Exercise 1: Evoke Emotion, Create Meaning
- This topic has 13 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 2 months, 3 weeks ago by .
-
Posts
-
-
-
So I did my first practice with my friend Brenda who lives in Denver.
I had invited her to join us so she knew about the program and was happy to be the subject of the practice. Her face lit up when asked about how important the environment was to her and she gave great detail about how she loves the mountains and rivers and is really fascinated by insects and other little creatures. She said she feels peaceful and that ‘all is well’ in the world- there is a sense of ‘order’ when she is in nature. She feels relaxed. She then went on to say how much she loves the ocean too but her heart seemed to be with the mountains and rivers. She liked when I said her emotions back to her. She then went on to say that she is part of a group called ‘the green gals’ and they meet every month (about 30 of them)! They do challenges and they feel good about themselves but it’s not FUN. She had send them all the link to your program and they want to know all about the ‘fun’. I think it would be worth doing a program just for them.
-
Lorna,
That sounds like an amazing first conversation! I hope you get to have a follow-up with Brenda so we get to read more. Thanks for sharing 🙂
-
-
Among the people with whom I had this conversation was my friend W.
I asked him because we had a moment when we shared lunch together.
Starting was easy, though I felt I should explain why I ask him this “Off-topic” question.
At first he was a bit unsure, maybe guarded, but then relaxed when I asked him to describe the place/situation in more detail so that I can “also be there”.
It honestly felt like an honour/privilidge to be taken through his words to the place he described, but at the same time I felt like an intruder, who only got there because I made W. tell me about it, not because he told me from his own motivation.
I could relate well to what he told me, the place, the feeling of dusk, the feeling of the crisp, slightly moisrt autumn weather.
He had difficulties describing the overall feeling, and we searched for words together, but only found a number of words which each were not precisely what he felt, but agreed that the experienced feeling was the one between these words.
It wasn’t hard, but felt unnatural/inappropriate entering a sacred, personal place with a script.
-
Christof,
Thanks for leading me through the Spodek Method today. I enjoyed our conversation within and outside of the method very much. Interesting that your friend and I both struggled to name the overarching feeling from our memory. Looking forward to reading your future reflections.
-
-
So
I had a conversation with a friend of mine who has created a mobility device for disabled folks and her passion is the ‘sick care’ system and how the consensus reality of our society makes us unhappy and destroys the planet. She is as ‘radical’ a thinker as Josh, but in a different way. When I asked her to imagine a place in nature, she said ‘oh I close my eyes and I am there- dont need to go anywhere- its all in my head, available when I close my eyes’. she said ‘I am nature, I feel calm, my head settles and it feels like all my molecules are the same as nature, I am a tree, an ocean, I am one’. I was a bit stunned by this and her certainty gave me a sense of bewilderment because she didnt seem very emotional when speaking…but it lingered with me afterwards and I closed my eyes many times to see what she was saying and of course she is right- its imagination, available anytime.
-
Seeing Trees Through Tracy’s Eyes
I first asked my business partner, Tracy, the questions – it was easy as we have these types of conversations a lot. In fact, it almost felt like cheating – so I asked two other people as well. Overall, the exercise was easy; it was a good reminder that people respond well to active listening.
It was fun to see Tracy’s face light up when she talked about earthing and sitting under the tree in her backyard. Hearing her say, “It’s magical to feel the vibrant colors of autumn. Sitting under my tree brings me a sense of peace and contentment while also experiencing awe and wonder.” It is not something I get to hear every day, so it was fun. It did feel odd to just end the discussion after I confirmed her emotions, so I asked her if she ever contemplated living off her land as she has a very large backyard and only buys organic fruits and veggies.
Her description of her trees stayed with me the rest of the day. While I don’t have any trees in my yard that I can sit under, I did think of Tracy as I looked at the trees in my neighborhood as I walked my dog.-
Diane,
Thanks so much for sharing! Sounds like a great conversation with Tracy. I’m very curious to learn more!
-
-
I had two conversations and wrote a lot about each convo in a journal, but the content was so personal, it seems like an invasion of privacy, a break of trust with my interviewees, to post it here.
So I am answering the questions more generally.
• How did you choose whom to practice with?
Family was calling me to wish me a happy birthday, following the first Spodek Workshop. I engaged with the first two people that happened to call me. It felt very genuine.• How did you feel before starting? Was it hard or easy?
Easy, because these family members had already set time and intention to check in with me, to give me a call on my birthday. It might not be so easy to engage with people who aren’t open to relating.• How did the experiences go overall?
