Introvision – step by step to inner clarity and calm
Introvision: a researchbased approach to inner conflicts
The mindfulnessbased approach Introvision looks back on 40 years of research, mainly at the University of Hamburg in Germany.
Prof. Angelika C. Wagner assumes that humans process data in two ways: either nonjudging with a wide and rather extended attention or judging what we perceive, which is accompanied by a narrow and limited attention. During the dataprocessing the current state is compared to the nominal state. If the perceived situation, emotion or expectation (the current state) coincides with the nominal state the data processing is not disturbed. But what happens when there is a discrepancy?
How the dataprocessing starts stumbling
How do we handle it, when the perceived information does not coincide with how it is supposed to be? How does our inner dialogue sound, when the situation is different to what we had expected or hoped? What happens to our pulse when we are asked an unpleasant or annoying question? When the doctor diagnoses a disease, which isn’t as harmless as we had thought? What, when there definitely isn’t enough time until the deadline for a projectreport?
Introvision assumes that we perceive either stating nonjudgementally or imperatively. Latter means, the perception is characterized by an inner command (“it must not be that…!”) accompanied by the above mentioned narrow and limited attention and an emotional strain or even stress, alarming our nervous system. This is where the dataprocessing starts to stumble, our thoughts begin to run in circles and we begin using coping strategies in order to stay capable of acting. We then may whitewash a situation (“it’s not that bad”), ridicule it, theorize about it, dramatize, invent part of the szene or simply ignore details. Summing up: we intervene our dataprocessing by carrying information into it which factually don’t belong there. The latin word for this is “introferre”. Prof. Wagner uses this as central term in her theory “mental introference”.
By using these kind of strategies you manipulate the dataprocessing and at the same time you avoid what is at the bottom of this problematic situation. You avoid what we call the inner conflict which your consciousness has with itself. Your consciousness prohibits something which at the same time is part of itself. A paradox… Here an example: You’re scared of flunking an important test. Your thoughts circle around “the worst that can happen is to fail this test, I wouldn’t know how to tell my parents, everything I did the past years would have been for nothing!” Fact is, the possibility to fail in a test always exists. Even if you’re an A+ student. It’s part of the medal. Realizing this might scare you. And instead of accepting this fact you begin using strategies you started learning probably years ago. You push these scaring emotions aside, you avoid the inner conflict (“I must not flunk this test”) but you do not dissolve what is underneath it. This is not reprehensible, because is keeps you capable of acting in this situation. But since the inner conflict isn’t solved it will probably be reactivated in a similar context. The aim of Introvision is to face the core of what you are trying to avoid and to change your habit of using these strategies. The more automated and habitualized we use these strategies, the less we are aware of them, so the first step is a step of awareness raising.
Introvision leads to an undisturbed dataprocessing
The literal sense of Introvision is “looking within, looking into something”. It is a psychological approch of self-regulation. The aim is an undisturbed, flawless dataprocessing without introference. We become aware of our strategies and at the same time we state them as such. We become more and more aware of our automatisms. This enables us on one hand to end them and on the hand to look beyond this point and try to figure out the essence of this emotion in the core. What is the personal catastrophe linked to this situation? Why and what do I avoid? Looking at this without judging oneself makes it so much easier to face the subjective devastating which is part of the own consciousness. By directing your attention in the wide and extended way to what your are used to avoid the dismay can start to vanish, automatisms begin to dissolve and you gain empowerment, because you see more operational possibilities.
Introvision is therefore a revealing approach. It doesn’t overwrite cognitions, i.e. by affirmating something else. Directing the attention intentionally in this nonjudging and wide way is the methodical procedure in Introvision. This method is the heartpiece of Introvision. It’s a special form of perception all humans have – but the more our everydaylife is characterized by ‘higher – faster – further’, the harder it is to find a niche for this kind of awareness qualitytime.
Interested in finding out more?
I frequently offer webinars on Introvision in german and I’m planning some in english. Please feel free to send me a mail if you are interested in finding out more on Introvision. I’d be more than happy getting in touch with you to see how I can help.