Download Amy and Arny’s IAPOP Talk (7.6MB .pdf file)

You may also Listen to Arny’s talk as a Podcast: On Kate Jobe’s Podcast, you will hear how she introduces Arny’s Keynote IAPOP speech, and then you will hear his London April 07 talk.

About six months ago, it dawned on me that the process theory that I had learned for so many years, and which has been so helpful to me in working with others, and myself was in the midst of expansion. Even though I knew in my heart that the foundation of process work, its practice and theory, is in continual flux and growth, my linear mind has held fast to what I had learned and assumed that it would stay as it always had been.

However, over the past few years a significant expansion and deepening of process theory has arisen. I believe it began about five years ago when Arny returned to his studies of theoretical physics. (During the 1960s he received his master’s degree at MIT and then went on to study at the ETH, the technical institute in Zurich.) Recently, Arny focused most specifically on quantum physics, and particularly the ideas surrounding the quantum wave function — the basic pattern behind matter that can be formulated mathematically but cannot be seen directly. He discovered that the quantum wave is not only a mathematical construct but is something that can be experienced by becoming aware of our most subtle or sentient experiences. He developed these ideas in Quantum Mind and Dreaming While Awake and he and I have further developed these ideas experientially in our seminars over the past few years.

In this paper, I will attempt to outline some beginning thoughts about the way in which these recent studies have expanded process theory and how this new realm is linked with, and fundamental to, earlier theory and concepts.

More …… (link to the full article)

In its present form at the beginning of the twenty first century, our viewpoints about Process Work grew out of Arny’s studies at M. I. T., and the Jung Institute in Zurich, and Amy’s studies at Antioch College and the Union Institute, as well as our contacts with indigenous and modern peoples the world over. Our work is enriched, but also limited by our nationality, education, color, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and present good health.

Grandparents

We acknowledge our heartfelt indebtedness to many people and realms of knowing and belief, which include, but are not limited to:

• Taoism; “The Tao Te Ching” and the “I Ching”

• Shamanism: Especially specific individuals and groups and cultures of the East Coast of Africa, The West Coast of Canada, South Western Australia

• World spiritual and religious systems, Swami Muktananda and the various sects of Buddhism; especially to Zen Master, Keido Fukushima.

• Social Activists: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John L. Johnson (ProcessWork diplomate in Washington D.C.), and others who support democracy and the equality of all beings.

• The work of C.G. Jung (Download “A letter to Jung on his 125th birthday”), William James, Jacob
  Moreno, Sigmund Freud, Stan Grof, the Jungian, Humanistic, Gestalt, Transpersonal, and Conflict Resolution communities.

• Science and Consciousness research: Especially physics, both Newtonian thinking as well as the quantum and string theories, especially Erwin Schroedinger, David Bohm, Hugh Everett, Richard Feynman, Edwin Taylor.

• Jazz Musicians such as  Ellis Marsalis: the Great New Orleans Jazz pianist and educator. While studying the land and history of New Orleans, while studying Loyola University, we learned about Ellis Marsalis, regarded by many as the greatest jazz pianist in New Orleans. Today, he teaches music at Loyola and is director of the Creative Arts jazz studies program. In his own words, he follows “the moment and the process while teaching”. We loved hearing him speak (RealAudio file).

  (We are very grateful to NPR radio, to their Jazz Profiles.)

• Puppet Makers, Artists, Painters, Dancers, Poets, and Musicians everywhere.

Individuals and Groups

In our opinion, process work and theory are indebted to, and created by, group consensus and the people who further explore, adapt and express the applications of process work in various cultures. We, Amy and Arny, are especially thankful to our personal teacher(s) who have now passed away; Ben Thompson,
Franz Riklin, Barbara Hannah, and M. L. von Franz. We are also thankful to the students and diplomates of pw who have taught us a great deal, and to the whole process work community, who have created worlds to explore, dislike, love, and understand. We look forward to future transdisciplinary and transcultural
discoveries and amplifications.

