The Process of Critical Reflection

The process of critical reflection of assumptions empowers one and many to view influencing details that determines the ability to find consensus and harmony in any situation. Harmony does not mean the absence of conflict, merely the creative use of it to resolve issues that inhibit cooperative and collaborative relationships in professional and personal environments.

The article presents perspectives of human patterns and the avenues available to establish collective understandings of beliefs, intentions, values and feelings to facilitate a ‘common’ reality that is workable for everyone. Critical reflection of assumptions is used to enter into a discourse to assess alternative beliefs, predicated on universal principles. CRA is used in Transformational Theory, Assimilative Learning, Objective Reframing, and Subjective Reframing for adult learning.

Transformational Theory

Transformational Theory (Mezirow, 1991,1995, 1996), which uses reflection, maintains human learning is promoted in communication through assessing intentions, values, moral issues, and feelings which requiring the use of critical reflection of assumptions. Transformational Theory holds that CRA is not a panacea or provides some transcendent experience to resolve conflict. Rather, it presents the process as a ‘best practice’ compared to other options that have been used in the workplace.

Assimilative Learning

Assimilative Learning, as used by psychoanalysts, pertains to adjustment or accommodation to a difficult situation by accepting it as conforming to one’s desire. This process moves one to act according to regulative principles, a way of thinking or behaving deemed more functional or acceptable. This seems to characterize the way adults learn to adapt to change, using tacit judgment to move forward to constructive results.

Objective Reframing

Objective Reframing examines established definitions, theories, and practices to better understand the paradigms influencing decision-making. Using critical reflection of a premise and defining a problem can lead to transformative redefinition and ‘problem posing.’ The objective of this process, in the all its facets, is to improve performance.

Subjective Reframing

Subjective Reframing examines psychological or cultural assumptions to reveal conceptual and psychological limitations.

In all of the above situations, critical reflection of assumptions is used in discursive groups to assess and manage flow of communication relative to outcomes desired within those same discursive groups that are commonly found within the workplace environment. The task for a manager is to creatively translate the use of critical reflection of assumptions and discourse to effectively facilitate conflict resolution in the workplace.

Questions:

What are the tools available for creating an atmosphere where critical reflection of assumptions can be used effectively? How can one facilitate the use of such tools in environments where human communications are predicated on form, fit and function of critical path assessments?

Potential Answers:

Human resource development programs using a combination of psychoanalytic assessment tools and facilitation training for employees are one possibility. Cultural diversity and sensitivity training for managers is another, as they can then affect communication in their respective departments. Team building or collaborative alliance training outside of the company’s environment is yet another possibility that offers professional development through reliance on others as well as self.

Critical path assessment, defining the basic fundamentals of production, can be introduced through various scenarios involving critical reflection of assumptions. One such opportunity would involve discovering the logic path used to streamline production processes, eliminating wasted resources and labor costs as a functional goal. Another would use interpersonal skills development to better affect communicating goals and objectives to a diverse population within the workforce.

Personal ethics statement:  I will to do good for all, desiring to serve humanity in the highest and best use of my mind/body/spirit complex, in the facilitation of a new world order of harmony among people and planet through the development of a state-of-the-art model community and website that promotes this endeavor.

Elemental Essence of Energy

It is all-visible to each ‘presence’ within our entire population, however the effect of each choice in the filter of their own consciousness is often one of the ‘hidden’ processes that takes place, regardless of the external activity. These are processes that one internalizes and rarely offers in reflection to the group. Now that we have this collective database, we begin to realize the similarities in each individual contribution, as they are virtually the same in the evocation of feelings.

What I mean is that they have the same intent or purpose in achieving greater harmony as reflected in the expressions of shared feelings, exemplary of a greater synergy of experience. However, sometimes it is not clearly communicated due to using individual dictionaries of personal data to explain individual perspectives.

A master teacher will facilitate the group toward understanding that they are saying similar things in different ways. Once this process is comprehended, the next phase is to begin to inquire as to the ‘categorization’ of importance in the list of priorities that provide the greatest good for ALL.

Now even Senge recognizes that a learning organization evolves at its own speed and needs to be treated like a garden rather than a machine. The gardener doubles as an edutainer in the classroom; tilling and teasing the seeds to grow by being able to keep their rapidly moving attention engaged in relevant learning.

