potential to
deframe the other person's reality from : 'Hey you! Prepare to be hurt.'
to 'I'm confused about what's going
on.' Refer the Interrupt Pattern (*) especially 'The
Meat Cleaver story. FRAME
- FRAME MAKING Frames (*) can be 'set up' or 'made'
in many ways. Example A: By using signs as markers and
signifiers, eg. putting up sign at a festival: 'Laceweb workshops are to be held
here each morning at 10AM.' Example B: By using verbal and non verbal
behaviours, e.g. by simply saying 'X' is what is happening or using the language
of assuming, possibilities, presupposing
(*) implying, and arousing curiosity
(*). Example C: After meeting an acquaintance on a
bush track, saying: 'I met a friend of mine who showed
me a simple way she uses to lift herself when she gets very depressed and I
tried it and it works wonders in a couple of minutes and you may want to use
it and pass it on to your friends okay? Its as simple as this......' A meta-frame is a frame on a higher
logical level (*). It is the frame in which other frames take place. Like the
'first quarter' within the 'game'. Refer Laminas (*) and Frame (*). Example: The 'weekend camp-out' frame within the 'nurturer development' frame within the 'enabler development' frame within the 'Laceweb development' frame. Reframing involves replacing one
frame with another. Example A: In context of pain: "Notice that sensation.' Reframe of 'pain' to
'sensation') Example B: Other: 'I have a head ache.' Nurturer: 'Excellent! This will give
you an opportunity to try out some of the head ache cures. I hope it doesn't go too quickly.' Meaning Reframe:
Context reframe:
FRAME - SETTING UP A 'DESIRED STATE'
FRAME: Nurturer: 'What would you want to be
happening?' Other: 'I want to be able to remain calm -
not lose my temper.' Nurturer: 'Is that the most important thing
you would like to explore now?' Other: 'Yes." FRAME - SETTING UP 'INTERRUPT' FRAME Often people will persist in
behaviour that both limits them and limits us as enablers. For example, (i)
repeating a strategy (*)
that loops and escalates them into traumatised despair. We may set up an
understanding with the other about, and get prior agreement to interrupt and
stop them at any time during our time together. Refer Frame - 'Setting up
'need not to know' (*). For example: A palm out, fingers up, hand signal
can be set up as an interrupt anchor (*). FRAME - SETTING UP 'NEED NOT TO
KNOW' FRAME Often people will seek to persist in
behaviour that both limits them and limits us as enablers. For example,
repeatedly telling us what we already know or do not need to know,
particularly if the telling traumatises the other. We may set up an agreement
with the other that we may interrupt and stop certain behaviours (*). Refer 'Interrupt' Frame
(*). This allows a person to check new
aspects - strategies, experiences, micro-experiences and behaviours. The
person imagines in an associated
(*) way that they are in a future context involving aspects where they may
experience the new behaviours and see what outcomes their get. Its a way of
'homoeopathically' (minimally) trialing a new micro-experience. Refer 'as if'
frame (*). The nurturer may use the following
to assist the person to imagine the future:
For people who have no future, that
is, they never imagine the future, the nurturer can use time line (*) and submodality processes
(*) and all of the above processes to help the person 'create futures' (*).
Once a person begins future pacing,
the nurturer can calibrate (*) and watch for non verbal changes in the person
as a validation of verbal reports the person can give after the imagining.
If the person has difficulty
spontaneously using the new micro-experiences, this is a good indicator to do
more work in setting up the new ways. Alternatively if the micro-experiences
work in future pacing, this is a good indicator of future successful use in
everyday life. Refer Pseudo
Orientation in Time (*). Fuzzy language involves using
language that 'almost makes sense'. This may be used to :
Processes: The first part of sentence doesn't
fit the second half. Example A: The two sentences: 'You've had a lot of things
happening' and 'You can learn from the things that happen.' may be merged to make the following
'strange' or 'fuzzy' sentence. 'You've had a lot of happening(s)
can be for a learning.' Example B: Meaning and word order is jumbled
and said with confidence, or said with implied confusion. 'Sometimes
ehh....confusing....cant get it and....you know...comes clearer later....and
that's okay....(head nod) yeh!....Like that.....' Notice the ambiguity (*) in the last two words.
'Like that' may have an number of meanings:
This is another example of
intentionally using generalising and deleting
(*) for healing purposes GENERATING OPTIONS When people are stuck and/or
persisting in problematic behaviours and strategies (*), nurturers may enabler
a person to generate his/her own options and develop the micro-experience and
inclination to do this in the future. Example: Nurturer: 'So you have found that
the stranger you let live in your little hut is growing drugs beside the
house and you want everything removed. What are you going to do
about it?' Other: 'I don't know'. Nurturer: 'What are six different
things you can do? What comes to mind, now? These notes are filled with
practical micro-experiences in helping ourselves and others towards wholeness
and well being. You may have experienced that the
behaviours some people use to 'help' may not be helpful! Here are some
examples:
All of the forgoing is almost invariably
not very helpful. Furthermore, it may be disempowering to both the
'helper' and the person supposedly being helped. People often play at being weak and
helpless so that they can get others to rush in and 'help them'. They may in
fact not be at all weak and helpless. Rather, they may be very skilful and
manipulative. Unhelpful help also lays the 'helper' open to being manipulated
by the receiver of the 'help' - who may begin making continual and
inappropriate requests for help, for example, for you to do things for them.
Typically, they then start blaming the 'helper' for things going wrong. Other: 'I tried what you said and it
made it worse.' (The implication is, 'It's your
fault so fix it for me'.) Other: 'So what should I do now?' To deduce, imply or conclude that
something is a fact, consequence, or result. Often inferences are partly or
totally matters of opinion. Inferences are often partly or totally incorrect
and/or untrue. People tend to assume that their inferences are unquestionably
facts and True with a capital 'T'. Typically, people never question their
inferences. Often, people make inferences based
on their prior inferences. And then they make further inferences on top of
this till they are using third and fourth order inferences. It is highly
likely that these are filled with opinions and things that are in no way
correct or true. Again all of this is typically deemed to be absolutely true
and a fact. For Example: 'They are all dangerous people' 'There is not one good one among
them.' 'I know what they are thinking.' 'They are all trouble makers.' 'They always go out of their way to
irritate us' 'They will never change!' 'They think we are stupid.' 'They are worse than cur dogs and
far more dangerous.' 'The only good one is a dead
one.' Notice that these inferences are
filled with generalisations,
deletions and distortions (*). The metamodel (*) may allow exploring the
truth claims. Refer discussing the
undiscussible (*), relational mediating (*) and beliefs as guides to action (*). Contexts When the safety of self, others or
the focus person is at risk (death/serious harm) To stop pathological/non ecological
behaviours Where over-adaptation creates
rigidity To interrupt loopiness To get ecological outcomes quickly,
with respect for others' sovereignty
(*) Concepts/processes used
Process
Typical outcomes
Story example - The Meat cleaver When the jail heavy arrives late for
dinner you can't have only small bits of roast pumpkin left to give him. He
has to have the same size as others or there's hell to pay. He'll ring your
neck later. The answer - all bits have to be the same size.
Fred's new to the jail kitchen - doesn't know this size bit. Fred the pot
scrubber. Serving six for grievous bodily harm. Dangerous bastard. Word comes that the dried food
order's arrived. All except Fred go to trolley the stuff in. When they left,
the vegie cook was about to do the first cut of the large blue grey pumpkin.
The meat cleaver does the best job. From then on it is the big knife. Even
cuts make even bits. No small bits for the heavies. Gotta remember
that! So all the prisoner-cooks leave Fred
- all alone in the kitchen. Pots to scrub for roast. And before him, the
pumpkin, the meat cleaver and the chopping block. Kung Fu time! Smash
pumpkin time. And it's the only pumpkin. Bad mistake happening. The meat cleaver raised for the
death by a thousand chops. Brian walks in. Brian's a social worker. Has
message for the vegie cook. Spots Fred about to chop the pumpkin. Realises
big trouble rising! 'Hey Fred, you better not do that
because....' Bad mistake! Remember! Fred's in for grievous bodily harm. Bad
temper. Strong bastard. Hates being told. And he's got the meat cleaver in
his clenched fist!! Fred completely looses it. Off the
planet. Grabs Brian by the shirt front. Spits words of venom into Brian's
face. 'YouX#Y&X#$!!! Who the xz$#%@ do
you think you are, trying to tell me what to X#$@ do. I'll X@#$...smash your
#$@V face! You
X#@Q#!!!! Loosely translated - 'Prepare to die!'
Unfortunately he's got the meat cleaver!! Brian's held by shirt front, so his
face is inches from Fred's face. Brian - calm, relaxed and smiling - suddenly
leans his head around to Fred's left ear, whispering, 'Fred! Do you know what I like about
you......?' Brian returns to the front. Fred's
stopped talking. Eyes glazed and rotating. Meat cleaver held high, frozen in
space. Fred's confused. Real confused! His hand lets go of Brian's shirt.
Drops slowly. Brian waves his hand slowly in front of Fred's eyes and then
points to the meat cleaver. 'Hey Fred! Even though you were
mad as a meat axe, (pointing at meat axe) you have stopped...... you
have tremendous self control. That's what I like about you!' Fred slowly shakes his head - looks
at ground - looks around kitchen - puts meat axe on chopping board - takes a
deep breath - lets out gruff sigh - walks back to pots as he looks back at
Brian and says, Man ! You're a kook! (translation
'crazy person') Half an hour later Fred invites
Brian to play tennis with him. Fred thrashes Brian in straight sets!' Exercise: Read through the notes in the above
Pattern Interrupt Section again. Identify the following elements in the meat
cleaver story:
Further Stories: The following stories will be
written in due course.
From 'limin' (Latin) meaning the
threshold, the last step before the entrance. 'Liminal' experience is 'at the
threshold' - being open to change - a turning point. Staying and 'working at
the threshold' is to stay in liminality. The steps that lead up to the limin
are preliminary. For example, see Frame (*). Being 'liminal' may have the feeling
of 'safe abandoning' of the old - to safely surrender to the moment in profound
engrossment. 'Moment' may have a twofold sense - as in 'small amount of time'
and as in 'force producing a moving or turn'. It may embody the
shift:
Normally these two aspects of the
nervous system work in opposite directions. If the energising system
(sympathetic) activates, the slow-down system (parasympathetic) shuts down
and vice versa. Refer Shifting
States of Arousal (*), debriefing
(*) and ultradian Rhythms
(*). Liminal states may change this process so that both escalate - what some
cultures call 'tuning' - and we can go into profound states of relaxed energy
- typically accompanied by hyper-awareness. This profound liminal state is
rich for new possible ways of being. Enablers may set up liminal contexts
and liminal spaces. People in liminal states may be for the time 'threshold
people'. In the liminal state their attributes may be rather ambiguous. This
is because the condition of 'liminality' and being a 'liminal person' tends
to elude or slip through normal classifyings that locate places and positions
in social space. 'Liminal people' tend to be neither here nor there; rather
they may be betwixt and between the normal. Liminal states may be enriched with possibilities
(*). The ambiguous and indeterminate
attributes of liminality may be expressed in rich metaphors and symbols such
as:
and as one person characterised it,
the merging together the following three metaphors:
While such a common part of human
experience, people are often poor at listening. One's internal thoughts can
interrupt hearing another person. Good listeners remain silent internally.