• Jung’s Last Ideas as seen in his autobiography

“Only after I had familiarized myself with alchemy did I realize that the unconscious is a process, and that the psyche is transformed or developed by the relationship of the ego to the contents of the unconscious.” From p.209 of Jung’s “Memories, Dreams and Reflections” edited by Aniela Jaffe

• Dreambody : notes on the history and theory of Process Oriented Psychology

This article was composed (in German) by the creative spirit of Frau Dr. Annelen Kranefuss from Arny’s various references to the Dreaming Body. This article will appear in the Jung Journal, part
of the C. G. Jung Gesellschaft of Cologne Germany (http://www.cgjung.org/jung_zeit.htm ). Download the article (47Kb Word file)

• We Must All Breathe : Arnold Mindell, Ph.D. at 61, by Robert S. Henderson (updated July 2007)

From Quadrant, Volume XXXV:2, Summer 2005, C. G. Jung Foundation, New York . Rev Dr. Robert S. Henderson is a Pastoral Psychotherapist in Glastonbury, Connecticut. This interview will be in Living With Jung: “Enterviews” with Jungian Analysts which will be published by Spring Journal and Books. Robert and his wife, Janis, are the authors. Download the article. (68Kb Word file)

• Letter to Jung on his 125th Birthday

Download the letter (53kb Word file)

• Jung, Processwork and Collective Change : Interview with Luisetta Mudie

This interview occurred in connection with the upcoming International Association of Analytical Psychologists Jungian conference in Barcelona entitled, “The Edges of Experience.” Arny enjoyed speaking about his transitions at the edges of Jungian psychology.

Link to the interview…

• Arny’s Paper on how Processwork Evolved from the Dreambody to the Quantum Mind and Healing
  

Link to the article …

• Jungian and Process Oriented Psychology: Interview by June Singer Download interview (57kb .rtf file).

• Jungian Perspectives on Power and Leadership in a Globalized World by Ursula Hohler, August 2009. (see her website at www.ursulahohler.ch )
  

In this paper, Ursula explores connections between Jung and worldwork, with many valuable insights into power problems and the future of humanity. Read her work by clicking:jungian-perspectives-on-power…

• History of How Arny’s Worldwork is related to Jung’s Ideas. Thanks to Ursula Hohler for clarifying the historical roots of worldwork in Jung’s ideas.  “Jung and Worldwork Vortrag 18 9 09 1 1″ Download the article here

• Worldwork and Jungian Psychology: The patient who is too big for private practice

We are thankful to Ursula Hohler who gave an exciting class integrating worldwork into Jung’s Psychology – here is an abstract of her classes given at the C.G. Jung-Institut in Zürich, February 2004. Link to the abstract …

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

ARNY’S RESEARCH, ARTICLES, and REVIEWS In Connection with Jungian Psychology; 1971-1981

• SOMATIC CONSCIOUSNESS by A. Mindell. (Quadrant, Volume 14, No. 1, Spring 1981).

Psychological discoveries may be as bad as they are good. Freud, for example, discovered the so-called “subconscious.” He said that dreams were the “royal road” to the mysterious thing which we today call the unconscious. His followers focused on dreams and discovered a great deal about symbol channels; however, they also inadvertently neglected other channels of the unconscious such as parapsychological phenomena, divinatorial systems, and body phenomena. Every discovery about the unconscious focuses on some new thing and neglects other important phenomena. That may be one reason why we know a great deal about images and symbols today, but very little about body life. …

See the full article Somatic Consciousness.

• TIME: RHYTHM AND REPOSE — Marie-Louise von Franz. London: Thames and Hudson. 1978. Reviewed by A. Mindell. (Quadrant, Volume 13, No. 1, Spring 1980).

See the full article and review of Time: Rhythm and Repose.

• THE GOLEM: AN IMAGE OF GOVERNING SYNCHRONICITY

by A. Mindell (Quadrant, Volume 8, No. 2, Winter 1975 — Jung Centennial Issue).

… I have observed that synchronicities in psychosis sometimes display a particular pattern. The psychotic identifies his ego with God and feels that he enslaves his environment. Also he feels that his environment is manipulated by creative/destructive daemons, and he lives in the fear that they will turn and destroy him. It is this image of man as an omnipotent creator, threatened by his own magical creations. All synchronicities do not, of course, possess this character; we have no complete differentiated pattern of such phenomena. But some do, and a study of this particular recurrent image can help us understand at least one governing image behind synchronicities in psychotic states. …

See the full article Golem: An Image Governing Synchronicity.

• SYNCHRONICITY: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE UNITARY BACKGROUND PATTERNING SYNCHRONOUS PHENOMENA. (A Psychoid Approach to the Unconscious). By Arnold Mindell.

