Fundamentos del trabajo por procesos
Process Work, or Process-oriented Psychology, was developed by Arnold Mindell in the late 1970s. As a young physicist trained at MIT, Mindell moved to Zurich, Switzerland, to continue his studies at the Technical University (ETH). There, he serendipitously met Franz Riklin, the president of the Jung Institute, and began parallel studies in psychology at the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Jung Institute in Zurich. Frustrated by the separate languages and concepts of physics and psychology, he sought to unify these fields, rejecting the notion that matter and psyche could be treated as distinct entities. This pursuit led him to create unified theories and a more neutral language that describes events as processes, information channels, flows of signals, and edges.
While training as a Jungian analyst, Mindell grappled with his own and his patients’ physical health issues. Drawing from his Jungian studies, he understood that experiences were meaningful and questioned one-sided notions of pathology and healing. He observed that his clients’ nighttime dreams often mirrored their physical symptoms and experiences. To emphasize the connection between these two realms, he coined the term “Dreambody.” He further expanded the concept of “dreaming” beyond nighttime dreams to encompass all experiences outside of conscious control, including body sensations, fantasies, spontaneous movements, unintended relationship signals, and altered states of consciousness.
Process Work integrates what we marginalize, find challenging and nonsensical; it aims to find information and meaning in messages we do not intend to convey and in experiences we do not fully comprehend with our rational minds. It examines the entire context of our situations and environments, using awareness to amplify and unfold the flow of events, revealing their meanings. In addition to exploring causal connections and facilitating healing, Process Work follows the evolving and dynamic nature of the overall dreaming process.
To differentiate between aspects of our processes that are either closer to or more distant from our awareness, Mindell introduced the concept of a familiar and intentional primary process and a secondary dreaming process that conveys marginalized information.
Between the primary and secondary processes lie perceptual filters—edges that limit our awareness and hinder our growth. These edges are shaped by our cultural, social, familial, and personal environments. They serve as a bridge between our familiar identities and potential new ones. Our “dreaming” signals guide us along this bridge. Process Work practitioners[1] explore the spaces on both sides, bringing awareness and choice to their clients and increasing their degrees of freedom to expand their identities. Through careful unfolding of the signals and information on both sides of the bridge, along with feedback awareness and appropriate feeling skills (metaskills), practitioners lead their clients to a deeper understanding of themselves, their teams and communities and toward personal transformation.
We perceive our world through various sensory channels, including seeing, hearing, moving, and feeling. Process Work further distinguishes two modes of experiencing the world: relationships and world events. We tend to have greater awareness in some experiential channels than in others. Our primary processes align more closely with our preferred channels, while our secondary processes emerge in the less engaged channels. By carefully exploring these lesser-known aspects of experience, practitioners can facilitate deeper awareness and personal transformation.
[1] Process Work is applied in many fields by both professionals and laypeople. Key professional roles include counselors, therapists, coaches, organizational consultants, facilitators, and social activists.
Ampliar la conciencia: Del sueño al despliegue
Process Work emphasizes the flow of events rather than individual states[1]. Our primary processes and identities are relatively static, representing the everyday motions, while our secondary processes manifest as disturbances that disrupt our habitual progress. To help individuals explore the complexity of various experiences, Mindell developed a method called “unfolding.” Two of the most powerful tools in Process Work are identifying the process structure—distinguishing what is primary from what is secondary—and amplifying signals and information in the client’s unoccupied channels. Unfolding facilitates a deep exploration of experiences within these channels, amplifying them through bodywork, movement, and other techniques. This approach raises awareness and fosters growth by allowing clients to be more fluid and integrate aspects of their secondary processes, if they choose to do so.
[1] A state refers to a specific situation or condition at a given moment in time, to which we assign certain preconceived meanings.
Trabajo Mundial: Aplicación del trabajo de procesos en grupos y comunidades
Worldwork is process-oriented psychology applied to small and large groups, communities, and organizations. It emphasizes relationship dynamics and facilitates the connections between individuals. This approach enhances teamwork, both externally and internally, by addressing our relationships with ourselves and the different parts within us. Additionally, it teaches us how to leverage this awareness in our relationships and interactions to facilitate conflicts.
Arnold Mindell coined the term Democracia profunda to include different experiential levels in the facilitation of groups and organizations. Beyond the everyday aspects of conflicts—such as issues, facts, opposing views, communication styles, differences in roles and tasks, and struggles with inclusivity, rank, and power (Consensus Reality level)—Mindell introduced the underlying feelings, dreams, and imaginations (Dreamland level), as well as the deepest levels of feelings, values, spiritual beliefs, and larger visions (Essence level).
In relationships and groups, our individual dreamfields, with our primary and secondary processes, overlap and intersect. What we marginalize in ourselves, we often project and criticize in others. In broader community contexts, our distinct primary and secondary identities are projected onto roles, diverse or opposing positions, behaviors, and values. To better understand group dynamics and facilitate interactions and issues, Process Work facilitators explore the various layers of deep democracy and the conflicting roles within themselves. In summary, Worldwork serves as a powerful framework for addressing collective processes, conflict resolution, community building, and social transformation.
Cómo se utiliza hoy el trabajo por procesos
Process-oriented psychology, or Process Work, is widely valued for its practical versatility across multiple fields. At its core, Process Work posits that consciousness is part of a self-reflective or participatory universe (John Wheeler). Expanding our attention and awareness to include marginalized sensations, physical symptoms, dreams, emotional states, interpersonal conflicts, and social tensions benefits individuals, groups, and communities, revealing the larger, fine-tuned, and purposeful universe we inhabit. Practitioners utilize this perspective to engage deeply with these experiences, uncovering insights and fostering transformative growth.
In psychotherapy and counseling, Process Work guides individuals through personal, relational, and social issues, helping them navigate complex emotional landscapes, dreams, subtle feelings, physical health challenges, relationship aspirations and conflicts, as well as broader social problems. In mental health and medical settings, practitioners support clients facing altered and extreme states, severe and chronic health issues, comatose states, disturbed consciousness, and end-of-life situations.
In organizational contexts, Process Work methods facilitate dialogue, teamwork, and awareness of diversity, rank, and power dynamics, addressing underlying practical issues while promoting sustainable growth and development. Worldwork methods have proven beneficial in communities experiencing conflict and war. Community-building projects draw on Process Work’s strengths to encourage multicultural dialogue and foster genuine connection and understanding among diverse groups.
Additionally, Process Work enriches artistic expression by encouraging artists to explore subtle, often unrecognized dimensions of their creative processes, enhancing both depth and authenticity. Across these diverse applications, the fundamental commitment to Deep Democracy ensures that all internal and external voices and experiences contribute to comprehensive transformation.