Overall, it was fun and interesting. One part of one conversation brought up difficult feelings for me. Later I wrote and reflected on it and realized that people relate to nature in very different ways, and my difficult feelings were about personal bias and judgement. I did not voice them. I think the people I was interviewing enjoyed it.• Did anything go particularly wrong or right?
I find myself jumping ahead in my mind, in the Spodek Method, calculating if these experiences that people are sharing will fit the bill to be intrinsic motivators. I brought my doubts along and it didn’t seem probable. Of course, I didn’t voice any of this.• How did the other person seem to feel before you started? Did their mood change? If so, how?
I felt a little tension when I started the topic, no doubt from my own awkward intro, but then when I asked about a memory they were so quick to share it felt magical like we had time traveled together.• How did their facial expression and body language start and evolve as you led them?
By telephone. I would have liked to see it.• How did you feel hearing them describe their memory? … Their sensory experience? … Their emotions?
I enjoyed being in their shoes. I was surprised how quickly they opened up to me.• How did they react when you confirmed their emotions?
They acknowledged again the same emotions.• Did you get it right the first time or did you have to let them clarify and correct? If so, how did the process of iterating to them confirming you understood them feel?
I think I should have spent a little more time on the sensory question. I’m not sure the interviewees had a clear enough memory or could really put into words the exact sensory context.-
Ariella,
Thanks for sharing these reflections. I’m glad you had positive experiences and your family members brought you into their personal memories. I can relate to the feeling of tension when beginning, feeling unsure if the other person will want to talk to me. Almost every time, the experience is similar to how you described it: they get excited and open up quickly 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading/hearing about your future conversations to see how they change when you spend more time guiding the person through their memory.
-
-
My first practice was with my mom over the phone.
We were discussing her recent trip with my dad in Greece, and I felt like it was the perfect time to try the Spodek Method. Even though we’re close and I know the typical style of her speaking, I felt like I was listening to someone else when I asked her to tell me about an experience in nature and how it made her feel.
She talked about a specific historical site she visited in Athens and how the mountains and trees invoked a deep sense of awe. The nature around her existed for thousands of years, bearing witness to the rise and fall of empires, the joys and struggles of generations, and secrets of so many people before her that no human could unearth. I asked her about any specific senses. She could only describe this feeling of awe and how nature felt like everything. She felt nature inside of her and all around her. It harnessed all the myseteries of the world, which she felt was very powerful. Not only did she feel joy when recounting this to me, I also felt inspired by her words (admist an otherwise mundane conversation).
-
Talia,
That’s really interesting that it felt like you were listening to someone else, not your mom. From what I read it seems like a really great conversation. I love the depth of meaning your mom got from the historical site. Thanks for sharing!
-
-
Really great to browse through everyone’s experiences. I had two conversations to start practicing the Spodek Method. Here are the notes –
1. My father, a 79 yo medical doctor who is still active and sharp as a tack!
He absolutely believes the natural environment carries meaning for him. His own principles revolve around reducing/eliminating waste, re-using things to the end of their useful life, and to also use only what a person needs and no more.
He remembers his time as a young officer in the Pakistan Army, stationed in different parts of the country. In particular he recalled time in Kashmir and in Ziarat in Balochistan. The trees, meadows, mountains, etc. He believes we need to be respectful of the things we encounter – living and non-living. We save them to save ourselves. He especially remembered the joy of the smell of the juniper trees of Ziarat. He described these as dense forest and extremely fragrant. He felt respect, reverence, revelation and awe.
2. My wife of 25+ years
The natural environment helps to center her and gives her peace; she loves the clouds, walking in the rain, and the mountains.
She recalled a time in the 4th grade when she was in a park and discovered a peach-colored segmented worm that she said “looked like it was smiling at me.” She also remembers trips to the Northern Areas of Pakistan and the deserts of south Jordan where she saw varying landscapes which each were beautiful in their own way.
Her main emotions centered around joy, discovery, learning and she recalled the love and companionship she felt because many of these experiences happened with family.
-
Sajjad,
Your description of the conversation with your father made me smile and think about when I did the Spodek Method with my dad. The call I had with him for my “homework” was one of many recent calls that I feel have brought us closer. It was so cool to get a glimpse into some of his experiences I never heard before.
And the worm smiling at your wife! That’s great. After interning as an environmental educator for the past 10 months, I know how valuable seemingly little experiences like that can be. They’re certainly meaningful for me as an educator witnessing them!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
-
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.