Inner Transition and thePsychology of Change

based on ideas of Sophy Banks

Three Questions

• What inner beliefs underlie our outer world?

• What is going on? (Why have we made a self-destructive world? Why don’t we wake up and do something about it?)

• How can the Transition movement support inner transition?

We white Americans of European ancestry had our indigenous cultures stolen from us, had our lands and lifestyles, our lives destroyed, just as we have gone on to steal and destroy around the globe. It happened long ago, of course, so we barely remember it…the land remembers it…it’s all there, still reverberating through our bodies, like gongs still sounding centuries after they were struck with the mallet…and that pain shapes us, and hurts us still, and that, of course, is the deep reason we do what we do now to the planet. If we don’t seek to understand that, how can we ever expect to change our behavior?

Tim Bennett, writer and director of What A Way To Go: Life At The End Of Empire

Sources

• The Work that Reconnects

• Systems Theory

• Ecopsychology

• Addiction and Change Models

• Psychotherapy

• Indigenous wisdom

transition

Inner world individual

psychology, world view,

beliefs

Outer world society,

behavior, institutions

Inner and Outer

?

Inner World

Dual Nature of Human Brain

Unsafe:

fight,

flight o

r

freeze

Safe: relaxed, secure to

explore the world, all is

well

Childhood Experiencepositive experiencesnegative experiences

Neglected Attacked Hungry Criticised /

worthless Empathic

failure

Safe Held securely I belong There is enough Valued and

accepted as I am

Response and AdaptationPositive experienceNegative experience

• Learn behaviours which bring partial success

• Repress memory

• Difficulty with feelings, joy, creativity, presence

Adapted behaviour

Neglected Attacked Hungry Criticised /

worthless Empathic

failure

Safe Held securely I belong There is enough Valued and

accepted as I am

From Experience to World View

The world is safe & others can be trusted

I am wanted and loved as I am

All my feelings are welcome and valid

Life is abundant and supports me

Unlimited realityLimited reality

• I have to adapt to be accepted

• It’s best not to feel (pain, anger, joy)

• I’ll hide my creativity, joy, open-heartedness

Adapted belief

The world doesn’t want me as I am

There isn’t enough Others have power Life is dangerous

Resulting Personality Structure

Potential

Wounding

capacity for experiencing wounding and potential are linkedConscious

awarenessAdapted personality

Resulting Personality Structure

Potential

Wounding

defenses keep the potential and wounding out of consciousness

Conscious awareness

Adapted personality

Don’t go there!!

Don’t feelthat!!

An Addictions View

Addictive Behavior

connectionsatisfiedempowered

isolationpowerless, worthless

emptiness

ambition, workaholism

consuming / eating / travelling

relationship addiction, TV

away from pain

towards goal

Healing Impulse vs Defense

Adapted personality

Don’t feelthat!!

Don’t riskthat!!

Healing impulse

Defense

What supports healing?

Healing impulse

Supported by • Acceptance• Plenty• Safety• Belonging• Benign use of power

Creates unlimited reality: • Wounding and

potential are integrated• I am safe, wanted,

appreciated, belong

How do we see this in transition?

Potential

Wounding

Comfort zone

Doing, planting, making, building, planning, thinking….

Negative and won’t take us forward

Nonsense, irrational, just talking

Feeling pain, fear for future, despair, facing death

Talking about beauty, truth, love, trust, connection

Inner and Outer: Unlimited Reality

Abundance, connection,

empowerment, acceptance

Decisions have a wide & long view

resilience

World is interconnected,

abundant, a paradise

Authentic behaviour, acceptance of self and

others

childhood

worldview

outer world

relationships

Support in Transition

A Map of Inner Transition

Developing and opening to potential

Remembering and integratingpainful experience

Thinking, Rationaldoing

Intuition emotionbeing

Inner Transition - Territory

Indigenouswisdo

m

Spaces for being

support groups

Emotions – JM work

Psych models for

change

Group dynamic

s

Comm’ty ritual

Comfort zone – doing,

planning

The Work that Reconnects

Reconnectedempowered alive

Fear, grief, anger, despair

Disconnection, disempowerment denial

SHIFT!!

Home Groups Maintaining and Sustaining

Activities that support unlimited realityLimited reality belief

What helps or heals? Creating an unlimited realityExamples of activities add your own!!

Not enough There’s plenty Shared meals, swap shops or free cycle. Find ways to give things away!!

Overwhelm Holding spaces to experience despair and possibility

Truth mandala and other Joanna Macy processes, support groupsWatch for burnout!!

Unsafe Safe place to be creative, have fun

Support groups – ongoing and building trust. Art, music events, storytelling

Separate Be with othersConnect with nature

Group activities, discussions after films wild food gathering, bike rides, rituals!

Worthless Value everyone’s contribution.

Celebrate achievements publicly and in meetings. Publicize stories, art, photos, outcomes

Competition Cooperation Exchanges, shared projects or work, from either/ or to both - and

The end