The Union Institute. (Union Graduate School PhD., 1972 Dissertation for Graduation in Psychology) Dissertation Abstracts International 37, no. 2 (1976). Thanks to Mr. Stan Siver for having found this dissertation, and making it downloadable.    Download dissertation (7.6MB .pdf file)

The Shaman’s Body finally appeared in 1993. Click here for the audio. (30 minutes long)

Amy’s Earthwalker vision symbolizes for us, everyone’s basic ability to follow the earth. Earthwalker offers the everyday mind new possibilities. The gnome is suggesting a tip about innerwork. His tip is, relax. Meditate and feel the earth around you. Then ask the earth to show you which direction it wants you to walk in today. This answer might seem irrational to your everyday mind. Keep your doubts in mind, but let your body and the earth move you in the direction the earth implies. Move in that direction until you know sense your own earthwalker-ability and what it suggests for your path today. It seems likely that our Aboriginal friends and ancestors, the world over use and used the Earth as one of their main guides in life. (See Arny’s Earth Based Psychology for more as well as the “Politics and Process Oriented Ecology” page on this website.)

Download the full article … (79kb .rtf file)

As you may know transpersonal psychology is a school of psychology that studies the transcendent or spiritual dimensions of psychology and humanity. It is concerned with the study of humanity’s highest potential and with the recognition of spiritual and transcendent states of consciousness. It emphasizes the “transegoic” elements of human existence such as altered states of consciousness, trance, and spirituality from an academic perspective, striving to combine modern psychology with the world’s contemplative traditions, both East and West.

Transpersonal Psychology serves as an umbrella for many psychological approaches which embody its ideas and perspectives, such as Jungian psychology, Archetypal psychology, Sardello’s spiritual psychology, psychosynthesis, and the work of many others such as Maslow, Grof, Wilber and Tart. Process Work would fall under this umbrella as well as it embodies many of the same principles of spirituality, and emphasis on deep states of consciousness and expanded awareness. Transpersonal psychology is a philosophically based approach incorporating many paradigms which offer varying techniques for working with individuals and groups.

However, Process Work offers many tools and techniques for expanding awareness in a very practical way. Its methods are applied in many fields such as extreme states of consciousness; coma, death and dying; movement; dreams and inner work; relationship issues; group work and conflict facilitation; body symptoms and illness. It explores disturbance as a gateway to enhanced understanding of little known parts of oneself, cultivating deeper insight into individual process and global and universal tendencies. Below is an extract from my own writing which may define further the work and how it is applied.

“The dreambody begins with a subtle feeling or sentient experience, which manifests in the body in terms of symptoms and uncontrolled movements, in dreams, in synchronicities, and the like” (Mindell, 2000, p. 509). The dreambody communicates through body symptoms and experiences, dreams, relationship issues and world events. Mindell gives an example of an individual who had a dream about a hammer, and while telling the dream taps his foot on the floor. In following the tapping of the foot, one follows the dreaming process, just as one might follow an aspect of the night-time dream. In allowing the movement of the foot to guide one, one enters through a “dreamdoor” into another reality or altered experience, in which the meaning of the tapping foot is accessed for the individual through a process of amplification and unfolding of the initial signal. In entering the dreaming field, one drops one’s usual viewpoint in order to get the meaning brought by the dreambody. In integrating this message into everyday consensus reality, one can begin to change one’s relationship to oneself, to others, and to the world, enlivening an awareness process that enriches life.

The dreambody is your personal, individual experience of the Tao that cannot be said in consensual terms, while dreams and body experiences are like the Tao that can be said. The dreambody is analogous to the quantum wave function in physics. Just as the quantum wave function cannot be seen in consensus reality but can be understood as a tendency for things to happen, the dreambody is a non-consensus reality, sentient, pre-signal experience manifesting in terms of symptoms and unpredictable motions. (p. 510).

Process-oriented dreambody work provides a methodology by which identified aspects of individuals, relationships, groups and systems can be unraveled in order to gain insight into the deeper meaning of what is calling to be discovered, enhancing awareness of these usually unknown or unfamiliar aspects of existence. In order to embark on this journey, modalities such as vision, audition, proprioception (inner body feeling), and movement are used to enter behind the “dreamdoors”; to travel toward deep sentient experiences to re-emerge with new knowledge and awareness.