Mediation

A forum to consider mediation and all aspects of conflict and conflict resolution.

The Psychology and Neurobiology of Mediation – Introduction

In this introduction to Elizabeth Bader’s article on the psychology and neurobiology of mediation, Elizabeth recounts the experience as a mediator which informs all of her work, and lays the foundation for the more technical discussion which follows.

The Neurobiology of Mediation: An Overview

A key to the neurobiology of mediation: parties in mediation experience both threat and safety at the same time. This is one of the most important sections of Elizabeth Bader’s new article, The Psychology and Neurobiology of Mediation.”

A Basic Neurobiology of Mediation

An important excerpt from Elizabeth Bader’s new article, The Psychology and Neurobiology of Mediation, recently published by the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. Discusses basic elements of neurobiology relevant to mediation.

Women, Neurobiology and Mediation

This excerpt from Elizabeth’s article in the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution asks the question: Is mediation fair to women? Recent research in neurobiology and psychology is discussed. A subsequent post deals with practical implications of the research on gender, psychology and neurobiology.

More on Women, Mediation and Trauma

This post discusses Elizabeth’s views on the question of whether mediation can be unfair to women, and also, more broadly, some of the ways mediation can accommodate people who have been traumatized.

The Superego (Inner Critic) and Mediation

It is a true joy to live life free of a punitive superego (inner critic). In order to do this, though, we have to learn about the phenomenon of judgment, the superego and the inner critic. In a previous post, the basic structure and function of the superego was described. In this post, the superego’s (inner critic’s) relationship to conflict and conflict resolution is discussed.

Beyond Technique: Trauma Healing, Mediation and Spirituality

A post about the tension between technique and presence during deep moments of resolution in trauma healing, spirituality and mediation. True mastery is not “doing” but wu wei, the ability to act while holding this tension. Draws on Peter Levine’s trauma work, (Somatic Experiencing®), the work of Daniel Stern, the Theory of Holes (A. H. Almaas and Faisal Muqaddam), and the work of J.G. Bennett, as well as Elizabeth Bader’s writings on the IDR cycle.

Tim Hicks on the Neuroscience of Mediation and the IDR Cycle

In this post, Tim Hicks presents his reflections on the neuroscience of mediation, knowing and identity and the IDR Cycle in mediation. He explains that the psychological experience that the IDR cycle theory describes (inflation, deflation, realistic resolution) is well-supported by what we believe to be true of the neurophysiology of learning, knowing, memory, and identity. His commentary ties the three phases of the cycle to some of the basic aspects of embodied consciousness. (For current research on embodied mind, see, for example, work by Don Tucker, Gerard Edelman, Antonio Damasio, Ben Bergen, Lawrence Barsalou, Vittorio Gallese, Mark Johnson, George Lakoff and David Geary ).

Appendix to “Beyond Technique: Trauma Healing, Mediation and Spirituality”

In “Beyond Technique: Trauma Healing, Mediation and Spirituality,” Elizabeth Bader uses several terms from Daniel Stern repeatedly. However, Stern uses these key terms in ways that do not necessarily conform to their obvious meaning or normal usage. For that reason, this post provides those definitions. All definitions are from Daniel Stern’s book, The Present Moment in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life (W. W. Norton & Company, 2004).

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