I'm glad to see that my last post made it through without incident. I know that there was some questionable language in it, and while the TOS for this forum don't explicitly say anything about language, I was still a little concerned that it may not make it.
Before I post the Day 2 stuff, I forgot to say a few things yesterday, so I'll get them out now:
First off, when I say that I found PSI to be "mostly harmless", I'm speaking of my experiences with it. Believe it or not, I actually did experience some good during the time I was doing the Basic. I definitely saw how easy it would be for people to get sucked into PSI, and how easy it would be to spend an inordinate amount of time/money on PSI.
One of the things that was constantly reinforced (moreso as the course progressed) was that there's a special understanding in that room, and that special understanding does not exist in the outside world. The environment is structured around making you feel good, and everybody wants to feel good.
I'll be honest, for the week following the seminar I found myself considering (never seriously) the prospect of attending PSI 7.
Second thing, I want to elaborate on sharing information about PSI.
This is really strange, and I find it to be infuriating; PSI seminars made it a point to stress to those of us attending the basic that we ARE ALLOWED TO TELL PEOPLE EVERYTHING REGARDING THE SEMINAR!!!!!!(barring things you were told in confidence, and two of the exercises) During the course of the basic, it was reiterated and reinforced several times that if we did tell people who hadn't done PSI about PSI they would not understand, and probably think that we were nuts!
This means that if somebody who's attended the basic won't tell you about the basic, it has NOTHING to do with integrity. It likely has more to do with the way PSI has convinced them that YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND (Or they're just being an asshole).
Keep that in mind when you ask somebody specifics about the course.
Third, I'm not trying to "ruin the experience" for anybody. I think its a pretty safe bet that if you're reading this, you really want to know everything you can. I also have a strong suspicion that if you're on these forums, you've probably made up your mind that you aren't going to be attending the basic. Suffice it to say that if knowing Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father would ruin Empire Strikes Back for you. STOP READING!
Finally, the reason I AM posting this is because samuel requested it. The reason I typed the notes up in the first place is because these are what I wanted somebody to provide me with. After a month dedicated to searching for something like this, I could not find it. If there's just one other person out there who I can save from having to experience that, then I can feel good about committing this to the internet.
I typed up notes/details of day 2 on the following Monday. PSI's absolutely ridiculous schedule did not allow me time to properly type up my notes until AFTER the last 3 days of the seminar had been completed. I didn't even have time to be properly rested (with or without a bullshit 15 minute meditation).
Thank you for reading my walls of text, here's day 2:
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 6PM to 12AM[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
At 1:25PM I was called by my microgroup leader. He was just calling to check up on me (as we were informed they would do). Each microgroup has a microgroup leader; they are a PSI volunteer staff who has completed the basic. Most of them have completed much more than that.
I was a bit creeped out when he told me that he 'just wanted to hear my voice'.
The doors to the class open up at 5:55PM. People are standing out in the hallways before we enter. People are actually talking to people that they didn't know before Thursday. Everybody is excited and everybody is anxious to find out what Friday holds for them.
When we enter the class, the staff is dancing around to the music that plays before class starts each time. One or two folks join them in dancing.
The day starts off with sharing for about an hour. Already after the little bit we did on Thursday, there are people standing up with sobbing confessionals. People cry their eyes out about what they learned or what negative interactions they had with people about PSI. After each testimonial the facilitator acknowledges them and congratulates them. The whole class cheers for them.
During this session the concept of "if you don't believe it, it won't happen, and if it doesn't happen, you won't believe it" is reinforced. He also tells us another humanizing story about himself regarding how horrible his life was before PSI.
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 1 Sharing in the group[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
We are broken down into the microgroups and instructed to each take turns sharing on 4 topics for a minute each.
The 1st topic is "What have you discovered or rediscovered since yesterday"
The 2nd topic is "What do you need to do to improve"
The 3rd topic is "What risks are you willing to take this weekend?" [i:6bdfd5eddf](I went, didn't I?)[/i:6bdfd5eddf]
The 4th topic is "What can we do to support you?"
