[From Bruce Nevin (2002.08.05 13:02 EDT)]
I found some notes. FWIW – I wasn’t very consistent or assiduous in note
taking.
I want to mention Phil Runkel’s use of ‘strife’ for interpersonal
conflict, reserving ‘conflict’ for internal, intrapersonal conflict. (In
Casting Nets & Testing Specimens.)
/Bruce
···
Dis happens.
[As in ‘dissing’ someone. “PCT in jail” presentation.]
Characteristics of PCT science
Identify CV
Verify
that suspected variable is perceived
Gently
disturb suspected variable
Observe
consistent resistance
Source
of the resistance must be organism’s outputs
There
must be plausible structure(s) in the organism
Energy
comes from organism’s metabolism
Distinguish
unintended side effects
Test individual specimens
Make a model
Supports
specific, clear communication
Compels a
clear hypothesis
Makes
predictions – and tests them
Models NOT essential to PCT.
Equivocation: theory spoken of as a ‘model’.
A model behaves; a theory describes.
Modelling is predictive; other theories are descriptive…
Requires data to be modelled.
Data are quantitative. (“More” is a
quantitative statement.)
Observation:
PCT works with intact subjects: How do they work?
Therapy works with pathology (not limited to physiological pathology):
How to help them become intact?
In Shelley Brierley’s demonstration, commentary from the disavowed point
of view (the p.o.v. you can’t stand, could never assume, etc.) – that
is, the chattering or yammering inside your head during strife – was
voiced by a hand puppet.
Someone was reported as having discovered MOL as her way of healing
herself from long-term trauma. She called it ‘catching butterflies’ –
those fleeting thoughts or feelings ‘behind’ or ‘about’ the foreground
stuff.
Observation:
In MOL we distinguish voice of butterfly from voice of caterpillar
(puppet’s voice).
Bill Powers how to talk to people about doing MOL:
Agree w/ s.o. to do MOL for research, w/ therapeutic result possible side
effect.
[Suggestion was made that MOL could be used to identify and verify levels
of the hierarchy, with the caveat that not every shift of point of view
in MOL is actually ‘up’ in the hierarchy. Bill resisted this as
‘premature’. I didn’t understand. What is the timing issue?]
o Don’t expect normal conversation.
o Think of us as [peers] on the same side looking at a problem
together.
o I’m not trying to solve your problem.
o I’m just asking you to observe & report so I can sometimes guide
your observation further with a question.
o Maybe we won’t stick to the same subject.
o When you’re talking about something, your p.o.v. is at a higher
level.
[Therapist/facilitator must operate very much up a level.]
A central part of the MOL is the person knowing that they’re doing
this.
Rich Goldman (the dentist):
In trauma, the Hippocampus & amygdala are flooded. The patient can
‘lose file pointers’, especially in the amygdala. Comment on presentation
on art therapy: If you create a story line (it could be false) it serves
as a seed point to reestablish ‘file pointers’.
Reference to [very impressive!] work of Candace Pert in cellular and
molecular biology: viruses compete with endorphins etc. for docking sites
that are on the membrane of every cell. Thus, when neuropeptides (e.g.
endorphins) associated with ‘feeling good’ prevent occupy these docking
sites, they viruses from causing illness. All body systems participate in
this system. Unlike other neuropeptide systems, e.g. acytocholine,
limited to muscle & motor synapses, & some parts of
forebrain.
[Question to me from Tuey (sp?) the young man, Fred’s foster son, who was
videotaping: “hen why don’t viruses evolve to also attack other
sites? Are there neuropeptides associated with feeling bad?” I told
him I didn’t know. Something to be found out, maybe from Candace Pert’s
writings.]
Bobbie referred to Focusing, by Gendlen [pronounced jendlen].
‘Understanding’ is the boobie prize – the point is reorganization.