That is, they are not talking to themselves inside their head while
attempting to listen to the other person. You're in effect temporarily deaf.
To put it another way, internal hearing interrupts external hearing. Effective listeners can recall what
the other person said and how they said it. Poor listeners have little recall
of what was actually said or have recall of only what the 'listener'
interpreted the speaker as saying or what they think the speaker should have
said. LISTENING -
PROCESS AND CONTENT: Very good listeners attend to both
the process (how the person is saying something - eg., in an agitated
way with eyes darting everywhere) as well as the content (what the
person is saying. Typically people are very poor at process attending and
become locked in and engrossed with content. Exercise: Refer exercise in reporting (*). An information classing process
whereby the higher the logical level the more inclusive and general the
class, and the lower the logical level the more the specific the classing. A question to lower the logical
level is, 'What specifically?' A question to raise the logical
level is, 'To what class does that belong?' Often paradoxes disappear when we
consider that we are talking about two or more things that belong to
different logical levels. For example a 'symptom' is typically
aversive and indicates some disease, sickness, trauma, malady and the
like. It seems perverse and paradoxical to
'prescribe the symptom' (*). Looked at within the 'diseases and their
symptoms' level it doesn't make sense. From the higher logical level of
'healing diseases and their symptoms', prescribing the symptom does make
sense because it can work. MAPS - INTERNAL
REPRESENTATIONS Have you ever shared an experience
with a few others and then, when you have recalled it some time later,
everyone seems to have a very different version of what happened. It's as if
you were all at different happenings. This is rather a common experience. It tends to happen because for one
thing, different people attend to different aspects of what is happening.
Some people who are very visual tend to see more of what's happening.
Auditory people tend hear more of what's happening. People who have a
preference for touching and feeling may get more of a feel for what is
happening. Some people are there but are in downtime (*) and not
attending much at all to what is happening around them. They may have little
recall at all! Apart from these differences, people
may further filter what they attend to. For example, some people tend
to filter for what is, for them, 'right' about what is happening. Others may
filter for what is, for them, 'wrong'. Others do not use this 'right'/ 'wrong'
frame (*) at all. Some attend to the 'broad sweep' of
what is happening. They generalise. Others attend to specific bits of
what is happening and ignore the rest. They delete. Others may skew or distort
what they see, hear and/or feel. For example, they may use universals
like:
The may use necessities For example:
The may use impossibilities
For example:
For example: 'It was the same thing
again. Every time we get together everyone gets upset and we can't
do anything about it. Nothing! Everything about the mess is impossible
to fix. We have to keep people apart. We must get this
through to people.' Because of the richness of life
experience we all:
Refer metamodel (*). Typically, we use these three
processes when we make inferences
(*) about others. We also use them when we make inferences based on our prior
inferences. The three processes, and filters
like the ones mentioned above, account in some measure for differences
between different people's view of the same event. Apart from these filters, something
else is happening. We do not 'receive' inputs like a camera or tape recorder.
It is not 'straight recording'. Even as we are seeing and hearing, we are
'constructing' the sense we make of our senses, thoughts and feelings. We
make our own 'representations'. We make, as it were, maps of the territory.
And importantly, the map is not the territory! We would never make
this confusion between a map and the chunk of land that it re-presents. And
yet many people mistakenly view their map as THE TERRITORY - the Truth. While filters assist us in coping
with the massive and complex input from both outside and inside our
body-mind, these same filters may result in non-ecological outcomes. People vary in the extent their maps
'match' the territory. Some have very impoverished maps. This may distort
every aspect of the person's being in their world including their
experiencing of the passing moment, their relating with others, their recall
of the past, and their imagining of the future. For example, trauma may
result in impoverished and distorted maps. The latest research in memory
suggests that every recall is a re-construction . For example, some people may recall
past traumatic events as if they are happening right before their very
eyes again (refer associated
(*) and sensory submodalities
(*). Everything may be larger than life. Things may be closer - right in
their face, as it were. To the extent they see things, these may be in shades
of grey. There is no colour in their past. Re-seeing things in this way may
be linked to the immediate firing off again of all of the awful feelings and
the movement into problematic physiology (*). Every recall may re-traumatise.
Even past good times may be hazy and in shades of grey through to black -
with no colour and no sparkle. Other people may recall a past
trauma as if it is a very tiny visual image that is somehow placed way behind
them to their left. It is a dissociated
(*) image. That is, they can see themselves in the former time and
place. It may be in colour. The recall may not be accompanied by any
emotional reaction. This is a profoundly different way to recall than the way
mentioned in the previous paragraph. Refer swish pattern (*). We reconstruct
the past and there's all sorts of ways to do this! Understanding all of the above has
important implications. Sharing maps may greatly enhance understanding. It is
invaluable in mediating. Cultural differences adds another
level of differences between maps. These differences may be identified,
specified, accepted and celebrated. The metamodel (*) is excellent for
specifying the filters people use to construct their maps (refer calibrating (*)). Attending in uptime
(*), using rapport (*)
and listening (*)
micro-experiences also help. All the above can assist in calibrating the way
we and others constructs our separate maps. These micro-experiences and all
of the other healing ways mentioned in this internet page may be used to
assist ourselves and others to enrich our maps. For example:
As well:
Because of the richness of life
experience, we all:
We use these filtering processes for
everything we do. We use them in all aspects of language. We use them in
making sense of what comes in via our senses. We can't attend to everything.
These three processes are very useful in allowing us to cope with
complexity. Enablers and nurturers may help a
person:
Examples of Generalisations: Lack of referential index Who/what referring to, poorly
specified Verb unspecified Generalisations Examples of Deletions: Deletions Comparison deletion Where a comparison is being made,
but deleted Dimension deletion Where a dimension has been deleted
Author deleted Where some idea or claim is made
without identifying the author Examples of Distortions: Necessity distortion Saying something is necessary, when it
isn't Impossibility distortion Saying something is impossible,
when it isn't Universal distortion Saying something is universally the
case, when it isn't Sentences may be full of the above
patterns. For example: 'Action is down in our area and we need
more enabling for our support group.' It may be that, in the particular
context the above sentence is stated, we may not respond at all. The other
person may continue speaking. It may be that in responding to the above
sentence we do not ask a question. We may use the metamodel with the
above example to generate many potential questions and observations about the
way the person represents (*)
the world to themself. To respond with a barrage of questions may
overwhelm and not be ecological. However, in a particular context one
or a few of the following questions may 'work' in specifying the above
sentence. Verb unspecified How
specifically is action 'down' Generalisation What action? Dimension Deletion Down by how much? Comparison deletion Compared to what?' Deletion Action by whom? Deletion In what contexts? Deletion What kinds of action Deletion About what? Generalisation Whose area? Generalisation Which area? Verb unspecified Down how specifically? Verb unspecified Enabled how specifically Lack of referential index Whose support group? Author deleted They need enabling - according to
whom? Generalisation You say, 'We need.' Who need the
enabling to take place? Deletion Who in the support group need
enabling? Deletion What additional enabling is need? Deletion Who already have been involved? Deletion What enabling has happened already? Deletion When? Necessity Distortion What would happen if their was no
enabling? Necessity What things other than enabling could
happen? Speaker's maps: If visual: What's your view? How do you see
this? If auditory: What do think? How's it sound to
you? If kinaesthetic: What do you feel? The sheer quantity of questions from
just one sentence hints at the pervasiveness of generalising, deleting and
distorting. If a person talks for a few minutes we may use the metamodel to
help generate almost endless questions and a strong sense of their maps (*). Refer Rapport (*), Pacing
(*) Leading (*) preferred sense mode (*) inferences (*) and sensory submodalities (*). Micro-experience in using the
metamodel allows this mass of potential 'entry points' to be at our finger
tips'. It implies highly refined rapport
(*), listening (*) and attending micro-experiences
(*) and the ability to stay in uptime. By attending in uptime and listening
while using the metamodel it is possible to select out of perhaps many
hundreds of potential responses, one that is absolutely perfect for the
moment - one that for example melts the tension, or that allows the flash of
insight for yourself and/or the person or that goes to the heart of what is
going on for the other person. THE METAMODEL Generalisations Lack of referential index Standard questions: Who specifically? What
specifically? Other: They all came. Enabler: Who specifically came? Outcome: Reference specified Verb unspecified Standard question: How specifically? Other: We went to the gathering Enabler: How did you go? Outcome: Verb specified Generalisations Standard questions: Who? What? When? Where,
specifically? Other: Some of the elders are
coming tomorrow Enabler: Who among the elders are
coming? When? Outcome: Generalisation specified Deletions Deletions Standard questions: Who? What? When? Where? Other: Some were delighted. Enabler: About what? Outcome: Deletion recovered Comparison deletion Standard question: Compared to whom? Other: They have had more support. Enabler: Compared to whom? Outcome: Comparison recovered Dimension deletion Standard question: By how much? Other: They have had more. Enabler: How much more? Outcome: Dimension recovered Author deleted Standard question: According to whom? Other: Some were upset. Enabler: Who said so? Outcome: Author recovered Distortions Necessity distortion Standard question: What happens if it doesn't happen? Other: We have to meet. Enabler: What if we don't? Outcome: Necessity challenged Impossibility distortion Standard question: What happens if it does happen Other: We can't meet there. Enabler: What if we did? Outcome: Impossibility challenged Universal distortion Standard response: emphasise the universal, e.g.