From the perspective of Godhood (non-gender/genre specific) we begin to filter each of the reflections through the participation facilitated by the instructor, teacher, our internal observer, or whomever. This one has already done his/her homework and compiled a list of information that has been derived from a much larger data pool.

In this particular instance the information comes from comparative religious studies as well as modern psychological documentation available today. We’re evolving. Our senses are expanding. Children are learning at near light speed. A master teacher is well prepared to facilitate their classroom experience, having begun with the end in mind.

How can we assess or test for this learning? To explore these relationships further, an organized effort to establish some kind of model environment is appropriate. Spectrum Academy, a concept crafted by Robin Engel and me, is a potential answer to evolving a learning environment. It is not intended to produce Gods and Goddesses. What it will produce are young people capable of emulating the qualities of righteous leadership- care and concern for people and planet.

Let’s look at Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences for a moment to illustrate the growth and unfoldment of a natural order within a construct of consciousness. This appears to be a result of simply observing patterns to reveal process. Multiple intelligences were discovered through observation. It has been widely accepted that these multiple intelligences provide the essence of classroom students’ experiences, and for students of life as well.

Life is just a bigger classroom with greater risks and potential outcomes. Intelligences that Gardner has revealed so far are: Verbal-Linguistic, Musical-Rhythmic, Logical-Mathematical, Visual-Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Intra-Personal, Inter-Personal, and Naturalistic.

There are no definitive tools to assess exactly what percentage of each we individually manifest in order to provide instructional materials to empower these intelligences as of yet. There are types of learning centers developed to utilize activities that nurture the various intelligences. These intelligences are usually only truly observable by a trained eye in the actual classroom environments.

I believe there is one more intelligence that remains to be revealed. That is Spiritual Intelligence, which imbues every intelligence with a connectedness to all the others and a holistic model of life that is understood by the individual at very deep levels previously inaccessible by planes, trains, and automobiles. What kind of environment would we need to nurture our Spiritual Intelligence? Are there any present examples?

Before the proverbial ‘knee-jerk’ starts happening, let us address our momentary definition of Spiritual Intelligence. Spiritual Intelligence is the ability to respond to any given situation through the use of pure intuitive logical thought to empower the best use of our mind/body/spirit complex.

Simply, everything is connected in the holistic view of the world. Pure, meaning without resistance; intuitive, meaning you already know the answer/response; logical, meaning it has identifiable repetitive patterns; thought, meaning that it is a function of the ONE MIND.

It has already been proven, scientifically, that life is made up of sets of fractals, each having its resonant core of the self-replicating pattern. Quantum physics has unveiled the mathematical understanding of our ability to change our patterns. We have yet to comprehend that this self-replicating pattern exists in its purest organic form (Naturalistic Intelligence) in our carbon atom.

Its scientific reference would be 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. If we look at the examples below, we see that there are some very interesting patterns that evolve from the carbon atom’s configuration.

Now, what does this all mean? It means that this Spiritual Intelligence is at the core of our genetic fiber. It is locked in to the very building blocks of our physicality. The understanding science is now offering helps us to move beyond subjugated religious superstition that promotes separation of mental and emotional intelligence.

Organically we are able to use this intelligence to activate Bloom’s taxonomy to the next level. In his work, there are six basic areas of focus in our educational processes: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

Through the use of Spiritual Intelligence, we are able to observe the categorical changes necessary in our world environment to align with the natural organic patterns of an interdependent civilization. We can all imagine what a world like this might be like. Or can we?

There is so much information about the pieces of such an environment, a new world order if you will, that it would seem our duty to utilize our knowledge to apply the best practices of Spiritual Intelligence throughout society. We’ve found the key that eliminates all boundaries, making us truly one people and one planet.

Comprehending the change takes time. Our current outer stimuli keeps our mental focus so busy on trivial circumstances that we are unable to quiet the mind. We have the direct-connect to the inner knowledge and wisdom, yet the voice is muffled by all the outer activity.

Those able to recognize the internal connections from the stillness within become the patient agents of perfected patterns that balance the scales of iniquity currently present on our planet, without placing undue focus on them. Our ability and knowledge as a unified people has been ignored for some time, or maybe it has not.

