The Deep Democracy of Open Forums: Practical Steps to Conflict Prevention and Resolution for the Family, Workplace, and World

Most of us are terrified of conflict, says Arnold Mindell, PhD, author of fifteen books and internationally recognized for his innovative synthesis of Jungian therapy, dreams, and bodywork. But we needn't be. His burning passion is to create groups and organizations where everyone looks forward to group processes instead of fearing them. He calls this the deep democracy of open forums, where all voices, thoughts, and feelings are aired freely, especially the ones nobody wants to hear.

Since 1992, one of Mindell's prime interests has been the bringing of deeper awareness to group conflicts. Conflict work without reference to altered states of consciousness is like a flu shot for someone in a manic or depressed state of consciousness. Most group and social problems cannot be well facilitated or resolved without access to the dreamlike and mystical atmosphere in the background. The key is becoming aware of it.

Mindell introduces a new paradigm for working in groups, from 3 to 3,000, based on awareness of the flow of signals and events. You can take the subtlest of signals indicating the onset of emotions such as fear, anger, hopelessness, and other altered states, and use them to transform seemingly impossible problems into uplifting community experiences.

As Mindell explains, "I share how everyone--people in schools and organizations, communities and governments--can use inner experiences, dreaming, and mysticism, in conjunction with real methods of conflict management, to produce lively, more sustainable, conscious communities."

Arny Mindell developed process work or what is called today, "process oriented psychology" (p.o.p.), in the mid 1970's. Beginning with Taoism, physics and Jungian psychology, by the 1990's he expanded process work to include quantum theory and deep democracy, a deeper form of democracy that applied to all states of consciousness for individuals and groups. Now process work applies to individual therapy, body problems, coma and near death experiences, large group, and organizational change management. 

Arny is in private practice in Portland, Oregon, and teaches with Amy in many places around the world. He is known for his development of the "dreambody" and "process work" (process oriented psychology). He is the author of 21 books in 31 languages, including Dreambody, The Shaman's Body, Quantum Mind, Quantum Mind and Healing, and ProcessMind. Arny has an M.S. from M.I.T., was a Jungian training analyst, and has a Ph.D. in psychology. He is also known in the area of conflict management for his Sitting in the Fire and for his integration of psychology and physics, work on dreams, bodywork, relationships, and for interventions in near death situations. His newest work is the "Dance of the Ancient One" published by the Deep Democracy Exchange, was released in 2013.

See www.aamindell.net for more about Dr. Arnold Mindell's biography, seminars, and work in psychology, physics, social and world issues