Pretty standard stuff, you divulge a little about yourself to the group. Everybody feels a little closer, the group doesn't seem that scary. Everybody pretty much says the same stuff "I want to be more open/less afraid/stronger/etc.", "Support me by listening to me/caring/being honest/etc", "I'm willing to take chances/be open/honest/etc.”
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 2 "Think Outside your limitations"[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
We are instructed to start shouting out the limiting self talk we experienced during the day [i:6bdfd5eddf](as per our homework. You did your homework, didn't YOU?). [/i:6bdfd5eddf]With each thing that is called out, the speaker makes a big black dot on the easel. This continues until we have 9 black dots arranged in a grid.
We are then instructed to connect all 9 dots with 4 consecutive straight lines; our pens aren't allowed to leave the paper. Those of us that have done this before are instructed to do it with 3 lines.
o o o
o o o
o o o
If you aren't already familiar with this exercise, give it a try on your own. I assure you it’s possible to do it.
The solution requires you to "think outside the box" ([
www.naute.com])
He goes on to lecture us about the necessity of going outside of one's zone of comfort and outside of one's boundaries to achieve our goals and get the answers.
He tells us that most people are unwilling to do that, and that's why most people don't solve their problems.
People don't even see the solutions "outside the box" because they're so concerned with inside the box.
"Who do we know that's never discovered water?......"
.
.
.
FISH, fish have never discovered water because they have it surrounding them their whole lives. It’s only when they've been pulled out of water that they start to flop around, gasp, and understand what water is.
the speaker then proceeds to tell us about our programs and shows us the 3 steps of one of our strongest programs of all: Resentment. [i:6bdfd5eddf](Remember your homework?)
[/i:6bdfd5eddf]
Step 1: Resentment. Somebody does something that I don't like, or does something that I feel hurt by. I allow this to bother me, and I start to resent.
Step 2: Resistance. I start putting up walls and barriers to that person or others. This makes the resentment very difficult to let go of, and moves me along to...
Step 3: Revenge. I start doing bad things to get revenge for the wrong-doing that I have perceived the other person having done. This furthers the resentment and resistance.
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 3 "Resistance"[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
We are then partnered up for an exercise, we are instructed to put both of our arms out, touch our partner's palms with ours, and then partner A is to push. Then partner B gets their turn.
The point of that was to notice natural resistance, how we all unconsciously resisted force and as such we wasted lots of energy fighting.
We are then instructed to clasp our hand with our partner's hand in a "yo, wassup" handshake [i:6bdfd5eddf](his words, not mine)[/i:6bdfd5eddf], and each of us is to try and rest our hand on our partner's shoulder.
This leads to lots of struggling and pushing.
He then demonstrates in front of the class with a volunteer. The solution to that was to come close so that your shoulders were touching. That way you could both "win".
He demonstrates the pitfalls of resistance by having his volunteer sit in a chair with her arms out. He starts pushing her arms. The chair begins to tip backwards, she panics and pushes even more frantically, making her situation even worse.
The demonstration is repeated with her. This time, she is instructed to not resist. He pushes her limp arms back with ease, and she doesn't get pushed back or go anywhere [i:6bdfd5eddf](it’s never mentioned that by not resisting she's letting him into her personal space)[/i:6bdfd5eddf].
We are shown the ways to stop the three steps of resentment.
1. To stop resentment, we need only think about it and realize that we are feeling it because of us, not because of what somebody else did.
2. To stop resistance, we need to communicate what's going on. We need to communicate the resentment, and that will allow us to step it down. "What you resist, persists"
3. To stop revenge, we need to forgive. In PSI, forgive has nothing to do with blame, forgive is all about accepting what happened, letting go of the resentment, and forgiving ourselves for feeling that way.
We are introduced to the recurring concept of "what goes around comes around". We're informed that when you do bad things, they will always come back to you. When you do good things, they will come back to you as well.
We are given examples to illustrate the concept. One such example is that somebody cheats on their taxes, but then gets a heart-attack later. Somebody who steals, but then gets a divorce, is another example.
