It is recommended that students of IDL hold regular groups. We call them “Integral Salons,” but you can call them whatever you want. The function of these groups is to support people and network. We charge for these groups as a way to cause people to value and contribute, however you may choose to offer groups for free.
The primary role of this group is a public service – to help others to become lucid and wake up. A secondary purpose is to create a culture and support system of like-minded people.
Group leaders pick some aspect of IDL for discussion, and structure both discussion of the topic and interviews around the topic. They can ask for topic suggestions from group members too. These might include some aspect of the Drama Triangle, scripting, cognitive distortions, clarification of some aspect of the interviewing process, focus on concrete ways to apply self-aspect suggestions, meditation, or ways to evolve this or that of the six core qualities and processes. Topics are tied back to the central issues of becoming lucid, waking up and finding and following one’s own inner compass.
Here are several options for interviewing in presentations and in groups.
Directed Group Interviews. Group members are provided with pencil and paper and the interviewing format is read to them. Everyone works on a dream and one character or the personification of a life issue. This seems to be the most preferred format. These interviews take place after the discussion of the topic and a cheese and bread break.
Demo Interviews. These are done either by the most senior student of the work or by a student as part of their training. After the interview the subject comments on their summary statement from the interview, the wake-up call, recommendations that were made, and which ones they would like to work with in their daily life. As with all interviews, the subject chooses either the dream/dream character to interview or the life issue. In all cases, three life issues are provided.
Diad Interviews. You can pair up group members and let them decide who will interview and who will be interviewed. There is generally time for only one interview in most groups, so this is generally less desirable than one person interviewing the entire group, but it does give participants practice at interviewing. Allow forty-five minutes for the interview. The group reassembles and summary statements, wake-up calls, and recommendations are shared. Beware of the tendency to share for people to share their entire interview – there isn’t time.
Discussion of Prior Interviews. Group members can bring interviews to the group that they have conducted for themselves or with others and share them with the group as a whole. Discussion ensues. This format is generally preferred for the review of clinical cases in supervisory groups. It is often combined with a demo interview or a supervised interview by a student.
We also conduct day-long seminars to teach IDL meditation. These focus on teaching a principle, such as naming or observation of breath, followed by a short period of meditation, followed by discussion to see how well the concept is understood and integrated, followed by another short meditation period. Then another concept is introduced and the process repeated.
Examples of topics covered include naming the contents of awareness, the six stages of each breath, the processes associated with each stage, the qualities associated with each stage, amplification of this or that stage of breath, what one tells oneself about meditation – identifying cognitive distortions and eliminating them, integrating meditation into waking activities and waking practice, abundance, cosmic humor, and luminosity.
Meditation seminars are a great way to introduce a broader audience to IDL and to strengthen the meditation practice of students of IDL.
