The Spirit of the Land, Impermanence, and the Force of Dreaming

• The Spirit of the Land and the Indigenous Voice
• Innner Work for Watershed Moments in Life
• "From The Ground Up" Conflict Resolution for individuals and communities
• Migration, Territories, Borders, Wars and Indigenousnes
• Death, Life and Creativity
  

We practice the use of the essence level when facilitating hotspots, polarizations and escalations. Our focus is on dropping personal history, and facilitating from the ground up.

Process Work differentiates between three types of rank, each with its own power, privileges, and characteristics:

• Consensus Reality Rank refers to measurable power hierarchies, whether individual or systemic, based on factors such as social status, wealth, or institutional influence.

• Dreaming Rank arises from an understanding of subjective roles and deeper psychological or relational awareness, existing on both individual and systemic levels.

• Essence Rank stems from a connection to deeper spiritual cores or essences, holding both dualities and offering a sense of interconnectedness beyond conventional hierarchies.

Arnold Mindell’s Process Work paradigm expands the traditional concepts of depth psychology, the existing narratives of modern physics, and ancient and modern spiritual traditions through his research of how we use diverse awareness modes to create our own realities.

Our Intensive focuses on demonstrating and practicing how dualities and polarizations shift when we cultivate the discipline to distinguish between our experiences in Consensus Reality—the collective ‘truth’ agreed upon by a culture or community—our Dreaming Reality, and our sentient knowledge.

Building on postmodernism, which deconstructs generally accepted stories of what reality, truth, and knowledge is, etc., it opens new and unexpected perspectives on the challenges we face as individuals, communities, and as a species.

This paradigm transforms not only our inner work but also our coaching and facilitation practices, giving us the fluidity to facilitate in complex, "chaotic" and also violent situations.

Process Work integrates the broad scientific fields of genetics, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and linguistic research, challenging the idea that children are born as a blank slate. Instead, it proposes that children are born with an inherent personality structure. Building on Jung’s research on childhood dreams, Process Work explores how these early dreams reveal patterns that express themselves in various ways throughout life, creating a ‘life myth’—a journey principle, akin to a psychological-spiritual DNA. This life myth is the core of individual resilience, not as a static force, but as a dynamic organizing principle that creatively adapts to and processes external challenges. The discovery and befriending of our life myth, or deeper self, is an ongoing journey of self-awareness and growth. It works as an elixir against outer and internalized oppression and a life vest in turbulent situations.

Conflicts—whether personal, communal, geopolitical, or even full-scale wars—are expressions of timespirits (Zeitgeist). They emerge as roles within the collective, manifesting in different forms across time. Their cyclical nature can be understood through four distinct phases: Appearance, One-sidedness, Inclusion of the ‘Other’ Side, and Resolution into a New Role.

Large-group processes and facilitation help reduce both inner and outer polarization by uncovering and reintegrating marginalized essences. This process allows us to engage with conflict from a place of renewed detachment, bringing awareness to the perennial nature of life that we all share.

In this Intensive, we explore how these conflict dynamics interconnect and how precolonial wisdom and postmodern collaboration models are deeply intertwined in fostering sustainable transformation.

The Spirit of the Land is a sentient experience—a vibe or atmosphere that belongs to a place. It expresses itself through geography, biology, and the interdependence of species, as well as through symbols, myths, and the cultural, historical, and religious practices of the people who inhabit it. It also shapes the ways in which knowledge is gained and shared.Indigenous knowledge - indigineousness - is a deep and persistent force within all of us. Though often marginalized by mainstream thought and replaced by modern concepts of rational enlightenment, it continues to express itself unconsciously through our dreaming. The global marginalization of indigenous people mirrors the global marginalization everyone's indigenousness, the alienation from our connection to nature and the spirit of the land.

A key aspect of Process Work is the deconstruction of modern frameworks that separate us from using our awareness to find our own inner wisdom, allowing us to reconnect with our own indigenousness—an innate, living presence within us.

Lithuania has a rich indigenous history deeply rooted in the Baltic region and is one of the few remaining countries in Europe where the influence of paganism remains vibrant and deeply felt. The Lithuanian people, part of the Baltic ethno-linguistic group, have preserved one of the oldest Indo-European languages, closely tied to ancient Sanskrit. For centuries, Lithuania resisted Christianization, maintaining its animistic and polytheistic traditions until the late 14th century. The medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania became one of the largest and most diverse states in Europe, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, fostering a unique fusion of indigenous Baltic traditions with Slavic, Jewish, and Central European influences. Despite occupations and Soviet repression, Lithuania has remained deeply connected to its folklore, land-based spirituality, some pagan rituals, and a revival of Romuva, the indigenous Baltic faith, that emphasizes a harmonious relationship with nature and the cycles of life.

(like in the picture above of the reflection of an ancient structure in the windows of a modern Vilnius business complext)
Today, Lithuania balances modernity with a deep reverence for its ancient heritage, which together with its rich and unique Christian Catholic tradition developed after the 14th century, making it a living testament to Baltic resilience and identity.

The Intensive follows a Process Work Clinic format, developed and co-facilitated by Ellen and Max Schupbach. It brings together a dynamic mix of seasoned Process Work Diplomats, advanced learners, and newcomers, creating a living co-learning experience where a unique culture of collaboration emerges differently each year. This evolving process adapts to each group and environment, leading to powerful, inspirational experiences that are shaped by those who participate.

Our participants come from diverse backgrounds across the globe. For this Intensive Clinic, we are actively engaging with communities in Eastern Europe and post-Soviet countries, as well as members of the Deep Democracy Alliance who are deeply connected to indigenous traditions in their daily lives.

This is not just a course—it is an immersice experience designed for individuals who feel an inner calling to explore these themes, regardless of their current life situation. It is for those seeking a deeper sense of wholeness within themselves and a way to apply that wholeness to building stronger communities and facilitating conflict resolution at all levels.

A Fluid, Participatory Daily Format

Our daily schedule is flexible and co-created, emerging from the group process and the flow of our ad hoc community of participants. While the structure adapts, the basic framework includes:

• 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Large group gatherings, demonstrations of inner work, and facilitated large-group processes. Different facilitator teams and willing participants lead these sessions daily.

• 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Tutorials on the theory used that day, along with open Q&A sessions for Newcomers to Process Work.

Small Groups of 15-20 People

• 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Small group sessions for inner work practices (individually or in dyads) and participant-led small group processes.

• 5:45 – 7:00 PM

Day closure, featuring individual work in a fishbowl setting, reflection time for small learning groups of three (which stay together throughout the Intensive), and additional integration activities.Daily Format:

Morning - We plan for a beginning structure to include online and f-2-f participants during the morning sessions (10a.m.-1p.m. CEST)

*for online participants who cannot join during that time period, recording will be available!

Afternoon – The format will most likely be mixed, where we break up into smaller groups and/or dyads, where as the online participants create their own small groups that fits into their timezone

The question of combining or separating online and f-2-f participation in the afternoons will not be planned prior to the event, but processed by everyone to facilitate consensus-based solutions.

***course fee includes coffee and tea during morning break! (meals + lodging not included)

Host or Publisher Deep Democracy Institute