The chaos created through the media may indeed have another purpose. We already know how to evolve mental constructs into physical form. We also understand that it requires not a ubiquitous desire for change. Only a few are necessary to begin the process.

Our job is to craft the wheel of change for the greatest safety, the most sustainable comfort, and the greatest joy. How do we do that? Analyzing each of our alternative choices, and the risk of loss in each, we can assess the outcome of the choices and synergistically reveal the best choices to serve the greatest good, locally and globally.

This leads us naturally to the application and implementation of the processes necessary, as our synthesis of solutions was developed as a natural evolution of the analysis of our choices. Evaluating these results demonstrates a natural progression of consciousness.

Again, it falls into the realms of pure intuitive logical thought as the entire process evolves naturally through the parameters of the foundational structure. We have nearly transcended the fear, anger, ignorance, and immobility. What is left is to take action and grow beyond our current frustrations.

How does this reflect on the process of education? By definition the process of education is organic: to draw out. Ignoring an old scientific axiom of 10% brain usage being ‘normal,’ is it possible that we have many more senses, or levels of sense, with the other 90% of brain capacity? Could the ‘junk DNA’ be the access points into a greater realm of experience and understanding?

We now have the tools to draw out our map for our journey toward ONEness in perfectly acceptable order; a ‘new world order’ that acknowledges our past with honor and dignity, yet is concerned with the sustainability of our future. We harvest our past by bringing forth those tools most useful for our future, including the undesirable lessons learning the art of war. Now we can apply the same conceptual frameworks, used by the masters of manipulation of time and space, to create an atmosphere conducive to our ultimate need in the call toward Divinity: to be love and be loved.

We can begin to acknowledge the obvious in our daily lives, expanding to our local communities, and even spanning the globe once we can agree on simple principles of commerce (interactive exchanges), education, and community. In this regards, there is also a process toward building community that empowers a genesis in the living awareness of the individual and collective simultaneously. We can help the world receive an evo-leap of sustainability in environmental and social responsibility. Together we can change the world.

Check for Understanding
We can look back through each of the premises that evolved into the understanding presented. Essentially, we considered the effects of viewing ourselves as potential change agents for the 21st Century. We presented the premises from which our logic was drawn and showed cause for and a path toward changing a mindset and active role in one’s life and community.

Master teachers are the capable crew who lead the way, assisting the creation and formulation of questions that guide a person or class to self-discovery and Self-discovery, former being the understanding of their own patterns and the latter being God Consciousness, Christ Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, et al..

A great philosopher once said that Creators want playmates, not subjects or dominions; they want to have fun. They want to play. Think of how you felt as a child, or even adult, when you were at the height of ‘play’ in your life. Remember how it felt? Educationally fulfilling, entertaining and maybe even exhilarating, right? Now the rest of the story is up to you. Do you have concerns or questions? What have you found what really works for you?
Please share…. In Lak’esh and Namasté

(In Lakesh – Mayan for ‘I am another you’; Namasté – Brahmi for ‘I worship that which is within you.’)

I’ve been able to put some processes for change into coursework, a workbook with a timeline. Oftentimes it is our own attachment to outcomes that keep us from reaching our goal. There is another way to achieve that utilizes natural law and scientific processes. For those interested in applying some of the practices I’ve learned to find balance and harmony in daily living, here is Transformation: A Guide for Change.

Zen Benefiel is a multi-degreed transformational life coach and possibilities coagulator.

The Physical Trinity

Perceptively, our heart beat shifts for a poignant realization to anchor in consciousness, a noticeably stronger pulse that attracts our attention for a moment. Is it possible that an imminent burst of energy from Source or some kind of cosmic ray gun will wipe the heart-drive of incongruent belief systems?

Our movement through space into the Photon Belt precipitates a subtle rise in vibration, evidenced by a rise in the cycles per second pulse of our planet, an increase of a nearly imperceptible degree in human experience. Most humans seem to be oblivious; others sense an impending cosmic shift toward an age of enlightenment. Is there a cosmic change agent with their fingers on the volume control?

What about the various belief systems that have at their core a need to have good and evil? Is this truly a Divine characteristic or simply ignorant humans projecting their own circumstance on a divine framework so it ‘fits’ their mold. Modern theologians seem to breeze by the knowledge that ‘satan’ came from the Greek ‘thetan’ and means ‘thinker.’