Everybody? Other: Everyone is upset. Enabler: Everyone? Standard response: Offer counter example Other: All dogs bite. Enabler: I've know many that don't! Outcome: Universal challenged Using the Metamodel for
Healing The metamodel may be used in two
broad ways. Firstly, to specify generalisations, recover
deletions and challenge distortions. This may increase both own and the other
person's understanding of their thinking and maps (*). We may obtain more specific
and accurate information. It may assist a nurturer to help the person more
quickly if the occasion warrants it - for example we want to help someone and
our time is limited - the boats about to leave! Secondly, enablers and nurturers may
intentional use generalisations, deletions and distortions in healing ways. Example (a pause is signified by
'.....'): '....and in relaxing more
now....there are parts of you that may recall good times...... and taking
your time.... for that to ....begin to happen perhaps....now..... so you may
perhaps enjoy what .....comes to mind..... as you perhaps ....may relax more
now .......in various ways.... and in seeing things again in the mind’s
eye....(nurturer notices smile of recognition of recall of a past context on
the other's face and acknowledges it )...Good!.....and now you may like to
.....look at that again ......and see if you can tell
.......how you feel about it...... and (notices person is shifting out
of depression into relaxed comfort)...... the changes that are occurring in
you right now.... (notices the person enjoying the comfort and acknowledges
that) Yes!.... That's right!....and taking all the time you need for all of
that.....because that can be a good thing to do right now....for
learnings..... Exercise: Use the metamodel above to
identify each generalisation, deletion and distortion in the above example. Refer a similar exercise in the
section on Pseudo orientation in
time (*). Refer also examples of the
therapeutic use of generalisations, deletions and distortions in 'Content free generalising'
(*) and 'Embedded suggestions,
implications, presuppositions and commands' (*) A paradoxical healing action is a
healing process that does not seem to make sense. When looked at from a
different logical level (*) the paradox may disappear. An example would be
'prescribing a symptom'. Refer 'logical
levels (*) and telling a person to do the opposite of what you
would prefer them to do. Refer polarity response (*). Also refer Therapeutic
Binds and Double Binds. A perceptual position is any point
of view taken by a person at a specific time. At One - Mystical A sense of merging with everything
in the physical universe - and then merging with the metaphysical - going
beyond time to merge with God. Perhaps the ultimate mystical experience. Distant Microdot - Integrity Under
Extreme Stress To survive in times of extreme
psycho-emotional and physical stress - creating a place for integrating,
balancing and renewal of resources. Use downtime (*) and sensory submodalities (*) to leave
one's body and have one's distilled essence reduce to a microdot in space and
'fire' everything in the known universe millions of light years away. All of
the light from all of the galaxies and star systems are as one distant bright
beautiful speck of light that is way in the distance. This is a profoundly
still, silent state. It is wrapped in a safe, soft, comfortable, inky and
velvety blackness - without sensation, except a profound knowing and
experiencing of integrity and strength and a surety of being able to return
to ordinary reality at will. First Person - Self The performer in their own body. Second Person - Other The performer outside of their body
as an 'other'. Third Person -
Observer Or Director A meta position: that of the
performer observing themselves and the other from outside A healthy 'sense of safety' will
activate signals that alert us whenever we are in danger. Many people
do not have a well-developed sense of safety and it may only alert them in a
narrow set of circumstances. A healthy 'safety' alert may be set up through anchoring (*). If we
having a healthy sense of safety and know it will signal when we are
in possible danger, then we don't need to be preoccupied with safety. Physically, being generally 'open',
'loose' and 'up' as compared to 'closed', 'tight' and 'down'. A typical set of
moves by people who feel vulnerable is to move into a cringe position. They
may do this by doing the following set of moves:
Shifting to this 'cringe' posture
when we feel vulnerable can increase our sense of vulnerability! It is
a kinaesthetic bind (*).
It can shut down breathing and
restrict the capacity to both move and enter into resourceful states, for
example like 'a feeling of poise and calm alertness'. In contrast we may have
our chest 'open' and 'up', with our arms down by our sides. Now on first
hearing, this may perhaps appear to increase vulnerability. Experience
suggests that we may learn to use this posture to easily enter powerful
states of being. We suggest you experience shifting between these two sets of
posture - cringe and open tallness - to notice the difference! Refer safety (*), personal safety (*)
and interrupt (*). This segment explores a nest of
similar behaviours - assuming, implying, presuming, presupposing, to require
something before hand as a necessary condition. The nurturer, within the metaframes
of requisite variety
(*), ADT WR (*), ethics (*) and
sovereignty (*), can
for example presuppose an outcome. Some behaviour or experience may be
presupposed in such a way that the presupposition is typically not noticed.
Example: 'Perhaps during our time
together this time we may explore a few things and it may well be that
by the end of the morning a number of things may be resolved
and before we start now you may like to make yourself more
comfortable.' This sentence contains many
presuppositions. during our time together: presupposes healing will
continue this time: presupposes healer has been
previously and sets up hints for the other person to recall and access and
re-enter the healing states experienced during the last meeting we may explore a few things: presupposes the other person will
allow this by the end of the morning presupposes
the meeting will last all morning a number of things may be resolved: presupposes the other person will
allow healing possibilities and that a number of aspects may be involved and
resolved and before we start now: presupposes the other will allow a
start to healing and that it will happen very soon make yourself more comfortable : presupposes an existing level of
comfort and that the person can and will take action to become more
comfortable Process: Any reference to time or duration
can set up a presupposition. Examples:
Examples: Before we start......(that we will
start) To conclude......(that we are about
to finish) Before you go....(that you are going
soon) Other examples: .......more calmness.......(there is
some existing level of calmness) the next time we........(that there
will be a next time) Refer Conjunctions (*). Anywhere, indoors or out, may become
recognised as a 'place' for a few moments or long term.
Places may have meaning and memories attached. They may move inside of us. We
may re-member them. Places may become enriched. People may sense
possibilities. Places may be framed
(*). Often the 'particular' more than the 'general' may happen there. 'This
is where we 'X'.' Places tend to have associated contexts (*). 'This is the place Tim
began walking again.' 'This is where we had our first enablers gathering.' We
chance to meet on the trail, taking the moment to offer a sharing of healing
ways, and briefly change the context, so in the interchange transforming
wellbeing. This bit of trail becomes a special place in time and space -
becomes our special place - where we are sharing enrichment. It
becomes a long re-membered place. The experience contained within it is
inside of us. Becoming familiar with a place. We
may walk in uptime (*)
attending to a place and its surroundings such that we 'take in' the
landscape and all of its features - we internalise it - we have the landscape
inside of us - it becomes a part of us. Anything that happens at this
place enriches our familiarity. The place becomes a natural anchor (*) for re-entering into
memories and resource states that we have experienced at this place.
Similarly, by imaging we are back at this place the same thing can
happen - we find that we can re-enter into states of being and resources (*) like we
did the first time and do it easily. Refer pseudo orientation in time (*) and Together Approach
(*). Some people have a habitual
reaction, in certain contexts, to do the opposite of what another person
suggests or demands. This is called a 'polarity' response. With respect, we
may give a suggestion to a polarity responder, such that what we are
suggesting is 'hidden' within it's negation. For example: 'Because you are so tense there is
probable no way that you can become very relaxed now.' One can imagine a polarity
responder's reacting to the suggestion: 'There's no way that you can become
very relaxed now.' And saying 'Oh yeh, that's what you
think!' and then becoming profoundly relaxed! The expression 'become very
relaxed now' contains the suggestion and can be slightly 'marked out'
perhaps by under-emphasising it. The polarity responder tunes into the 'no
way' and does the opposite - that is, becomes very relaxed. Perhaps at a deeper
more cooperative level the person hears the embedded suggestion (in italics)
and so the unconscious compliance supports the polarity response. The person
becomes very relaxed! Pseudo orientation in time involves
shifting either into past tense or future tense for healing purposes. For example: Now....about these new
micro-experiences you have just learned...to explore now.....how you can
become very experienced in these .... and you can perhaps use your
imagination now....and go about two years in the future and create a context
where you are using these micro-experiences now....taking all the time you
need to do that.... and when you have that....look around you to see
everything that's happening.....(seeing the other looking around and
acknowledging that) Good! And noticing what you are hearing yourself
say....and how you are saying that.....and how you feel......(allow time for
them to experience this) good!...and when you are ready you can leave
that....and you may go around a further year into the future now....taking
the time to do that.....well after you began to be very good at using this
new micro-experience you have just learnt ......and in the future now.....
three years in the future from now....you can recall back a year ago ......to
a time .....you can imagine now ......when you had gained highly refined
ability in using these micro-experiences you have just learned. Exercise: Use the metamodel (*) to identify the
intentional use of generalisations, deletions and distortions in the above
example. Refer future pacing (*). Notice the shift from past tense to
present tense in the following excerpt. Present tense is a pseudo orientation
in time back to the time the story is supposed to have taken place.
Present tense may also give more of a sense of reality to the story. It is
happening right now. Words indicating tense are in bold. Words in present
tense are in italics. 'Once upon a time there was a
young prince who was so bossy everyone was heartily sick of him
and he couldn't wait to be king so everyone would have to
do what he wanted, and he became very sick himself and all of
the healers tried to heal him and he was sick to death of all
this and yet he just got sicker and sicker until he thought he would
die, and finally one of the healers said, 'Only the old Hag at the
edge of the world (shift to present tense) can save you', so he
orders them to take him to the old hag, and as
they reach where she lives the healers become
afraid and run away and hide and the old hag appears
unto him and he says, 'Hag, I am your Prince and
you have to heal me, for I fear I will
die', and the old hag says, I will obey you this
time, but on one condition - you have to marry me
first', People in rapport are in accord and
harmony. Observe people in close rapport and you'll notice they are in
lock-step - they're synchronised. One person does something and the other
person does it. For example, at some point aspects of posture take on
similarities. People in rapport start to breath in the same way and at the
same time. One person picks up their drink and the other person does the
same. As one leans forward, so does the other. They talk at the same speed,
tone and volume. They become the complete focus of each other's attention.
They concentrate (*) on each other and dissociate (*) from the balance of
reality. They tend to stay in uptime
(*) highly focused (on the other) and attend and listen (*) only to the other. We may fast-track this process by
pacing (*) the other person. We don't exaggerate, mimic, or ape as that may
cause offence. Pacing is typically never noticed by the other person. Exercises:
while talking, listening and
attending to each other (and to the enabler) the enabler introduces, one at a
time, the following aspects to match:
Example: Visual: 'Look, I want to show
you something to see if you.... Auditory: 'Listen I want to talk
about something I heard..... Kinaesthetic: 'I want to touch base to check
how you feel about..
Sometimes, it may be appropriate to
break rapport to:
Refer interrupt (*). Exercise: Pace some behaviour and then
suddenly do that behaviour very differently. Eg: Shift from pacing:
By 'attending in uptime' (*) being able
to repeat both process and content (*) (verbal and non verbal) of the other
person. The following two exercises explore aspects of listening by
structuring non listening. Refer Prescribing the symptom (*). Exercise: Non listening - A Sit opposite your partner. Both think
up something that you would really like to share with your partner. Both
start talking to each other at the same time. If you start laughing or
listening, pause, re-centre and start telling your story. After a few minutes, stop and
discuss the experience. Non listening - B Select a wonderful experience that
you want to share with your partner. One partner keeps their eyes open and
starts vividly recalling the experience. The other partner may use the
following suggestions to aid them to recall. Allow plenty of time in the
pause signified by .... 'And perhaps being back there in
your experience in your minds eye....and noticing things....and looking
around in that prior time....and beginning to hear what is happening back
there ....and checking how you feel.' While the person begins to recall,
the other partner then quietly observes the appearance of their partners
face. Typically, the person who is recalling will begin to get a vacant
stare. Their eyes may become glazed. The muscles may relax. The colour may
drain out. Refer downtime (*)
and every day trance state
(*). Once the person has had time to
settle into the internal recall, the other partner can begin to tell their
story aloud. If the person who is engaging in internal recall starts to
attend to the other, they then re-centre themselves, take a breath and begin
recalling their own experience internally again. After about two minutes stop and
discuss the experience. Swap roles and repeat the
exercise. Exercise: Attending and reporting (i) Working in pairs. One partner is
the speaker, the other the listener/attender/reporter (ii) the listener:
(iv) the listener then repeats back
(reports) everything the other person has just said both verbally and non verbally. Work in pairs with all pairs very
close together. This adds a lot of 'surround sound' and demonstrates how well
we can attend to our 'other' and dissociate
from all the other pairs. Discuss the experience and then swap
roles and repeat the exercise. On subsequent repeats of the
exercise:
The above exercises may highlight
the effect and possible consequences of being in uptime or downtime while
attempting to listen to others. Effective relaters notice when
another person is going into downtime to do some internal processing and
pause to allow the person scope to do that. When the person re-orientates to
uptime, the conversation can be continued. Once people have process awareness
of downtime they may begin to notice just how often people are in
downtime. If you do not notice this, you may spend a lot of time talking to
people who are effectively deaf and can not hear a word you are saying! If something doesn't work, try
something else. This links the enablers into a 'can do' frame (*), seeking
options, flexibility, choice and ADT WR (*). RESOLVING
INDEPENDENTLY OF CAUSE Laceweb processes tend to focus
directly on 'wholeness' and 'wellbeing' - what the person wants their life to
be - how they would be living, what they would be experiencing, what specific
things would be happening, how they would be feeling. The process and micro-experiences
outlined in this page may support people moving between where they are and
where they want to be. Laceweb experience has been that all manner of things
may be resolved without any need to mull around in causes. Let's say a car breaks down. Finding
the cause structures the 'fix'. An engine runs rough and is loosing power -
sounds like a spark plug needs cleaning. This nexus or link between 'cause' -
and 'resolution' works for machines. It often has little value in
psycho-social healing. Firstly it's likely that the causal
process is complex - there's multiple contributing causes, with many
intervening factors. Secondly, often we have no way of
unravelling this. Many involved in the 'causal process' may be dead or
uncontactable. Thirdly, reliving the cause can
retraumatize and be extremely wearing for all concerned. Fourthly, the cause may have no
relation to, or give any indicators on how to resolve it. Knowing that
a person has been traumatised by X, where X is known in detail, doesn't
necessarily indicate what action will 'resolve' the trauma. Importantly, experience has shown
that people can move to wellbeing without them, or any support person,
paying much attention to causal processes at all. If you don't need to
explore cause, and doing it is unpleasant and/or non ecological - you may
want to forget 'cause'. Any behaviour may have 'use' in some
context. Typically, the behaviour has been acquired as 'the best option' the
person could come up with in the life circumstance they found themselves.
