top of page

Individuation

Intermediate

Skill Level:

Become aware of your multiple Selves, their unique directions, and purposes within one psyche. Distinguish the difference between ego-based conscious and one's unconscious. Utilizing your imagination, e.g., dreams, fantasies, myth, stories, and performing arts, you can become aware of the ego-conscious that strives to be a version that is different from who you are at the moment.

Individuation
tribar-6001796_960_720.png
tribar-6001796_960_720.png

This technique is all about helping your participants let go of a striving or controlling mindset. Following the Shifting and Expanding phases, the Receiving phase continues to maintain a non-egoic and non-intellectual mode of attention. The difference is that as insights "pop into'" participant's minds, they are guided in receiving these objects of attention, storing them for later reflection, and then coming back to the same receptive state of awareness.

As you think of unique ways to apply this technique to a new OD solution, you must remember that the main goal of the Receiving phase is to help participants accept and store insights as they arise (for later reflection), and continuing to sustain a non-conceptual mode of attention that monitors and stores objects that arise in awareness. Participants may be so excited by their insights that they get "sucked into" reflecting upon them. This is common. So the facilitator must periodically remind participants to remain non-attached to even the best ideas. They will indeed remember these insights when they move into the next phase!

Clark, M.C., and Dirkx, J. M. (2000). Moving beyond a unitary self: A reflective dialogue. In A. L. Wilson & E. R. Hayes (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education. Jossey-Bass.

Dirkx, J. M. (1997). Nurturing soul in adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 1997(74), 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.7409

Dirkx, J M. (1998a). Knowing the self through fantasy: Toward a mytho-poetic view of transformative learning. In J.
C. Kimmel. Proceedings of the 39th annual adult education research conference, comp. (pp. 137–142). San Antonio, TX. https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/1998/papers/25

Dirkx, J. M. (1998b) Transformative learning theory in the practice of adult education: An overview. PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning 7, 1–14. Dirkx, J. M. (2000a, October 26-28). After the burning bush: Transformative learning
as imaginative engagement with everyday experience. The Third International Transformative Learning Conference. New York.

Dirkx, J. M. (2000b). Transformative learning and the journey of individuation (Vol. 223). ERIC Clearinghouse on
Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Center on Education and Training for Employment, College of Education, Ohio State University.

Dirkx, J. M. (2001). The power of feelings: Emotion, imagination, and the construction of meaning in adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 63–72. https://doi. org/10.1002/ace.9

Dirkx, J. M. (2007). Making sense of multiplicity: Metaphors of self and selfchange in transformation theory. 7th International Transformative Learning Conference. Transformative Learning: Issues of different interest and diversity. University of New Mexico. October 24–27.

Dirkx, J. M. (2006). Engaging emotions in adult learning: A Jungian perspective on emotion and transformative learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2006(109), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.204

Dirkx, J., & Lavin, R. (1991, October). Understanding and facilitating experience- based learning in adult education:
The fourthought model. In Proceedings of Midwest Research to Practice Conference. University of Minnesota,
College of Education, St. Paul, MN.

tribar-6001796_960_720.png
bottom of page