Report No.

5

OPEN SPACE WORKSHOP

12. International Focusing Conference

Hohenwart, May 10. - 14. 2000

 

TOPIC

Shame

Initiator:

Mary Armstrong

 

Partners:

Eberhard, Chuck, Rob, Susanna, 
Kenji, Pavlos, Leon, Linda, Beate

 

Mary began by inviting the participants to reflect on our thoughts and experiences of shame. There was a strong response from the participants who shared from a deep place. Some of us reported that the feeling of shame had become an important aspect of their experiences in recent years, as they have become more aware of the deep implications and meaning of shame in their lives.

Shame had a variety of manifestations in our bodies. hot, heavy, taking over the body, pulling down, feeling of confusion, stops the body, numb body, and holds hands with grief, rage, fear., like a volcano, flowing lava, danger of extinction, early, hereditary, pervasive, intrusive, tricky, unworkable, overwelming, non-verbal, with bodily expression, has to do with who I am, strange, causes changes, makes changes necessary, danger, stops creativity, need for punishment

Effects in life include feelings of I donīt count, frozen tears, isolation, irrationality, feeling like a deer in the headlights, immobilized, contagious, disconnection with the world, a part of me.

There were reflections on the feelings of cultural shame and guilt from world war II, but now, having come to a place of resolution with these feelings, there are again these concerns and feelings regarding the younger generation and the most recent developments regarding the violence toward foreigners.

Shame has a voice, a hidden meaning, sometimes protects us.

It needs protection itself, information, understanding, selfreflection, sharing, forgivenness.

It has a revelation-of-attachment-feeling

If we would pay attention to this shame part in us it would have something to say.

Breaking open the hidden introjects

I donīt want to be ashamed any longer for who I am and what I am.

What does it needs ?

awareness and courage

Eat it.

Multi-yoked life of its own.

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