Using even 'problematic' and 'impoverished' behaviour can be the way the
person copes. To take these behaviours away may be devastating. It's all they
have. All behaviours, all physical and psychological states of
being and all emotional states are resources that a person can
draw upon in an appropriate context. Example: 'A young girl has an ability to use
words in a devastating fashion. She has been using this ability on her peers
and reducing them to quivering messes. The girl is enabled to add other
behaviours to her repertoire and she stops using her 'devastating tongue'.
However she still has this powerful ability and one day it may come in handy
in stopping older malevolent energy in it's tracks.' For example, most people do not like
to feel hopeless and helpless. These feeling are very valuable resource
states. They can save our lives. 'Fred was new to the Australian
outback. First trip in his four wheel drive. Doesn't know he has cracked his
diff and lost his oil. Good for about ten more kilometres. Fred is 160
kilometres from the nearest habitation. He's torn his water bottle as well.
No more water. Doesn't know that either. Right now Fred has jumped into a
deep hole in the sand. It's cool down where he is. The cliff creates some
shade. That's why he jumped in. Big mistake! When he tries to get out he will
only bring down more sand into the pit. The roots he was going to use to get
out won't support his weight. Dry rot. He can't get out and he doesn't know
it. Fifteen more minutes and the shade will be gone. Forty more minutes and
it will be 60 degrees down there! He will fry! And yet, as we speak a guy is
walking past within calling distance with a string of camels laden with food
and water and a length of rope - everything Fred needs to survive. Fred is in
a hopeless and helpless state but he doesn't sense it - so he
is a dead man.' Personal safety (*) and respecting the
sovereignty (*) of
both self and others sets a frame
(*) and context (*)
that allows the sustained monitoring and attending (*) to safety of self and
other(s). This section explores some ways to
use our senses for healing. As an example, some people are burdened because
they have thoughts racing in their minds at inappropriate times - say 2 AM in
the morning. Using tongue for internal silence Context: The following process may be very
useful for people who have uncontrollable thoughts racing (particularly late
at night when you want to go to sleep). Each of the senses have
submodes. Refer submodes (*). Sensory Code: Ai The primary sense involved is
Auditory and the focus is internal dialogue Auditory Submodes of the thoughts -
possible examples: refer calibrating (*)
Meta-Content:
Consequences:
Interrupt Process:
Each
of our senses have many submodes. For example, if we imagine seeing
something, it may have size, colour, form, and location. These submodes help
constitute our experience and the representations
and maps (*) we make of our experience. We all do this
all the time. Typically, we can all easily make changes at the sensory
submodality. These changes may have a profound effect on wellbeing. To take a simple example -
You may have noticed changes in your
response as you made these changes at the submodality level. Refer maps and representations.
Submodality change can assist in
removing trauma, phobias, compulsions, obsessions and a wide range of other changes
so you may have more flexibility and choice. Information on how to use
sensory submodalities will be added to this section in due course. VISUAL Visual - Submodes that can shift
along a range:
Visual - Submodes that have
alternatives:
Visual - Miscellaneous
AUDITORY Auditory - Submodes that can shift
along a range:
Auditory - Submodes that can have
alternatives:
Auditory - Miscellaneous:
KINEAESTHETIC Kinaesthetic - Submodalities that
change
Kinaesthetic - Submodes that have
alternatives:
Kinaesthetic - Miscellaneous
VESTIBULAR PREDICATES & LANGUAGE Refer sensory submodalities for background.
As the Vestibular system is the organ of body connection, it's input
involves information on the bodies response to gravity, direction,
spatial location, speed, acceleration, deceleration and body
equilibrium. All the senses and emotions both
feed into, and interact with the Vestibular system. Adjectives and verbs that represent
whole or partial body movement may provide 'windows' for linking with
Vestibular system functioning and scope for healing ways. In some indigenous communities
healers will go out to meet members who have been engaged in hunting to clear
their energies before they re-enter the community - so that none of the
energy of the hunt is brought back into the community and it is often
vestibular elements that are reshaped for the changing of the mindbody energy
and the healer will have the hunters stand as the healer moves and dances
around them and with gentle touch and gesture and simple words has the
softening ways return to jaw and fist and belly and the breathing. The vestibular system's connection
to all other parts of the mindbody is so profound that having a person or
group of people stand as words and expressions and metaphorical movement
surround them, subtle and profound changes may come within their bodies in
response to gravity and the healing context. As energy, emotions, sensations,
ideas and past history are embodied, so they can be changed, and the healer
can use all these things in creative ways. And these micro-experiences can be
woven so that even a few threads make a difference. Refer Laceweb
- Healing the Mindbody for a more details on healing ways using
the mindbody. Also refer Regaining
Balance Through Mutual-help. Direction predicates
Spatial location
predicates
Speed predicates
Body equilibrium predicates
PREPOSITIONS
VESTIBULAR SUBMODALITIES
Words effecting the
Vestibular system
We can be clear about enabling the
resolving of another's wellbeing issues if we make a clear distinction
between what is our 'stuff' and what is their 'stuff' and then
working with them on their stuff. Refer projections (*). In some contexts you may want to
work on both your stuff and your partners stuff. The suggestion is, don't
confuse the two. Merging with and modelling your partner's 'micro-experiences
and abilities is an excellent way to learn new micro-experiences. Refer calibrating (*). Various tasks seem to require a
particular level of 'generalised arousal' for peak performance. By 'arousal'
we mean things like energy level, alertness, and focused attention on the task.
Refer Strategies for Arousal
Flexibility (*) for a detailed resources. Internally, it's the relative
activity between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems within
the autonomic nervous system (*). The Sympathetic system prepares for action.
The Parasympathetic system prepares for rest and rumination. As well it is
the relative balance levels between the ergotropic and the trophotropic systems.
Refer the associated page Healing the Mindbody. Also refer liminality (*), debriefing (*) and ultradian rhythms
(*). Increase arousal and we perform
better. However, any excess arousal beyond the level required for a
particular task and performance deteriorates very rapidly. This means we may
be effective on demanding tasks because we have the required high levels of
arousal and then shift to a 'gentler task' requiring lower arousal with our
arousal still high. Because of arousal in excess of what's required, this new
task will be performed very poorly. A valuable micro-experience is being
able to shift arousal states to the levels appropriate for the particular task
and context. Processes: Increasing arousal: Finger fling: Bend elbows and have
hands near your chest with palms out, then fling your arms away from you and
fling fingers straight at last moment. Repeat a number of times. Any action that increases alertness:
Any action that increases rhythmic
tempo:
Decreasing arousal: If very agitated - Flat foot stomp- involves
bending legs and lowering pelvis, then with higher than normal knee rise,
place foot firmly onto the ground as if stomping the ground as you walk; use
a vigorous arm action. It's very energising initially and burns up excess
chemicals. Do it for about two minutes and then slowly move doing deep
breathing until you're down to slow breathing. Looks a bit weird, so you may
want to do it where you do not attract attention. Rapid transfer of awareness around
the body Lie flat on your back and alternatively
lift your legs. Keep you legs straight and raise them only about two
centimetres. Allow the leg to relax and drop, then raise the other leg. Do
this alternate leg raising for about four minutes and then rest and give your
body more to the floor/bed with each exhaling breath. Lie on your back and alternate
rapidly in seeing three things, hearing three things and then feeling three
parts of your body. Keep rotating though this cycle for about 5 minutes and
then give that up and then recall some prior pleasant experience by seeing
hearing and feeling everything that happened Have a warm glass of milk Take a warm bath (not to hot). Have a relaxing massage. Massage your self Relax tongue in the lower jaw with
the tip of your tongue lightly against your lower gum. Refer exercises in sensory healing processes (*) and debriefing (*). Laceweb Action may enrich
flexibility, choice, wholeness and well being. Action stays clear of anything
that may disempower. Refer Helping
(*) and Ethics (*).