As I recall, the word for ‘fallen’ was more like ‘condensed’ but the minds of the translators weren’t able to understand the concept at the time. It would seem ‘logical’ that cosmic intelligence would learn how to condense into physical form through their evolutionary process. Could we call that ‘descending’ mortals? The number of man (666) turns out to be the number of protons, electrons and neutrons in the carbon atom. How about that?

In spite of religious reluctance we are moving out of the fear, guilt and shame game and into a more holistic model. Is it too simple to believe that Lucifer (angel of light and music, by the way) was asked to take the lead in the process, being the Most High and all?

Why do we project our own problems and evilness on such a being? Is it so hard for humans to admit their own thoughts and actions are incongruent with their professed beliefs in an unconditional loving creator? Don’t forget that our translated version omits that ‘creators’ or ‘Gods’ was indeed plural in the beginning.

Omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent lends itself to the trinity constructs. The Nag Hamadi presents the one intelligence of creation as three expressions or manifestations as I recall. Nearly every religion has an expression of a trinity. Heck, the proton, electron and neutron make up all physical material and with one exception (hydrogen) any kind of intelligent design has to be present in the material constructs. I thought about that one a long time.

A personal experience revealed yet another option, one that allows us to see the Trinity showing up as intelligently directed physical manifestations made of various configurations of the proton, neutron and electron.

Zen Benefiel is a multi-degreed transformational life coach and possibilities coagulator.

Rising Out of Duality?

Let us move on to another interesting convergence toward harmony. Science and spirituality are closer to being united in ‘The Secret’ and even Oprah has released the information through national television as a possible alternative to our current consciousness and daily living practices.

Other authors have espoused such philosophies for centuries and spiritual masters’ core teachings are full of anecdotes that reveal a greater being within us all. Futurists explore how ergonomics, infrastructure and material specifications combine with energy flow and sacred geometry in developing new structures for business and community development.

Systems thinking is a corporate philosophy now. Moving beyond egocentric paradigms is quite the challenge, though. What is in it for me? After all, I am the center of my world. Change management? We still tend to see the process in a dualistic framework – magnetizing positive aspects and eliminating negative ones. Such is the path to balance and freedom…from the head to the heart.

It has long been said that this journey from head to heart is the longest one will ever make. We are thetanic (Thetan: Greek for ‘thinker’) beings by nature and yet our hearts are as pure and innocent as a child initially. Our life’s experience, rather our choices in it, dictate our reality and the experience of a lifetime. A mind aligned with and agent of the heart is most powerful.

What is the sense of panic or disconnectedness many feel and sense at times when in a change of critical path consciousness or structural design? Is it the shift in letting go of an intellectual stronghold that allows us to gently settle into the stream in our quest for ‘flow’? What is our measure? What is a man now? What is a woman now? What is a family now? What are relatives? How do we treat them? How do we best utilize recent discoveries in all the fields of future study toward a harmonic convergence of scholar and student?

The dualistic mindset is a pattern that is so deep in human consciousness there is little room to ascend the ladder to Oneness. Yet ascend we must if we are going to heal ourselves of dysfunctional and incongruent patterns of behavior that have led to human atrocities in current world activities and events. How can we move toward a better understanding of ‘what is’ without emotional projections that spin out of control?

The Tao provides at least a partial answer in the ‘what is’ notion of positive and negative forces in a constant balance. Far too often we deny feelings of malcontent simply to ‘keep the peace’ instead of creating peace by dealing with the articulation of the malcontent. What about the concept of Yin and Yang? Each is constantly spinning into the other and lines are blurred through ‘viewpoints.’  So, can we engage the gray matter in a healthy way?

It is quite revealing that a cross-section of our DNA helix viewed in black and white (light pulsing on and off) looks quite similar to the yin/yang symbol. Could this be a sign placed for our recognition, similar to the primer in the movie ‘Contact’?

We have the key to creating a union between homo and sapiens, right here on Earth. Could another similar sign, the ‘666,’ denote a scientific union… the number of man… carbon? We have all condensed into physical form to be here now, as consciousness in a body.

Yet today in many metaphysical gatherings, the ‘Ascension’ is probably the most present notion of the new millennium and the projected result of the alignment with the Galactic Center in 2012. What does that mean? To them we rise out of 3^rd dimensional reality – duality of war and peace.

