The Glimpse

 

Submitted by Jiva Manske

 

Background/Preparation: Universal human needs the heart of nonviolence, and the building blocks of nonviolent action. An experience of the energy of needs begins a shift from domination to partnership, from scarcity to abundance, from blame to connection, from demands to request, and from submission/rebellion to choice.  

 

Materials: White board or large sheet of paper and easel, markers, chairs

 

Objectives: Generate a list of universal human needs; learn the 2 criteria defining human needs; introduce the distinction between needs and strategies.

 

Procedure: 

  1. Begin by writing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s first principle of nonviolence on the board: “Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.”  Discuss meanings of nonviolence (e.g. vs. pacifism) and courage (e.g. Latin root=heart; courage=to live with heart).
  2. Guided meditation with eyes closed:
    1. Notice that on the in-breath, attention becomes more focused, and on the out-breath, the muscles of the face relax.  As the face relaxes, so do the eyes, and then the neck and the shoulders, etc. 
    2. Notice the feeling of their feet on the floor, and the chair against their back, and to notice the feeling of their clothes on their skin.  Notice that the feeling of the skin becomes a guide to the inner experience, the sensations that are coursing through the body, and emotions that are alive.
    3. Guide participants to imagine their perfect life.  Imagine that they have everything they want in life, and that they are completely satisfied.  Notice what they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel in this vision.  Notice who is there, and what it feels like to have everything in life completely satisfied.  Sit in silence for 1-2 minutes noticing these things.
  3. Keeping the eyes closed, ask participants to name the qualities of their experience of perfect satisfaction using just one word.  On a new block of paper, write down EVERY individual word that is spoken, encouraging more words until it is clear that the list is complete (some in the group may speak more than once, and some may remain completely silent).   (Note: in my experience, the words that people choose are human needs, like freedom, safety, happiness, and even mourning).
  4. Ask participants to open their eyes when they are ready.

 

Dialogue and Harvest:

  1. Can you imagine a complete life without one of the words written on the board?  Is there anything you can imagine anyone without, and still saying that that person had a complete life.
  2. What title would you give to this list?  What about Human Needs?  (Draw attention to the two criteria defining human needs: they are universal, and they are unattached to any specific strategy for fulfillment). 
  3. Are there any other needs that are missing from the list?  Invite dialogue about whether what is being described is a need, or a strategy to meet a need.