One frame that may guide Laceweb action is 'sovereignty', that is, relating
to everyone as princesses or princes of the realm - relating with utmost
respect. Story - The Prince and the Hag: 'Once upon a time there was a young
prince who was so bossy everyone was heartily sick of him and he couldn't
wait to be king so everyone would have to do what he wanted, and he became
very sick himself and all of the healers tried to heal him and he was sick to
death of all this and yet he just got sicker and sicker until he thought he
would die, and finally one of the healers said, 'Only the old Hag at the edge
of the world can save you', so he orders them to take him to the old hag, and
as they reach where she lives the healers become afraid and run away and hide
and the old hag appears unto him and he says, 'Hag, I am your Prince and you
have to heal me, for I fear I will die', and the old hag says, I will obey
you this time, but on one condition - you have to marry me first', and the
Prince says, 'No way! You can't dictate to me' and he immediately feels sick
unto death so he panics and half chokes as he tries to say, 'Yes' and all he
can say is 'Yu'... 'Yu.... so the hag says 'Is that a 'Yes'? You will marry
me?' and he nods, 'yes', and so the hag beckons the healers, who are watching
from a distance, and they come and carry the prince and the hag back to the
castle and when word of the marriage spreads through the kingdom all the
people come to the castle to witness this strange event as they all know how
scary the hag is, and so the prince and the hag are married, and when they
were alone in the bridal chamber the hag turns into a beautiful young
princess and the prince is overjoyed at this fairytale happening, and when he
awakes in the morning he is horrified to find that his beautiful princess is
once again the old hag, and she tells the prince that for twelve hours she
will be a beautiful young princess and twelve the old hag, and he has a
choice as to whether she is the hag during the day when his subjects can see
them together, or a hag at night when they are alone together, and the prince
says he has things to do and he will decide in the evening, and upon
returning that night she is once again the beautiful princess, and he tells
her he will decide what she is to do in the morning, and when the sun rises
he again hesitates and says he will think about it during the day, and
immediately he is sick unto death, and the hag says he must decide her fate
now, and the prince regains his strength and ponders for a long time, and
then light dawns in his face as he has had a profound insight, and the hag
knows he has, and he turns to the old hag and says gently to her -
it's your life - you're the princess now- you have the sovereignty
- you decide what to do with your life - both now and in the future -
and with that, the hag turns into a beautiful young princess, and was never
a hag again. Post script: Later that day after chatting with
his Father, the King, and obtaining his eager consent, the prince and the
princess went out among the people of the realm whom had been summoned to the
castle, and the Prince said loudly so all could hear, 'Today, by proclamation
of the King, every person of the realm shall henceforth be princess and
princes of the realm together and you shall have sovereignty over your
own lives - and it is told that from that day forward, travellers to that
realm reported it was truly a grand privilege to stay among such people -
people who treated each other with the utmost respect and with such caring
and joy and who lived lives so full of fun and wellbeing, and many travellers
were heard to say 'If only we can be like these.' And the truth is anyone can.' Softeners are used to soften
sentences so that they are more passive, leaving the other person maximum
scope to make decisions in their lives. Examples: perhaps maybe it may be it may well be it well may be it's possible possibly you may like 'Perhaps you can settle back
and you may like to make yourself more comfortable and maybe
cast your mind back now....' In this context, the term strategy is
used to refer to typical sensory patterns in the form of linked sequences of
visual (V), auditory (A), and kinaesthetic (K) experience, (either (i)
internal or (e) external). The symbol > indicates that the
prior sensory element is linked to and 'fires off' or activates the next in
the sequence. Example 1 Ve > Vi/Ke > Ae
> Ke > Ke The above could be a person's
'strategy' for spider phobia. It may take a split second to happen. (i) Ve Sees spider (ii) Vi Imagines spider half
a metre wide in front of face (iii) Ke simultaneous with Vi, is
scared witless (synaesthesia) (*) (iv) Ae Screams hysterically (v) Ke Tenses side of face
and neck and solar plexus while going into a twisted cringe (vi) Ke Feels awful It may seem weird that anyone would
want to actually imagine a spider that is so large and to imagine that it was
just about to leap on your face! It is a great way to scare the wits out of
anybody. But this was what one person did do. She did it every time she saw a
spider. She was not even aware that that's what she did until a very wide
hand gesture was noticed by a nurturer when she was describing a spider. The
nurturer was calibrating
(*) just what strategy she used (the one outlined above). We could say to
her, 'DONT DO THAT!' However, with her, the pattern was instantaneous. It
happened before she had a chance to do anything about it. Patterns to stop
this sort of thing will be added to this page in the future. Example 2 Loops: Ae > Ai > Vi >
Ki > Ke > Ke > Ai > ____________________ After the Ai element, the strategy
loops back to the Vi element and then proceeds through Ki, Ke, K,e and back
to Ai again. Then the loop starts again. Some strategies contain loops.
People who use them end up going around in circles. Eg. The above could be a paranoia
strategy. Ae X hears someone talking Ai X imagines they are saying
bad things about X. Vi X imagines seeing X in bad
situations Ki X imagines feeling bad Ke X's collapses chest,
shrinks, compresses spine and neck Ke X feels depressed and 'awful' Ai X reverts to Ai above and
proceeds around loop escalating aversive states with each loop STRATEGIES FOR AROUSAL FLEXIBILITY Laceweb experience is that a lot of people
get into difficulties because they are either under or over aroused for a
particular context they find themselves in. Being too relaxed in some contexts
can create issues.
Some tasks only require a low level
of arousal for peak 'performance'. For example, telling bedtime stories to
our young ones. Some tasks require a moderate level
of arousal. Others require for us to be very very aroused. - really sharp and
'on the ball'. An example: The airline pilot flies the
plane into the cloud. He doesn't know that this is not an ordinary cloud.
It's made of volcanic ash. In less than a minute there is a sudden eerie
silence. All the jet engines have stopped! They're jammed full of ash. 38,000
feet altitude and no engines. You're the pilot and 300 plus people are
relying on you! He immediately puts the jumbo into a very steep dive out of
the cloud. This one is not in the books. Flying on intuition. Even steeper
dive now. Almost vertically down. The stuff of fighter planes - not jumbo
airliners. Air pressure blasting all jets free of ash. Scorching through
30,000, 28,000, 26,000 - the speed increasing every second. Flight remarkably
smooth - eerily silent. No one making a sound. Every breath except the pilots
is being held. Passing through 16,000, 14,000. Time to start easing back. No
one but no one has done this manoeuvre before. Easy at first. The dive rate
begins to ease. Gentle nurturing. Ease a little more now at 10,000 and still
descending. Fire up all engines. All start first pop. Their insides have
never been so clean. Nothing like volcanic ash to give metal a good scouring.
Power adds further stability to the plane. Subtle configuration shifts allow
the plane to level out at 5,500 feet. A steady calm voice is heard over the
passenger cabin intercom: 'This is your Captain
speaking. The rather rapid descent we have successfully made was caused by a
temporary interrupt to power due to intake of volcanic ash. This has now been
cleared. All engines are working beautifully! We will be keeping well clear
of all clouds till our landing. Flight attendants please check that all are
okay and report to me. This event is deeply regretted.' Spontaneous applause breaks out
throughout the cabin. Extreme task - very high levels of
arousal for peak performance. Extremely alert, focused and yet calm. If that
pilot had a few degrees of arousal in excess of that required, he would have
been useless. Panic, confusion and overload completely destroys
effectiveness. One thing that appears very clear.
Any excess arousal beyond what is required for a particular task and the
level of our performance on that task declines rapidly. Often people are very effective in tasks
requiring a lot of arousal and then they revert to other tasks that only need
lower levels of arousal. The problem is that their arousal levels are still
very high from the previous tasks. The result - they perform these new,
somewhat simple tasks, very poorly. For example, the person who has been very
effective in high powered negotiations with major issues at stake, who comes
home to a slower pace and is so full of adrenalin and 'fast twitch', that
everything annoys and irritates. Sound familiar? An important thing then, is having
the ability to raise or lower our awareness whenever we need
to! Other people may have high levels of
arousal jammed in place because of trauma. Their body rages. Thoughts race.
They are tight everywhere. It's like having the accelerator and the hand
brake on at the same time. Every now and then their body's
'speed up' systems 'pack it in' and the body spontaneously switches to
profound low arousal and lethargy with the cessation of will and resolve.
After a time the adrenalin starts to 'kick in' and the cycle begins
again. To break this vicious cycle an
important thing is having the ability to raise or lower our awareness
whenever we need to! The autonomic nervous system (*) is
particularly involved in shifting arousal level. It is made up of the
sympathetic system for increasing arousal and the parasympathetic system for
lowering arousal. These systems are profoundly linked. Typically an increase
in one system sets off a decrease in the other. Each of these two systems tend to be
'state dependant' (*). That is, they have a particular mix of internal juices
present in the system while in their various stages of activation. Many of
the following processes for shifting arousal work by 'putting the juices back
into storage'. This allows the two systems to more readily shift. This is why
many of the processes may allow you to either increase or decrease arousal as
appropriate to context. To put it another way - rather than raising or
lowering arousal directly, some of the processes allow you to more easily
change to be how you want to be. There is a measure of overlap and
replication in the following list as everything is pervasively
interrelated. STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING AND
DECREASING AROUSAL
The following is a list of
things everyone can do to increase or reduce the level of their physical
arousal. Share them with your friends and acquaintances. If there are other
things that work for you, you may like to let us know so we can put them up
on this page for others to use. These suggestions may make you very
sleepy, so keep a reality anchor
going (*) or have some one wake you or set an alarm clock if necessary. LOWERING AROUSAL MOVEMENT PROCESSES FOR LOWERING
AROUSAL:
BODY PROCESSES FOR LOWERING AROUSAL:
§
Notice
any bending, twisting and comprehension (shrinking) of the spine and shift to
sitting or walking with easy length.
BODY PROCESSES FOR LOWERING
AROUSAL:
Others, wanting it to be very
personal have selected coded expressions using colours, such as 'greening' or
'pinking' to mean say 'forgiving', so only they know its special meaning.
Hearing both your key word and name being chanted all around you while
experiencing the laying on of hands can be a profound healing nurturing
experience!
BREATHING PROCESSES FOR LOWERING
AROUSAL
LANGUAGE PROCESSES FOR LOWERING
AROUSAL
SENSORY PROCESSES FOR LOWERING
AROUSAL
INCREASING AROUSAL MOVEMENT PROCESSES FOR INCREASING
AROUSAL:
BODY PROCESSES FOR INCREASING
AROUSAL:
BREATHING PROCESSES FOR RAISING AROUSAL
SENSORY PROCESSES FOR RAISING
AROUSAL
LANGUAGE PROCESSES FOR RAISING
AROUSAL
STRATEGIES FOR
SHIFTING EMOTIONAL STATES The follow is a list of possible
entry points for shifting emotional states.
SYNESTHESIA When two sensory experiences have
been linked so that if the first one is ever activated, the second is automatically
fired off simultaneously. Refer example 1 in 'Strategies and Loops' (*) and Flare Concepts (*) People go through a ninety minute cycle.
For the last fifteen minutes or so they shift to a quieter phase. Typically
the person alters the brain hemisphere to their least used for this quieter
phase. The nervous system tends to quieten. Their is a shift from sympathetic
to parasympathetic activation. Refer Shifting
arousal states (*), debriefing
(*) and liminal
(*). People tend to more easily go into everyday trance states
(*) during these breaks. Healers can be aware of people's rhythms and match
healing processes to appropriate phases. For example, during an active phase
(i) use language metamodel to specify peoples maps, have them generating
options and exploring and using micro-experiences. Use passive stage to
explore (i) healing in everyday trance states, being relaxed and quiet,
giving suggestions, having then work in downtime (*) and the like. V (visual), A (auditory), K
(kinaesthetic - feeling, somatic (body) sensation, emotion and movement). VAK refers to the three senses V
visual, A auditory and K kinaesthetic. For a large part of their behaviour
people use their senses in habitual patterns. It is possible to identify
these patterns, to add to them and modify them for increasing flexibility and
choice. Refer anchoring (*),
calibrating (*), sensory submodalities
(*) and strategies & loops
(*). Wellbeing implies wholeness - being
well. Enriching well being is a generative action. Wellbeing includes well
being in all it's forms:
and includes merging with the well
being of the Earth and all life forms All these aspects of being well may
emerge from self help action. Also refer Accessing
Wellness WELL-FORMEDNESS Experience has shown that rich
functional strategies (*) include visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic (VAK)
(*) components and always end in an element linked to the external world.
