essential material could be left unexplored, challenging resolution of (tansferenoe and countertansference, This question must be sdied farther, T believe chat, a8 individuals, our sexuality most anciently and sstinctively eeflects and encounters out mothers’ and fathers’ sexuality f, 35, therapists, we cannot help but find ourselves in the role of substiute parents, the power of our sexuality is obvious. The dangers of our own libidinal ecg, a8 well asthe gifts ofthat same energy though very often largely Ghexplored and unconscious, are athe same ime critcalto the impact of out therapeutic work. Ii then our choice as individual movement eherapists 0 (hor toward our own sonselousners including an in-depth exploration of tur own sexual feelings in relationship to our clients ‘imal, | wonder fa young profession ike ours, growing toward greater consciousness, eannot be likened to an individyal struggling fo become increasingly avare of what blocks his or her capacity to use and enjoy fnherent beauty and power. Perhaps the dark mystery of the ancient and intimate qualities of sexuality Both inhibit and inspire usin fully embracing, the great and authentic powers of the medium we have chosen. Avthentre Movement Essays by Edited by P.Pollnao fey Thlrshers Vessvem flim Lowdou 129 Who is the Witness? ‘A Description of Authentic Movement’ Janet Adler Like the river, Return to the source. (Tao Te Ching) “The Mary Starks Whitehouse Insticute In November of 1969 I closed my life in Pitsburgh and flew to Los Angeles to atudy with Mary Whitehouse, the fist person co describe authentic ovement inthe presence of another. went directly to Mary's studio, which Js closed. Three doors down the block I found a motel room and sertled there. Getting through to Mary by phone was impossible. Though we had fot yet met, knew she fad just feared that she fd multiple slerosis and the knew Iwas coming, So [wvaited, mostly in the room, in case she returned my eal ate popcorn and watched television for seven days. At the end of th preparation, we met and began work immediately. | came to her every Uday for either individual work, group work, theoretical work, breakfast, tunch o dinner. We met a¢ many levels during those ive exceedingly wich ‘month Among the many things f leaned from Mary most importantly, she taught me about consciousness. Revised popes previously pubihe in Contr Quy Winter, 1987.‘By mid: March of 1970 I had reeuned tothe East Coat nvited my fist tient to explore authentie movemeat in an old and beaut ighe Bue loft in stmiherst, Massachusetts. For the following eleven years I satin che comer of Studios, in the presence of people descending toward themselves as we ogether leaned about seeing and being seen. nthe tall of 1981, owo-andea-half years after Mary's death, {was ready to ty to objectively study the phenomenon of authentic movement in the presence of another without the complicating responsibiies of being 2 therapist, Because I learned the form, the basi structure of the work, fom Many tinamed the cemsct which T then founded "The Mary Starks ‘Whitehouse Institute’, Eight post-graduate students were invited to come for a nine-month intensive excursion ino an infinitely mysterious process “The outer form ofthis work i simple: one person moves in the presence ‘of anodher It vas thistime atthe Whitehouse Insitute cha 1 began rus, svuthout realizing it, the term "witness to describe che person whom Mary illed the ‘observer or ‘teacher’ Timagine {learned ofthis word ‘witness shite working with ay teacher, Joh Wei, a Master psychologist, in 1969, “The witness eapectll in the beginning, caries larger responsibility for consciousness 18 she sits (0 the side of the movement space. She is not SJooking 2° the person moving, she is witnessing, listening, bringing @ specific quality of atention or presence tothe experience ofthe moves The hover svorks with eyes closed inorder to expand her experience of listening, qo the deeper levels of her kinesthetic realty Her task isto respond to @ Sensation, fo at inner impulse, 10 energy coming from the personal SMeonscious, the collective unconscious, or what Wilber (1980) calls the ‘Guperconscious. Her response to this energy ceates movement chat can be iatbie or invisible to the witness. As the work deepens, the movement becomes organized in specific patterns in specific body parts, within specific thymic and spatial forms. In a broader context, i often becomes most feadly organized within the dominant function ofthe personality = thats {Goded more by emotion than incon, o sensation rather chan ting inter the mover moves, the mover and the wimess wually speak rogether about the material that has emerged during the movement time, thus bringing formerly unconscious processes inro consciousness Though the are work, especially inital, is che primary focus of both the mover and thewitnes, te inet reality ofthe witness appears tobe as vast, as complex, tind as cowtntial to the process as the inner world of the mover. With the Rovement of one as catalyst, the witness and the mover work together, over ne cach eninge pny fo negate Bt epee of fle ‘Before the Institute was ertblshed, 1 had some understanding of the relationship between the mover and the witness in the realm of therapy. the preceding ten years 1 had been leaning about che witness a a therapist land the mover asa client, Inthe dance world Iwas intrigued by some of the parallels between the therapst-cllent relationship and that of audience ‘dancer. By 1981 I wanted tobe abe to articulate what actually happened to the two people, before the movement or the witnessing carried specific meaning forthe psyche, before symbol. I needed to describe the process. ‘Asa move, knew in my bones about the reladonship between surrender 1é will, Mary explained the experience of authentic movement 38 one of ‘being, moved and moving’ atthe sume time (Whitehouse 1963). As this bulance becomes manifest, one begins to lose the illusion that one is anything other than one's body, In so doing, what is ultimately affirmed is the body, not the knowledge of the body. Even though I had been 2 witness fora decade, because the witness does ‘not move, 1 did ot filly understand the relationship between surrender and will n that experience. There are wo major reasons why itis more difficult. First, the witness & responsible for seeing her mover as well as her self. Second, the witness dacs not enact or engage in her own experience, she “witnesses it. Thos the Insitute was created ro gain a deeper understanding of the experience ofthe witness and ofthe relationship between the witness and she mover. ‘Each week in the Institue the interns