We are sent on break and given an assignment. That assignment is to write about the resentment paragraph we did for homework [i:6bdfd5eddf](you did that, DIDN'T YOU?)[/i:6bdfd5eddf]. We are to write about how resistance was showing up in that situation. We are to write about how revenge is showing up in that, and what the negative effects are that are showing up.
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 4 "Screen of the Mind"[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
When class resumes we are shown a technique to help achieve results in our lives and relationships.
It’s presented as a tool to help fix resentment and improve situations. [i:6bdfd5eddf][Pay attention, this exercise lays the foundation for a lot of stuff][/i:6bdfd5eddf]
We are brought into the "cycle" once again. This time we are instructed to visualize the colors of the rainbow [i:6bdfd5eddf][that part brought out an immense amount of stress and frustration with me, as I'm a bit color-blind. Sorry, PSI, my subconscious doesn't know the colors either][/i:6bdfd5eddf]. With each color, we are to relax a different part of our being. Once we relax, we are to visualize our nature scene.
We are to visualize that we have control over everything, plant, mineral, lower animal, and higher animal.
Then we are to construct our "screen of the mind".
Once the screen is constructed we visualize a situation in our life as it is now (a broken relationship, an unsuccessful career, etc.), and visualize it with a dark, murky frame.
You then "reverse the polarity" on it, and view the scene as you want it to happen. The screen should now be bordered with bright "white light".
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 5 "Victim/Responsible"[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
We move into dyads. Dyads are a 2 person group where the two people sit very close together while facing each other. We are instructed to be close enough to each other that our knees are touching. [i:6bdfd5eddf][This encourages a feeling of intimacy][/i:6bdfd5eddf]
Once we are in dyads, one partner is supposed to tell a recent victim story to the other. They have a minute or so to do this, and after the minute is up the receiving partner is to stand up if they believe that their partner is 100% the victim. Then they switch places and the other partner tells a story. During this process we are encouraged to make it the saddest, most depressing story that we can tell, and are encouraged to cry and weep while telling it.
Then each partner is instructed to tell the same story, but from a point of accountability and responsibility. Not from a place of blame, but a place of responsibility and accountability (there is a difference). This is to empower us.
We then go over the feelings, benefits, and costs of coming from both of those places.
He tells us about the sand wasp, and how it has a pattern that it will gather its food, bring it back to its nest, check burrow for danger, come back out, and bring the food into the burrow. He said that "scientists" have conducted experiments where they move the food while the sand wasp is checking. The sand wasp will grab the food, move it next to its hole, go in and check the hole, come back out, find the food was moved, move the food, check the hole for danger, come out, find the food moved... and on, and on, until the wasp dies of starvation. The wasp dies with the food in its mouth most times. The wasp "is a victim of its own programs". [i:6bdfd5eddf][Can anybody find me some research that supports this story?][/i:6bdfd5eddf]
We're told more in depth about programs and how when we're born we're perfect with no preconceived notions about anything.
By the time we're 4 years old we have developed 50% of our programs, meaning we're running on 50% automatic.
By the time we're 8 years old we've developed another 30% of our programs, which means that we're running on 80% automatic.
By the time we're 18 years old we've developed another 15% of our programs, which means that we're running on 95% automatic.
Science has proven this! [i:6bdfd5eddf][If you can find me that study I will pay you!][/i:6bdfd5eddf]
This means that we are only really aware of what we're doing 5% of the time, the rest of it, our programs are running us. That's pretty depressing.
We're quickly told that there's a solution though, we can learn NEW programs to replace the old, limiting ones. The best way to develop new, positive programs is by attaching them to a significant emotional event. That event is the Life Success Course (PSI 7), and he wants us all to go so that we can fix our programs! [i:6bdfd5eddf][Thanks!][/i:6bdfd5eddf]
We're given a 20 minute break and asked to think about what our word means.
Coming back from break, there are now 6 students dancing around with the staffers.
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 6 "Broken Agreements"[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
When we get back in the room he asks us all what our word means, people shout things like "I am my word" or "my word means everything". He then has us go over the rules, one by one, and in great detail. [i:6bdfd5eddf](Do YOU remember the rules?)[/i:6bdfd5eddf]
After we've gone over the rules, he asks us to think really hard as to whether or not we've broken any of them, about whether or not we broke our word.