This enables the person to finish in everyday related focus and to varying
degrees 'grounded'. We are not left dissociated
(*) in internal experience. Also
refer Laceweb Concepts
and Frames CONTENTS: (These
are essentially in alphabetical order) Active Self Organising
Processes Consensual
Validating of What Works Destino
(Destiny) - Outcome of the Weaving Emergent
Properties - Seeding Possibilities Order/Chaos
- Random With Constraints Track, Neighborhood, Bush
Camp and In Situ Counseling Transducing - Changing
Energy Form Using Local Knowings
and Practical Wisdoms _____________________________ The following material is a partial
and annotated list of micro-frames used within the Laceweb. The concept
'frame' is used in the sense of a border or edge, something setting something
apart, creating a place and or context, something helping constitute meaning
and ways of looking, hearing, seeing, feeling and savouring. The term 'micro'
implies 'a bit of the whole'. The concepts and ideas contained
herein are massively interconnected and linked - just like the Laceweb
itself. The Laceweb is not an organisation.
It is more an informal network or matrix. The word matrix has the following
meanings: 'A womb; a place where anything is
generated or developed; the formative part from which a structure is
produced; intercellular substance; a mold, type or die in which anything is
cast or shaped.' In talking about the Laceweb, people
may refer to, for example, The NELPS LACEWEBS. No specific organisation is
being referred to. Rather, it is the focus or function of the action.
The term 'functional matrix’ (*) is used to refer to the generative and
formative developing and shaping of functions, fields or foci of Laceweb
action. The Laceweb uses a number of terms
as a focus of action. The list below is not exhaustive, and there is overlap
between categories. The terms used are in bold and the functions and foci of
each term are in lower case: CADRES
CODA
CONNEXION
DANZACTS
FUNPO
INMATRIX
INTERCULTURAL WELLBEING FOUNDATION
KEYLINE
MINGLES
NELPS
As outlined in a Laceweb communiqué,
wellbeing foci within the SE Asia, Australia, Pacific region are:
For example:
No other
energy/group/organisation/movement has been found that is doing 'Laceweb'
action, e.g. enabling local indigenous self-help and the passing of 'what
works' on to other indigenous groups and linking all of this to supportive humane
elements of both the 'alternative' and the 'mainstream'. Some of the typical
behaviours are outlined in Laceweb - Self-Help Action Supporting Survivors
of Torture and Trauma in Se Asia, Oceania and Australasia - Small
Generalisable Actions Guidelines and experiences to assist
in innervating and synthesising this Laceweb action are the models developed
by Norwegian mediators in the Palestinian/Jewish rapprochement and the Truth
and Reconciliation process in South Africa, though not simply applied.
Rather, the emphasis of grassroots gatherings in private, supportive
enablings in order that differences may be mediated - and not be used to
differentiate - are a key feature of those models that may be used in the
Laceweb. Material on Key
Indigenous Issues is found in the Laceweb Auspicing Motion
section. Local Laceweb action starts with one
or more people taking action to resolve aspects of their own wellbeing. This
action is based on local knowings and wisdoms. Actions that work are
repeated. Actions that don't work are modified so they do work, or are
dropped. In mainstream, typically, research
precedes and guides action. Within the Laceweb, the reverse happens - locals
act and the results are evaluated using local criteria - hence the term
'action research'. Locals already have the local wisdom and the local
knowings. They do not need to research to find it. Wisdom and knowings both
guide action and provide a frame
(*) for evaluating. Action research may complement mainstream research by
demonstrating what does not work so research energies may be
concentrated on refining existing effective action. Refer 'self help action' and active self
organising processes (*). Active Self
Organising Processes Organic systems in nature tend to be
active self organising processes. For example, because rain that has fallen
at the head of the valley has already made a groove in the ground, further
rain falling randomly in the same area is more likely to run into and down
the same groove. This makes it wider and deeper and more likely to be 'used'
again by randomly falling rain. This and similar grooves create a self
organising system collecting water at the Keypoint. Similarly, self help action is
organic. It involves a self organising process. No one is 'in charge'.
Everyone involved makes inputs. It's closer to say, 'Everyone is in charge'.
It is local and lateral
(*). The 'local' links with other 'locals' in a flat web-like process. Like
the 'groove', what works tends to be repeated and deepened/ strengthened in
the process. Mainstream folk tend to think
nothing will happen unless some 'manager' organises it - unless
some superior tells subordinates what to do. They also tend to be 'blind' to
the massive self organising that goes on all around them in nature. Laceweb
action is natural. Anomalies Laceweb
action evolves into the repeating of that which works. It is the survival of
the fitting. (Refer 'self help action (*)
and 'active self organising systems' (*).) This allows 'that which does not
fit - that is, anomalies, to stand out and be a focus of attending and
action. Anomalies are situated, that is, in this particular time and space -
in this context (*).
They are 'differences that may make a difference', so we may have
to try something different to resolve them. If they are positive anomalies,
we may celebrate them. Refer celebrating
diversity (*). Beliefs and Guides to Action Laceweb action has evolved
completely separate and independent of any religious or political group, or
systems of metaphysical beliefs. Laceweb beliefs and principles are a few and
simple. The following examples are part of the oral tradition of the Laceweb.
The authors have heard them repeated over and over by Laceweb people. They
tend to be woven into conversations. They are used to frame (*) contexts (*) and places (*) Examples:
This underlying simplicity enables
and eases the osmosis and absorption of the Laceweb between cultures and
spiritual systems. For example, imagine cautious and sceptical Bougainville
people suddenly having support offered that involved taking on board North
American Indian or Mayan Cosmologies as part of the package. In contrast, all
that's there from Laceweb enablers
(*) are simple healing patterns that work. 'Try what you want. Change it round.
See if it fits. See if it works for you'. Simple! Refer 'Transforming' (*). Boundary Making Places (*) and contexts (*) may have an edge or
boundary. It may be as natural as in a ring of trees, the circle made by a
ring of bodies sitting in a circle, the light of the night fire - with
darkness beyond. The edge may be the shadow cast by the overhead tarp. It may
be festive or ceremonial-like pieces of ribbon. It may be the walls of a room
or the bend in the river. The boundary can mark out the beginning and end of
the place
(*) of the context (*), a
'place rich with possibilities'. This is where X is to happen. It helps set a
frame (*). Boundary Marking The beginning and end of contexts (*) and places (*) may be
constituted in part by boundary
making (*). Boundaries may be marked. The frame (*) around the cartoon marks out
the cartoon reality. Snoopy the cartoon character doesn't run onto the
finance pages. He stays within the cartoon frame. The white line marks the edge
of the cricket field; the drier grass marks out the cricket pitch. The rise
and fall of the curtain marks the beginning and end of the
play reality. Healing contexts may be in part constituted by marking the
boundary - the shade of this tree and especially this space between us. Caring
for Carer Nurturing
may drain energy and be very wearing. A strong sense of personal safety may
allow us to pace ourselves and monitor our resourcefulness, energy levels and
indicators of stress (eg. check breathing). Ethical
concerns also call for withdrawing support
when our own capacity to be of help is very low to the point of not been
helpful to the other. There is virtue in developing and calling upon a
support network who may monitor fellow carers. Celebrating
Diversity People
from different cultures live in very different realities (refer intercultural
realities). The differences between 'them' and 'us' are such that when we
share space - both 'them' and 'us' together- it is possible for both peoples
to enter and share a very different 'shared reality' that both groups play a
part in constituting and constructing. And we both bring our differences into
this novel reality. And we may explore and celebrate
this profound novelty. Refining our sensitivities and sensibilities in this
new reality may extend awareness that we all share differing realities and this
difference may be celebrated. Consensual
Validating of What Works Laceweb
actions that work may be shared with others. This enriches the Laceweb and
provides scope for consensual validating. Context Laceweb
action takes place (*) as we go
about our everyday lives. It takes place 'in context'. Contrast mainstream
healing which almost invariable takes place 'out of context'. For
example, in some mainstream medical practices, only one person at a time can
see a doctor. This makes whole family consultation within the home,
impossible. Within the Laceweb, healing contexts
are sometimes created. Some contexts are reframed to be healing contexts.
Refer Anomalies (*), Beliefs and Guides to Action
(*), Emergent Properties
(*), Enabling (*), Frame (*) Ebb and Flow (*) and Place (*). Context Metaprocesses include Becoming Familiar
(*), Boundary Making (*), Boundary Marking (*),
Deframing (*), Enriching (*), Frame (*), Frame Making (*), Place (*) Place
Making (*), Reframing (*). Destino
(Destiny) - Outcome of the Weaving The word 'destiny' comes from the
Latin 'destino', meaning 'outcome of the weaving'. Laceweb people actively
weave and evolve wellbeing realities together.' Implicit in self help action
is the notion that society is 'socially constructed' Also implicit, the
notion that people simultaneously produce social reality and are the products
of that social reality. These three notions tend to be expressed within the
Laceweb using organic and ludic or playful metaphors: 'In taking action together to organically
unfold and evolve our wellbeing, we are reshaping and evolving
ourselves in response to other players.' (Laceweb hand-out). The Laceweb process is inherently
empowering. Self starters take action to find other self
starters or go it alone and demonstrate to sceptics by results. Others join
in, and together, they create futures. Refer functional matrix (*). Downside Planning From the outset, Neville Yeomans and
others found that mainstream people and organisations, both public and
private, were very threatened by Laceweb Action. To quote from a Laceweb
Paper to the Rural Health Support, Education and Training Unit (RHSET) in the
Health Department in Canberra: 'Traditional government and non
government wellbeing agencies may see grassroots initiatives as a threat to
their own funding. If grassroots wellbeing action really starts to be
effective on a larger scale, this may raise a fear of presupposed down-sizing
within sections of the bureaucracy and a similar fear within traditional
wellbeing services. Because of these perceived threats, the foregoing
entities may mistakenly seek to undermine grassroots wellbeing initiatives. They may fail to see scope for
multiple lateral integration between bottom-up and top down processes, or
appreciate the scope for shifting from vertical integration to lateral
integration. The obvious claim from within the existing paradigm is that
grassroots wellbeing action is 'unprofessional' - that is, it is not under
the direction and control of professed experts. Also, that it is not
organised 'properly' - in other words, it is not top down (Yeomans, N., et
al, 1995). The above paper was prepared to
allow Canberra people some understanding why the Laceweb would not accept
government funding mooted as been 'big dollars'. In South East Asian countries, the
last thing transnationals and governments would want is for indigenous people
and small minorities to increase their effectiveness in resolving their own
wellbeing and sharing what works with each other. In response to this hostile climate,
extensive Laceweb processes may be set up to 'protect' and 'deflect'. One
simple and effective process referred to elsewhere in this paper is to have
action take place (*) and
grow in very remote places outside of 'dominant' people's notice. Often
sabotage of Laceweb action comes from local indigenous and small minority people
who have adopted the ways of the dominant culture and have become better at
being 'top down control managers' than those of the dominant society. 'Making links for the first time
with indigenous people may be very tricky. Indigenous people tend to live in
a very tricky world. In some indigenous contexts (*) mothers may tell their
children one thing and then do something totally different. They then say
'tricked you'. Children soon learn that 'life is tricky'. For them, it is!
