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For Jay Mendell's book on overcoming stigma in fund raising, please surf to http://black-sheep-library.com
That's Black Sheep Fundraising: Obtaining Dollars Despite
Stigma and Prejudice toward Abortion, AIDS, Alcoholism, Birth Control, Child
Abuse, Domestic Violence, Drug Abuse, Eating Disorders, Gambling, Homelessness,
Homosexuality, Mental Disorders, Partner Violence,
Sex Education, Teenage Pregnancy, the Unemployed, the Ex-Offenders, the
Illegal Immigrants, the Juvenile Offenders, the Elderly, and Other Outcast
Causes .
The mind room.
We start by acquainting the students with the experimenting self as it works when it is
not inhibited by the safekeeping self. The students are asked first to keep a dream log, a
record of dreams jotted down immediately on waking, and then to analyze (or at least think
about) the meaning of the dreams. Having to remember and write down a dream, each student
becomes aware, usually for the first time, that he or she dreams, that he or she has (or
is) an autonomously functioning experimenting self. And he or she pays attention to the
processes of the experimenting self, accepting the experimenting self on its own
nonverbal, nonrational terms.
Having to attach some meaning to the dream, the student's safekeeping self is forced
to come to grips with the nonrational nature of the experimenting self , to examine the
output of the experimenting self during a dream , that is , when the safekeeping self
cannot monitor the experimenting self and interfere , as it is wont to do during conscious
thought. (A book by Ann Faraday contains the instructions for recording and analyzing
dreams=;) I ask the students to write down thirty dreams during the term, but not to
analyze that many. Further, students are Never asked to reveal their dreams or show their
logs to anyone, even to me. I trust them. "
Next, the students have to be taught to achieve a dreamlike altered state of
consciousness, to disinhibit their experimenting selves. Many students are tense,
jaw-clenching, teeth-grinding clock-watchers. That's a pretty good description of my
once-upon-a-time disposition, so I know how to handle the problem. I start by asking them
to put away their watches and set aside their mundane concerns. I teach them how to relax
, how to slow and deepen their breathing.
After they have been given the opportunity to recognize relaxation when they have
experienced it, the students are taught to relax quickly. Here is a useful relaxation
exercise.
I want you to take deep, deep breaths. Inhale ever so deeply. And exhale ever so
slowly. . . . Inhale ever so deeply. Exhale ever so slowly. . . . Okay. Now come
back to my voice. Let all the tension flow out of your body. . . . Good. Now I want you to
imagine that a little being with a flashlight is exploring your body with the flashlight,
searching for the remaining tension. As this being discovers tension , let the tension
flow away Or consciously increase the tension , then let the tension flow away.
PAUSE fifteen seconds.
Now continue to breath deeply and slowly. Deeply and slowly. . . . Very well. I want
you to imagine that you are a rag doll stuffed with sawdust.
There are flaps in the heels of your feet. Now let the flaps open, and now feel the
sawdust run out of your toes, and now out of your feet and out of the heels. And as the
sawdust runs out, you feel the relaxation become complete. And now the sawdust is running
out of your calves. And out of your knees. And the relaxation becomes complete in these
parts, as the sawdust runs out. You feel relaxed, completely relaxed.
Now the sawdust continues to run out of your thighs, and you feel the relaxation
enter your thighs. . . . And now the sawdust runs out of your hips. And now it runs out of
your stomach and your spine, and you feel your trunk and spine relaxing. And the sawdust
runs out of your chest and upper spine , and you feel so very relaxed in your upper body .
And now your shoulders are empty of sawdust too, and they are limp and relaxed.
Now, the sawdust is running out of your neck. And now it runs out of your face. And
your scalp. And your teeth and tongue seem to melt, and there is a little space between
your upper and lower teeth. . . - Your fingers contain little flaps too. So let the
sawdust run out of your hands and your wrists. And now out of your lower arms and your
upper arms. . . . You are now relaxed all over. But at any time you become even more feel
physically uncomfortable , you may shift in your chair without losing your relaxation. . .
. And any time you become mentally uncomfortable, all you need to do is say to yourself,
"Wide awake, wide awake!" and you will return to a state of ordinary
consciousness.
Next the students are taught visualization skills, the language of the experimenting self.
I want you now to imagine you are reclining in the gondola of a balloon, and that
you are about to start floating among the clouds ...You may look down at the earth through
a window in the gondola... And as I count to five the balloon will draft upward.... And as
it drafits upward you will find yourself passing into a state of higher consciousness. You
will feel more in touch with your subconscious, too.
Number one, you are leaving the ground. Feel yourself float above the
treetops and visualize the treetops. .. Nuber two you are now above the treetops nd the
tallest buildings. Feel yourself floating into a higher state of consciousness. ...
Number three, you are halfway to the clouds. See how small people and building are
below, and feel yourself passing into a higher state.... Number four, and the clouds are
directly overhead... and now, number five, you are immersed in the clouds , and here your
balloon will pause. Feel the gondola rocking gently , gently. . . You feel at peace with
yourself , the world , and everyone in it.
PAUSE fifteen seconds.
Very well. In a few moments , as I resume counting , your balloon is going to drift
up through the clouds , and below you , you will see nothing but clouds. And in the
distance you will see a mountain, and you will drift toward the mountain. And as you come
close to the mountain, you will see a building , a cylindrical building with a domed roof.
And your balloon will drift to the building , and you will get out and stand before the
door of the building.
Ready? One, and your balloon has broken through the tops of the clouds. . . . Two,
and you are drifting across the tops of the clouds. . . .Three, and you can see the
mountain, and you are drifting toward it. . . .Four, and you have drifted to the mountain
and the balloon has landed there. . . . Five , you step out of the balloon and stand
before the door.
Good. Now , I want you to create the door in your imagination. Take a while to
create a beautiful and meaningful door.
PAUSE twenty five seconds.
Okay. Now step through the floor and discover yourself in a large circular room, a
room with nothing but walls, floor, and ceiling. You are going to create everything else
in the room. . . . Create the carpeting , tile , or whatever you wish on the floor. And
now create the wall covering, and bookcases , and paneling , or whatever you need or want.
. . . Make this the most wonderful place to work.
PAUSE fifty seconds.
Okay. Create next a picture window facing out onto a body of water. Although
this room is on the top of a mountain, you may, if you wish, be placid or turbulent.
The next step in teaching the safekeeping and experimenting selves to cooperate is to
teach them to cooperate when you are not asleep. The training is continued in an altered
state of consciousness. Having taken a balloon ride to a mountaintop and created a working
area, the student is made to prepare the room so that his or her experimenting self
(represented by a view screen , because the experimenting self is visual) can view images
and his or her safekeeping self (represented by imaginary visitors) can talk, think
logically, and do simple calculations.
Now I want you to create a viewing and listening area. This will be a sort of
amphitheater within the room , an area in which you may view images. You may step right
into the middle of this area or view it from the outside.
PAUSE twenty seconds.
You may hear the images too, and talk with them. . . . And into this area you may
summon any person of the past , present, or future@any person real or imaginary or
mythical. And you may confer with this person or any other people you summon. And you may
seek advice or give advice. . . . Fine , now look around the room and make any changes you
wish.
PAUSE twenty-five seconds.
Okay. now, if you wish, you may summon a permanent companion or a wise and loving
person who will be present always in the mind room to give you advice and discussion. . .
. So turn on the viewing system' and see the first letter of your companion's name. . . .
Now the second letter. . . . Now the third letter. . . . And now any other letters.
And finally allow your companion to step into view and step out of the viewing area
to join you in the room. "
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