Process Work
Arnold Mindell developed in the 70s and 80s of the last century in Zurich the process oriented psychology, today called process work. Arnold Mindell is a physicist, was a Jungian training analyst and is the founder of process work practiced worldwide. It must have been particularly curious, research-joyful and innovative people who discovered and explored this profound world together with him and set off together on an unknown path. What began with psychotherapy is today an approach that is applied in therapy as well as in the economic, social, medical, artistic, pedagogical and political fields and which shines into the future in its transformative quality. Arnold Mindell brought together psychology, spiritual and indigenous knowledge with the latest physics such as quantum physics in an incomparable way and in this fascinating way he explored methods that can be applied in all areas of life. To follow the path of process work means, in my experience, to surrender to the life process par excellence: Every day holds the opportunity to discover something new, to expand my identity, to let myself be transformed by conflicts, disturbances and surprise, by following everything that happens with a “beginner’s spirit”, instead of trying to cope with my everyday life with preconceived images and concepts. Process work can be used very well for music and art. Read more about on the page KraftortMusik.
Deep Democracy
Deep Democracy is a term in process work that Arnold
Mindell developed in the course of his research and which first appears in the
book The Leader as Martial Artist (1). He came to this term through his
many experiences with groups he worked with worldwide. This approach has become
very significant in process work and is used today in many different ways, be
it in political groups, in organizations, teams or in working with individuals.
1 A. Mindell: Leader as Martial Artist, Harper, San Francisco, 1992
Max Schupbach, a colleague of Arnold Mindell, who helped develop the process work from the beginning, founded the Deep in Democracy Institut 2006 together with Ellen Schupbach and a small team. In the meantime there are training courses worldwide. Deep Democracy, as the name implies, is deeper than our normal understanding of democracy, which is mainly based on majority opinions that are revealed through democratic votes. In short, Deep Democracy in process work means that all voices in a group as well as in an individual are considered equally important. In addition to the voices that represent the habitual identity of a group or an individual, other voices or roles are considered equally important. These can be critical voices of a minority or moods that are usually ignored. The role of the facilitator (facilitation) makes it easier for the group to perceive all voices, so that all voices and energies are expressed in a group. The field with all its information appears in its entirety and changes the group. The inner attitude in Deep Democracy means to be in friendship with all parts of the group or even within myself, so that new and very creative, unpredictable conflict solutions, paths etc. can develop from the cooperation of all voices.