Things are not what they seem. Additionally, people are both cautious of
outsiders and sick of destructive outside experts. In this context, finding
the local natural nurturers may be very difficult. Often people may put out a
'strong pitch' for what you 'want' so they can get personal advantage. They
may have no 'wellbeing' and 'the good of the whole' focus. Enablers (*) use the anthropological
processes 'immersion' and 'dialogue' as well as an extensive set of micro
micro-experiences and frames like those outlined in this material to make
links. (Interview with member of the Laceweb). It must be said that a lot of
attempts at enabling (*)
'go hopelessly off the rails' for all sorts of reasons that can
be specified. When it does, life may be very emotionally wearing for enablers (*) Refer Developing
Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander Drug and Substance Abuse Therapeutic
Communities for some examples. Eco-System The social life-world - individuals,
families and communities - are eco-systems. Everything is linked and related.
There is organic unfolding
(*), osmosis, symbiosis, synergy, self organising (*), all with emergent properties
(*) and nodes (*)
(where a lot of links take place).
Individuals are typically richly linked to significant others who are part of
presenting issues. Healing action allows for this. Eco-system metaphors are
used throughout Laceweb action. Emergent
Properties - Seeding Possibilities Laceweb action has many of the
characteristics of other organic eco-systems - refer organic unfolding (*) and active self
organising systems (*). One characteristic is that new aspects, innovations,
as well as novel and exquisite appropriateness 'emerge', often spontaneously,
from the organic unfolding (*) of possibilities. Laceweb action fosters the
emergence of wellbeing. Refer Emergent Properties in Laceweb
Concepts and Frames. Enriched places (*), contexts (*), and frames (*) are brim
full of possibilities - they have emergent properties (*) or aspects that
foster the likelihood of emergence. 'Enriching', plants seeds of
possibilities (seeding). Enabling 'Enablers' as the name suggests
'enable'. That is, they endeavour to create the physical and psycho-social context (*), frame (*), and
climate within the person or group that maximises the local(s)' capacity for
personal and group empowerment. There may be increased possibilities for
extending their abilities, in making effective responses, and in taking
cooperative and effective action to enrich their wellbeing together - self
help. Local 'self starters' may invite
Laceweb enablers from other areas to share ways to evolve the Laceweb in a
local area - particularly if referred by their friends. Locals may also
invite enablers to share healing ways that work. Alternatively, enablers may create contexts (*) whereby
they may identify local nurturing types and introduce these to each other.
Laceweb notions may be seeded. Local indigenous and small minority
people may initially be very cautious and sceptical about Laceweb enablers.
Projections abound. They have had a life time of people offering unhelpful
help - and many are heartily sick of them. Often local nurturers may be part
of the Laceweb for some time before the wider implications and breadth of
Laceweb action dawns on them. Finding out the richness and implications of
the Laceweb before being 'ready' for it may overwhelm some people and have
them withdraw. Learning about the Laceweb may be an
organic unfolding
(*). Neville Yeomans started passing on important bits of information about
the Laceweb to others - things that happened 30 or more years ago;
presumably, the time was now right for others to know! Laceweb enablers pass on some
'enabler information' on a 'need to know' basis. For example, Let's say an
enabler X built up a trusting relationship with a small group in a remote
area in Asia - people whom their own government want dead or in prison. For
enabler Y to suddenly contact this remote group saying he or she was referred
by X would likely result in the group severing all ties with X. The authors have known some Laceweb
enablers for over 15 years - enablers who have very extensive networks right
through SE Asia. And these have never mentioned a single link to the author.
He doesn't need to know! And yet bits of these networks link closely with
other enabler's networks. And as it seems 'right', further links are made.
And there are common understandings among enablers that their name and work
is not to be passed on to anyone without their clearance. Enablers rigorously refrain from
taking or accepting 'the expert' role. Typically some locals may initially
view enablers as 'expert'. However enablers take every opportunity to
'enable' people to engage in self
help (*). Typically, some different healing
ways may be passed on to each of a few local nurturers. Then these nurturers
may be encouraged to pass their micro-experiences on to each other. This
allows the possibility firstly for the micro-experiences to be 'filtered'
through the local cultural and healing ways, and secondly, for the locals (rather than the enabler) to be the major source for the passing
on of new micro-experiences to each other. The enabler remains in the
background as 'enabler' rather than 'on high' as 'fountain of all wisdom'. Enriching A
context (*) may be set up that may
rich with possibilities. Everyday life may be, for small moments or perhaps
for a long time, 'enriched' - framed as healing wellbeing - as joyful, light - the healing power of playfulness and laughter - or spiritual - a
glance - a smile - for perhaps a few hours - marked out - a boundary - and a
beautiful setting with flowers and the setting sun. Frame
Frame
- a border, edge, setting something apart, creating a space, place (*) and/or context (*), helping meaning and ways
of looking, hearing, seeing, feeling and savouring. A frame 'sets off' and enriches
a painting - A frame may put a 'boundary'(*)
on a context (*) - as a
context of a 'particular kind' - this is what is going on - this is the
'definition of the situation'. A frame may assist in clarifying the meaning
of behaviour. For example, a person sees another jumping around outside in a
'crazy' fashion - clutching his shirt. Having the additional piece of
information that a poisonous spider has fallen down that
person's shirt 'frames' what's going on, or reframes (*) 'crazy' into 'self
care'. Framing and reframing may be extensively used in healing. Frame - Frame Making Frames may be 'set up' or 'made' in
many ways. Example A: By using signs as markers and
signifiers, eg. putting up sign at a festival: 'Laceweb workshops are to be held
here each morning at 10AM.' Example B: By using verbal and non verbal
behaviours, eg. by simply saying 'X' is what is happening or using the language
of assuming, possibilities, presupposing, implying, and arousing curiosity. Example C: After meeting an acquaintance on a
bush track, saying: 'I met a friend of mine who showed
me a simple way she uses to lift herself when she gets very
depressed and I tried it and it works wonders in a couple of minutes and you
may want to use it and pass it on to your friends okay? Its as simple as
this......' Frame
- Metaframing A
meta-frame is a frame on a higher logical level. It is the frame in which
other frames take place (*). Like the
'first quarter' within the 'game'. Example:
The
'weekend camp-out' frame within
the 'nurturer
development' frame within
the 'enabler
development' frame within
the 'Laceweb
development' frame. Functional
Integration Laceweb
action holistically addresses all aspects of wellbeing (*) as part of an
eco-system. A sample of Laceweb functions and foci is contained above in the
section 'functional matrix'
(*) and the Laceweb Timeline (*). Action tends to
address holistically all aspects of wellbeing. Actions integrate various
functions and foci, for example the aged, the disabled, youth, single
mothers, and families may be all jointly explored. This contrasts with mainstream which
tends to divide the world up into big chunks like, health, housing, family
services and social services. These chunks are further divided
into sectors like, children, aged, disabled. Typically, there is no
inter-sector funding or cooperation and no inter-'big chunk' funding or
cooperation. Ebb
and Flow A
Yolngu concept drawn from the ebb and flow of the tide. The Yolngu are Arnhem
Land Aborigines from Northern Australia. In social, and particularly
therapeutic and relational mediating contexts
(*), it may be appropriate to slowly withdraw (ebb) from interacting and then
at an appropriate moment begin to flow back again (flow). Enablers and
nurturers may have a series of these ebbs and flows as appropriate to context
- like peeling layers of an onion. Heal a bit and recede and then return
again. This process may be very useful in relational mediating. Where projected anger about past outrage unrelated to the Laceweb has skewed
local's perceptions of enablers, sometimes years may pass before some Laceweb
links are resumed (As an example see Report to NACADA, 1993). Helping Over time this page may be filled
with practical ways to be a healing support for yourself and others. There
may be ways for you to further increase your flexibility and choice. You may have experienced that some types
of help may not be helpful. Some people, in all sorts of subtle and not so
subtle ways, start 'help' by attempting to take over and 'run' the other
person's life for them:
Unhelpful helpers also tend to tell
the other person to tell absent third parties what to do or not do - an even
more tenuous and problematic undertaking. All of the forgoing is almost
invariably not helpful. Furthermore, it may be disempowering to both
the 'helper' and the other. People often play at being weak and
helpless so that they may get others to rush in and 'help them'. They may in
fact be very skilful and manipulative. Unhelpful help also lays the 'helper'
open to being manipulated by the receiver of the 'help'. The 'helpless'
person may begin to present with a continual need for 'help', while also
making inappropriate requests for help and then blaming the
'helper' for things going wrong. Other: 'I
tried what you said and it made it worse.' (The
implication is 'so fix it for me'.) Other:
'So what should I do now?' Interculturals This
term is applied within the Laceweb to nurturers and enablers (*), who through living in a
cross-cultural family or other life experience, have the :
Intercultural
Realities People,
while sharing aspects of a specific cultural reality, may live in differing
personal realities. The Yolngu Aborigines from Northern Australia, over the
past 300 or more years, have recognised that visitors from SE Asian countries
brought their reality with them. And yet, their presence among the Yolngu
created a new shared reality that was a never ending source of wonder which was celebrated with their visitors in song, story
and dance during their visitors stay. Refer 'celebrating diversity (*) and 'anomalies' (*) Liminalising From 'limin' (Latin) meaning the
threshold, the last step before the entrance. 'Liminal' experience is 'at the
threshold' - being open to change - a turning point. Staying and 'working at
the threshold' is to stay in liminality. The steps that lead up to the limin
are preliminary. Being 'liminal' may have the feeling
of 'safe abandoning' of the old - to safely surrender to the 'moment' as in
'small amount of time' and turning power. It may embody the shift from
ordinary reality to dissociating and trance in increased awareness of awareness.
Enablers (*) may set up liminal contexts (*) and
liminal spaces. People in liminal states may be for the time 'threshold
people'. Their attributes are necessarily ambiguous. This is because the
condition of 'liminality' and being a 'liminal person' elude or slip through
normal classifyings that locate places
and positions in social space. 'Liminal people' are neither here nor there;
they are betwixt and between the normal. Liminal states are enriched with
possibilities. The ambiguous and indeterminate
attributes of liminality may be expressed in rich metaphors and symbols such
as being invisible, being in darkness, being in the womb, being in the
wilderness, metamorphosis, forgetting, floating, drifting, the light at the
end of the tunnel, the dawning, the new dawn, flying, and as one person characterised it, the merging together the following three metaphors:
Local-Lateral Laceweb
action may be both local and laterally linked in a functional matrix (*). This action can
complement both top down and bottom up approaches of more mainstream non
government organisations (NGO's), community based organisations (CBO's) and
government bodies. Micro-experiences The Laceweb has been collecting,
evolving and refining healing processes since its early beginnings. 'What works'
is a criteria. Most have simple elements or micro-experiences. These have
been drawn globally from indigenous and small minority people as well as
mainstream. One attempt at collating these micro-experiences
has over 400 big chunks made up of over 6,000 small micro-experiences The
Laceweb - Frames and Micro-experiences for the Next Thousand Years
- link in preparation). Nexus
Groups Nexus
Groups is a not-for-profit charity registered in NSW Australia in the early
1970's by Laceweb people. It was created to be both functionally useful in
the prevailing contexts (*) as well
as a time capsule that could be ready to be used 30 or more years in the
future. Nexus Groups started out being
called 'Connexion' (refer 'functional
matrix' (*). Shortly thereafter it changed to Nexus Groups. For a
number of months in the early 1970's, Connexion published the 'Aboriginal
Human Relations' Magazine that reported on community healing action among the
Aboriginal community in Australia. Nexus Groups continues as a registered
entity and has not received or spent a 'cent' for over 20
years. Nexus
Groups has no connection with the magazine 'Nexus' sold in some
newsagents and alternative shops, nor connection with 'Nexus Cyber Community'
on the Internet. Nodes Nodes
are central points of a system where many 'pathways' or energies intersect.
