the basic assumptions and silent witness
22 March 2010
So far the basic assumptions of CCI hasn't been changed in essence since the start of the CCI approach in 1974. The wording may have changed, also because languages change in years. The five basis techniques are still: association, literally description, repetition, contradiction and acting into/ role play. And still the most powerful suggestion to offer is free attention. That is offering: loving and caring, aware attention free from environmental stimuli and re-stimulation. Free attention is totally directed to the field of attention. Thus being 'the silent witness'.
This all in a culture of validation. That is, unconditional, short and powerful stating your own or other people's qualities. I am. You are. Basic assumption of the human potentiality is, that the human being is basically loving, cooperative, curious, good, reliable, eager to learn, buoyant. And basic principals are: work in couples, one is worker, the other one is co-worker; change of roles for equal time, free attention and keeping a balance of attention, the worker is in charge and is responsible for its own process; the co-worker keeps the track of the worker, supports and doesn't have to understand; is time-keeper, respect, equivalence, confidentiality about the content of work time.
The amount of existing languages in our world – about 40.000 – indicates the in build need of humans, to share what is going on inside. That seems to be a process in itself. Nevertheless it is not clear if this need for sharing means, that unconditional attention is the core of that need. Or is it that process of inside wording that heals? And it also may be very well, that just the knowledge that it is OK to say whatever has to be said – will be witnessed in loving silence, without any interruption so it is safe to experience that. Or have only the eyes of another human being already such an impressive welcoming and mystic influence on my healing inside?
three basics
Underlying all human activity are basic assumptions. In his book Catharsis in human development (revised edition 1998) John Heron distinguishes physical needs, 'related to the structure and processes of the physical organism' and personal needs. We all have basic personal human needs:
* To understand and to be understood (Making sense of ourselves, our relationships, our world.)
* To be self directing, while also being part of a bigger whole (Choosing our own way, while also having a greater shared place of belonging.)
There are no negative emotions; all emotions have a purpose. Often they reflect our personal history, our earlier experiences and responses. If the three basic personal human needs listed above remain unmet, hurt and painful emotions may be generated. CCI does not see these feelings as necessarily negative – they are useful signals telling us something about ourselves and pointing out the way forward. Emotions are experienced throughout the whole body. They involve feelings, thoughts, muscles and behaviours, our voices, our skin and sweat glands, our breathing, our heart rates! Emotional awareness and processing can work at any of these levels. Emotional health involves a harmonizing of head and heart. Please note, the basic assumptions given above are quite broad, and therefore open to a range of interpretations. The need 'to understand' raises all manner of questions – for example, what kind of beings are humans? Are we spiritual creatures? On such questions CCI supports personal freedom of belief. CCI is not in itself a belief system.
It is a worldwide group of likeminded people sharing these values, pre-conditions and basic assumptions, practising the art of handling their emotions and finding answers to their questions. CCI is a growing and evolving way of emotional process, and open to exploring new ideas and methods within the pre-conditions (equal rights, respect, self-responsibility, privacy) given above. And the last of the three mentioned basic personal needs opens up also to a beyond. Already in history many scientists, especially philosophers and theologians, have been searching for answers about who we really are as human beings, where our roots are, and how to understand this all within the phenomena of our life. The conceptions of many of their views conflicted many times severely with their religious authorities. Talking about people hurting people... . To a certain extent, also Galileo Galilee (1564 - 1642) and Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) experienced this, as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881 - 1955) did and Sir Julian Huxley (1887 - 1975), who stated that 'evolutionary the human being became aware of being'.
witnessing
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