Everyone who acknowledges that they've broken a rule is to stand and remain standing. He then lists each rule again in explicit detail, and we're to stand if we've broken any of them.
He asks anybody who's broken their word in the last 24 hours to stand. You must stand even if its something "simple" like saying you'd be somewhere at a certain time and showing up late.
How many people broke their word in the last week?
How many people broke their word in the last MONTH? Did you stay in the speed limit the whole time, when you got your license you gave your word that you would obey the laws of the road.
By that point everybody was standing. He asks us why we break our word.
What we get for it, what it costs us, and what happens.
We're told about the excuses we make, and why we make them. He tells us about how little excuses mean to him. He tells us that there are NO small agreements.
We're informed that the reason we make these excuses, don't keep our word, and then don't own up to keeping our word is because of two very, very strong programs called "looking good" and "being right".
Most people will do anything to look good and be right, and that is why they keep breaking their agreements, and that is why they keep making excuses. He says that the way to make amends when you break your word is to come to the person you've broken the agreement with, tell them that you've broken your agreement and ask how you can get back into agreement with them. [i:6bdfd5eddf][I still would rather hear WHY you're 15 minutes late for our date than just hear that your acknowledgement that you're late][/i:6bdfd5eddf]
[b:6bdfd5eddf]Day 2 - Exercise 7 "The Junkyard"[/b:6bdfd5eddf]
After we've spent a while talking about and thinking about the broken agreements, the chairs are moved to the sides of the room the lights are dimmed and we begin the visualization exercise called "The Junkyard".
This exercise is a little different, the speaker is narrating this process (it was usually a recording over the PA), and we're encouraged to walk in place and actually reach out and touch things.
After we are relaxed we find ourselves walking through a nature scene at night. While we're walking we find this wall, we follow along the wall for a bit and find a gate. We push the gate open and go inside. Once inside we notice that it is a junkyard.
You catch something in one of the piles out of the corner of your eye and go to it. You sit down at the pile and start sifting through it. You notice that this pile is all the broken agreements that you experienced as a child (people start crying). As you stand up from the pile you notice that you feel heavier and weighed down.
Once you are done sifting through it you notice another pile. As you sift through that pile, you realize that those are all the agreements that YOU broke as a child, whether it be the vase that you broke and never told anybody about or that test you cheated on, it was there. (Crying gets louder) As you stand from that pile you notice that you are heavier still.
You notice an even bigger pile, a pile that is all the agreements that were broken to you as you were growing up (sobbing intensifies). When you stand from this pile you feel even more weighted down still.
Behind you, you see the biggest pile yet, in this pile are the agreements broken as an adult. The flowers you never gave your mother, the divorce papers from your failed marriage, they're all here. (Even more sobbing and crying) You are so weighted down at this point that you can barely stand.
You struggle to your feet and realize that you are encased in this heavy, restrictive, limiting suit of armor. You can barely move because of the armor. If you choose, you may take this armor off. You notice there is one piece left, a thick and heavy piece, and its right over your heart. You use all your might to remove this piece and prepare to leave the junkyard. As you are leaving the junkyard, a small mound of dirt with something gleaming in it catches your eye.
As you start unearthing the gleaming object you notice that it’s a treasure chest. The chest has YOUR name engraved on it. You pry the chest open, look inside, and see a piece of you inside it. The part of you that you had thought you lost, the part of you that you had hidden from the world after all those broken agreements.
Is it your love? Is it your trust? Is it your compassion? Is it your openness? You hold it to your heart and take it in.
You feel much lighter, and slip out of the junkyard. As you leave the junkyard you close the gate and notice a key in the lock. You lock the gate and take the key with you.
PSI staffers were walking around passing out tissues to people during this exercise. As we left for the night, the staffers were standing at the door, collecting name tags and handing out tissues.
[i:6bdfd5eddf](I was exhausted)
[/i:6bdfd5eddf]