Within the three dimensional webwork of the Laceweb (refer functional matrix (*)
there are a number of nodal points - individuals, small groups and
communities which are centres for energy and the flow of wisdoms. Nodes have
links to a number of other parts of the Laceweb. Order/Chaos
- Random With Constraints Some
mainstream people tend to think of 'chaos' as a 'complete mess'. Laceweb
action is chaotic. The essence of chaos is randomness with constraints - the
constraints of the context (*) and
system. Chaos tends towards order. Chaos
often unfolds into things of great beauty, design and symmetry. Chaos may be
self organising (*) and have emergent
properties (*). For example the random build up of calcium
deposits on the sea-shell is constrained by being only able to attach along
the exposed edge. The shell-fish can only enlarge the shell's opening in
constrained ways. This constrained randomness builds to make the wonderful
spiralling sea-shells. Laceweb action may be a function of
local energy at any one place
(*). It may be randomly self organising and it's liminal (*) action may have emergent properties
(*) which may be sustained by the random acts of local
nurturers and enablers
(*), and which may constrained by factors and anomalies present in situated contexts (*) and
within their lives. Organic Unfolding Laceweb action happens because the
energy is there for it. It is not managed. It is chaotic (*). It is not planned,
staffed, directed or controlled by top-down processes. Typically, it does not result from
any 'decision making process'. Rather, one or more people mull over the state
of wellbeing - they are familiar with the issues. Ideas emerge
and action commences because it starts to make sense to do it. If the energy
is there from others, then these others join in. Actions unfold - like a
flower bud opening. Place Anywhere,
indoors or out, may become recognised as a 'place' for a few moments or long
term. Places may have meaning and memories attached. They may move inside of
us. We may re-member them. Places may become enriched. People may sense
possibilities. Places may be framed (*). Often the
'particular' more than the 'general' happens there. 'This is where we 'X'.' Places tend to have associated contexts (*). 'This
is the place Tim began walking again.' 'This is where we had our first enablers (*)
gathering.' We may chance to meet on the trail and may take the time to offer
a sharing of healing ways. This may briefly change the context. In this
interchange, wellbeing may be transformed. If so, this bit of trail may become
a special place in time and space. It may become our
special place - where we are sharing enrichment. It may become a long
re-membered place. The experience contained within it may be inside of us. Place
- Becoming Familiar Becoming
familiar with a place. We may walk in uptime, where all of our senses are
external (not internal in our mind), attending to a place and its
surroundings such that we 'take in' the landscape and all of its features -
we internalise it - we have the landscape inside of us - it becomes a part
of us. Anything that happens at this place enriches our familiarity. The
place becomes a natural anchor for re-entering into memories and resource
states that we have experienced at this place.
Similarly, by imaging we are back at this place the same thing may
happen - we may find that we can re-enter into states of being and
resources like we did the first time and do it easily. Resonance A
music string is vibrated and a similar string nearby begins to resonate in
accord. Laceweb action resonates with local healing ways. This is often not
initially perceived by locals who, in filtering 'Laceweb action by outsiders'
through their own preconceptions of 'outsiders', may not see the resonance.
Any reference by Laceweb people to this resonance may be seen by some locals
as an attempt at 'appropriation' - something spurned within the Laceweb.
Refer Enabling (*) and Functional Matrix (*)
and Transforming (*). The body's receptors resonate. Receptors allow the entrance of information carrying
chemicals and other interactive chemicals that have similar resonance. It
seems that healers may increase the receptivity of receptors. Ruptures People
from different cultures are different - often living in profoundly different
realities - so different that there is a complete break or rupture between
us. This break may be recognised and respected as a positive and enriching
energy. Refer 'celebrating diversity'
(*), and anomalies (*). Personal
safety and respecting the sovereignty (*) of both self and others sets a frame (*) and context (*) that allows the sustained monitoring
and attending to safety of self and other(s). Self Help Action Laceweb action is 'self help'. This
may be contrasted with help through 'service delivery' where things are done
for people. Governments, non government organisations (NGO's), and community
based organisations (CBO's) pervasively use the 'service delivery' approach. 'Self help', as the term implies -
is people taking action together to resolve aspects of their own wellbeing.
They gain micro-experiences in the process. What works tends to be repeated
and passed on to others to use. In this way action may be consensually
validated. What works becomes 'policy' and policy 'works'. This contrasts
with mainstream where some outside experts, pay lip service to the idea of
'helping locals help themselves'. They speak of giving locals a 'sense
of participation' and give meaning to their use of 'sense' by
tightly researching, designing, implementing, controlling and evaluating
every aspect of what happens according to their own criteria. Sovereignty Laceweb
action may enrich flexibility, choice and wellbeing. Laceweb beliefs guide
action (refer beliefs and guides to action
(*)). A central aspect is the profound respect for the autonomy of the other.
All relating and all healing ways respects this. Anything short of this
standard can be disempowering for the other. It is as if everyone is a
princess or prince of the realm - we relate to all with utmost respect Story - The Prince and the Hag: 'Once upon a time there was a young
prince who was so bossy everyone was heartily sick of him and he couldn't
wait to be king so everyone would have to do what he wanted,
and he became very sick himself and all of the healers tried to heal him and
he was sick to death of all this and yet he just got sicker and sicker until
he thought he would die, and finally one of the healers said, 'Only the old
Hag at the edge of the world may save you', so he ordered them to take him to
the old hag, and when they reached where she lived the healers became afraid
and ran away and hid and the old hag appeared unto him and he said, 'Hag, I
am your Prince and you have to heal me, for I fear I will die', and the old
hag said, I will obey you this time, but on one condition - you have to marry
me first', and the Prince said, 'No way! You can't dictate to me' and he
immediately felt sick unto death so he panicked and half choked as he said,
'yes', and so the hag beckons the healers, who are watching from a distance,
and they come and carry the prince and the hag back to the castle and when
word of the marriage spreads through the kingdom all the people come to the
castle to witness this strange event as they all know how scary the hag is,
and so the prince and the hag are married, and when they are alone in the
bridal chamber the hag turns into a beautiful young princess and the prince
is overjoyed at this fairytale happening, and when he awakes in the morning
he is horrified to find that his beautiful princess is once again the old
hag, and she tells the prince that for twelve hours she will be a beautiful
young princess and twelve the old hag, and he has a choice as to whether she
is the hag during the day when his subjects may see them together, or a hag
at night when they are alone together, and the prince says he has things to
do and he will decide in the evening, and upon returning that night she is
once again the beautiful princess, and he tells her he will decide what she
is to do in the morning, and when the sun rises he again hesitates and says
he will think about it during the day, and immediately he is sick unto death,
and the hag says, 'You must decide my fate now, and the prince regains his
strength and ponders for a long time, and then light dawns in his face as he
has had a profound insight, and the hag knows he has, and he turns to the
old hag and says gently to her - it's your life - you are the
princess now- you have the sovereignty - you
decide what to do with your life - both now and in the future - and with
that, the hag turns into a beautiful young princess, and is never a
hag again. Post script: Later that day after chatting with
his Father, the King, and obtaining his eager consent, the prince and the
princess go out among the people of the realm whom had been summoned to the
castle, and the Prince says loudly so all can hear, 'Today, by proclamation
of the King, every person of the realm shall henceforth be princess and
princes of the realm together and you shall have sovereignty over your
own lives - and it is told that from that day forward, travellers to that
realm reported it was truly a grand privilege to stay among such people -
people who treat each other with the utmost respect and with
such caring and joy and who live lives so full of fun and wellbeing, and many
travellers are heard to say 'If only we can be like these.' And
the truth is anyone can! Tentative Tentative
words like 'may' are extensively used within these pages and the Laceweb.
This reflects the tentative fragile nature of wellbeing action. Things may
happen. Very often they don't. Often forty or fifty possibilities are
'floating around'. One or two start to happen and it appears a miracle. At
other times, thousands of little and big miracles abound. Examples:
Therapeutic Community Neville Yeoman (refer Laceweb Time
Line (*)) pioneered the concept 'therapeutic community' in Australia. Both
dispersed and settled communities may enter into a therapeutic frame (*). Many of
the processes that may help evolve these communities and enable healing
within them are embraced by these notes. The Together Approach is
simultaneously a way of being and a way of acting. It derives derives from
the central Australian Aboriginals. It is the nurturing mother - Earth. It is
universal in the sense that it in derives from 'embody' and 'in the mother'.
It is communal nurturing together - the healing caring gentle mothering
energy of the community-on-the-land. It is both strong and soft - always
respectful. It is nurturing well being together - an ever respectful, caring,
joyous, playful, celebratory nurturing. With this approach, together is
abundantly special. Track,
Neighbourhood, Bush Camp and In Situ Counselling Laceweb healing action 'takes place' (*) in context (*). And the
place may be anywhere - on a mountain track, around the local neighbourhood,
while sitting in the bush or on the beach. And it may happen
again, in situ - in its original place - or at another place. It may be
planned or spontaneous. It may take place in a moment - like the healing
power of a smile - or extend for days. Transducing
- Changing Energy Form 'Transducing'
means changing energy from one form into another. For example the windmill
turns wind power into energy for pumping water. The
processes outlined herein may transform
energy and channel it into wellbeing and healing acts. The energy generated,
bottled and consumed in resentment and anger may be transduced into passion
for wellbeing action. Transforming Laceweb
enablers (*) may
introduce to locals 'processes that work' passed on to them by Laceweb people
from other localities. All acceptable processes coming into a local area may
be transformed in order to be integrated with the local healing ways. Local
nurturers may grow firstly in sensing the transformational possibilities of
desired processes, and secondly, in their ability to effect
those transformings. These transforming processes mitigate against the idea
that 'our stuff' should be used by everybody (ethno-centric universalism). Using
Local Knowings and Practical Wisdoms Typically,
locals have a massive quantity of local knowings
tempered with local practical wisdom. Action may be based on these wisdoms
and knowings, and possibly supported by self-help actions that have worked
elsewhere. Using
'What Works' Locals
take action. Some things work - others do not. What works tends to be used
again and passed on to others. Wellbeing Laceweb
action extends to include wellbeing in all its forms including communal,
economic, emotional, family, habitat, physical, psycho-social and spiritual
wellbeing (refer functional matrix (*). It goes way
beyond the typical focus of most Permaculture projects which tend to hone in
on agricultural and environmental wellbeing. LIST
OF FURTHER MICRO-EXPERIENCES SECTION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION Material
is being prepared under the following sub-headings: Adt
Wr (Use 'Any Damn Thing With Respect') Vestibular Living – Mini Awareness
Experiences for transforming from existing to Living |
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