Zen Benefiel is a multi-degreed transformational life coach and possibilities coagulator.

The Connection Conundrum

We know, or at least some have a sense, that all things are connected – a holistic model of consciousness permeates creation. Quantum sciences are pointing toward this as fact now. We still choose to separate ourselves from others today, though.

Fear is being promoted at the very top of national leadership across the world. Even when prompted to contact or communicate with another, our ‘logic’ often prohibits the interaction due to fear of misunderstanding, rejection or threat of appearing less than what we think we should.

Can we affect change where primary belief systems seem diametrically opposed? Can we offer a solution? Do we really want solutions? It has taken us centuries to arrive at the present conditions. Can or will it change in a few years? Will we rise above fear and embrace a new way?

How can we open our minds to something we’ve never experienced? What if we were able to acknowledge the obvious? Our minds and hearts are still in opposition, we fear what we do not know or have not experienced.

Oftentimes a new experience brings such a ‘rush’ of energy that we confuse it as a threat rather than a thread in the fabric of our evolution. We lock up – the fight or flight syndrome so common in psychology.

Are these our only choices? Do we have yet another choice yet unexplored? We can rise in consciousness but we actually take the mandatory rollercoaster ride to get there. It is our unconscious patterned desire for continued separation that inhibits our ability to connect, a pattern so deep and in such conflict with self/Self that wars are fought across the planet because of it.

Ancient Mayan and even Sanskrit terms in use today indicate we might want to consider some alternatives. ‘In lakesh’ (I am another you) and ‘Namasté’ (internal and external obeisance to thee) both acknowledge the oneness in self and others.

The humble bow of recognition that is part of many cultures moves us closer toward a sense of unity or at least understanding. It is more than respect. I am challenged to see and sense myself in another, even with the extensive experience and knowing of this truth and an attitude of gratitude. What about those unaware?

The Internet brings us closer in communication and yet further apart from physical communion with others. What do we really want anyway? The hot new belief system says we can attract what we want by identifying what we desire, giving it attention, and allowing it to happen.

Easier said than done, yet it warrants further consideration for sure. Implementing an action plan that creates the magnet for the desire to manifest is the key that we seem to ignore, thinking that we can defy known scientific rules: potential energy remains at rest until acted upon.

Conversely it is an obvious strain in feeling and logic to eliminate the concept of identifying what we don’t want in order to move closer to what we do. Still the objective is to create, co-create or construct new thoughtforms of a stronger magnetism that allows matter and spirit to coalesce in accordance with this new living awareness. I’ve heard it called ‘structural tension’ as an element in the creative process. How do we make the process simple?

Simplicity of being, doing and having is the goal for all spiritual seekers, allowing the greater consciousness to permeate their worlds and guide their daily movements. Simple gratification and validation is also the goal of most individuals in daily living, unconsciously desiring to love and be loved in the spirit of oneness. We talk a good line, but the result is tainted with pushing or pulling energy to move as many mountains as possible with as little effort as we can muster.

This is not to say that humans are lazy, yet they do tend to avoid the stretch to actually make things simple in their daily lives, let alone shift into a heart-centered awareness. Once a heart-centered awareness is achieved, though, the knowing moves us toward more prudent paths.

Our perceived intelligence often convinces us not to listen to the still small voice within, even after a so-called ‘spiritual awakening.’ We rarely challenge the notion of duality, yet it is the stumbling block laid before us in our quest to find balance and harmony.

Even science and religion strive to find harmony in their expressions of reality and thousands of books have been written on the subject of Unity… unified field theory to universal love, M Theory to The Masters of the Far East and much more. How can we simplify?

Would it be easier to simply look at the existing systems in our global economy, for instance, and focus on developing life-friendly processes and protocols? How can we better manage our resources, both human and material, while promoting a sense of unification without subjugation?

We are faced with choices on a moment to moment basis, pushed and pulled by this or that to make a decision about our lives, great or small. Granted some do not want to choose, they simply want to follow or be told what to do so they do not have to be accountable or responsible for their actions. It is far easier a path to be led than to lead. It is a challenge to think, let alone change.

Zen Benefiel is a multi-degreed transformational life coach and possibilities coagulator.