and I met fora theoretical seminar, fora group taining experience and for training experiences in dyads. They also met weekly with my deeply gifed colleague, Edith Sullwold, for a Seminar focused on the emergence of creative forms. The frst task ws (0 teach the experience of moving authentically Then, because, by definition, Iearning to bea mover muse precede learning to bea witness che interns were asked to be silent witnesses forthe first three months of training, Finally, ‘when we began to explore and share atively our inne realities as witnesses, those experiences became visibly more complex. ‘Several months after beginning the Instiute, | cepeatedly saw the (ollowing shape in my mind:{began tose te dypamics of the eo partis 28 inseparably linked. Tiss how ihe process might be described when its working wel The witness {ihe lightouve) is witnessing the mover (the dark curve) move Suddenly the veer comes immersed in material that engages her foray (marked by the SX) nthe inensty of ber experience she has seemingly forgoten bee witness at her self eonaciousness. Her movement is more dominant than het artnet image of her witnes. She mighe be feeling, repressing or expressing Jger oy confusion, sadness. She might be sci images, hearing sounds aaaee ein amemory or thinking a particular thought. She might besimply “nperiencing the kinesthetic sensation of the movernent. Any or all ofthis is pappening between the X and the O. etaneouly, at the moment ofthe X, something i awakened in the vwienese bythe particular movement quality r form ofthe mover, Now both ‘People have embarked on their own individual path. The witness shaving Ferfown active internal experience: image, sound, feeling, idea, memory, lhnethede sensation. Because of this awakening, cherehas been ashiftinthe iuality of the presence ofthe witness. In some ways though the empry space eavccn them in the drawing symbolizes how powerfully they are ecpmected, the witness and the mover are separate, When the witness filly str go the mover, she i, paradoxically, completely present in relation to her aren inner experience. They meet aga, in dialogue (a the O), where new ae omaness and sosight ean become apparent, possibly shared and even expanded, nother, and, perhaps, more authentic, representation ofthis process would be a shape that reflects not only the passage of rime but the fact of sequential place of meeting and not meeting, It might look something like this [As the work develops and the discipline ofthe mover becomes refined, she Tearus to internalize the witness. This seems to happen exactly the way the infant, with no sense of self, gradually develops one, because he inernalizes the mother. ‘Thus the mover learns consciously to witness her own unconscious material asi finds form through her movement. As this begins te happen the same experiential loop of loops in the drawings can represent the process of one person rather than two. For the mover the dark curve represents the process of moving and the light curve now represents the process of internal slf-witness. Here, 0, in the beginning (before the X), there is a self-conscious awareness of ‘vatnessing oneself When the mover and the internal witness meet (atthe X), they loe their sense of distinctiveness. She can ‘se’ herself as she is. Insight can follow 2 the O.Bus for the witness, the same drawing appears tobe incomplete. Though the dare curve can represent the process of her own internal activity also rmast Somehow represent the moverient she ses in her mover. Similarly, the ight Curve must represent not only ber internal self-witness but her continuous Gnd dominant process of witnessing the mover, Her loop, one of double sion, then, could look like this: Authentic movement and psychoanalytic work By the end of che fis year, with the skeleral map described above, Tegan to understand this developing relationship berween moving and witnessing asa Uiseipline Somehow | named the discipline Authentic Movement’ based on Mary's phrase, which describes a specific kind of movement. But, without tealzing it 1 began to use these words to speak of nox only the experience of the mover but of the wimess and of the developing relationship between the rover and the witness, "We continued to primarily carry our consciousness of che discipline within a psychoanalytic framework. When the witness enters the work sithin the perspective of psychodynamic proces, sbe isa trained therapist ith a sctong background in the psychology of movement, developmental peychology and psychoanalytic theory. Such knowledge rides immediately Behind and informs hee intuitive capacity co know, t0 see and to hear the presence of her own body and the body of her mover. “There are many similarities between psychoanalytic trestment and [Authentic Movement, The client in psychoanalysis les on a couch so that he annot see the analyst sitting behind im. Ta Authentic Movement the mover iso cannot see the witness Because her eyes are closed. Tis fact seems to be ‘f paramount importance in both traditions Such a format invites surrender fo the process thet ensues — that of free association, The client in feschoatalyss is encouraged primarily ro develop and use the mode of fee SRociation, Similary the mover, in developing the discipline of Authentic Movement. is engage fom the beginning ina fee associative process, butt a non-verbal level ‘Bodh disciplines require long-term work because ‘regression in the service ofthe eg’ isnot posible otherwise. Because ofthe natural wisdom of the body and its capacity to store every memory ata seemingly ‘bone level, authentic Movement is particularly helpful to people who have experienced arly, especially pr-verba,rauma, Transference and countertranserence are thus inherent and central Forces in both ways of work. The clientele for both {a also similar. Both disciplines are most helpful to adults who have a strong enough ego structure ro choose and to sustain extensive exploration ofthe “inconscious. When a client enterseither analysis or Authentie Movement for treatment, there ian assumed end to the work, The major difference between the tvo ways fs that the analysc client usually lies stil and the over actively embodies the material. n so doing, the experience of being ‘seen’ is somehow heightened and elongated. “Within this psychosnalysic famework of Authentic Movement, the mover actually fels bound ta her personal body. The qualities of time, space tnd weight are specific to, and in ditect relationship to, het experience of her body, Her body is her ego, The atitude ofthe witness toward the moves fs ‘nurturing, protective, empathicand parental at imes.The witness honors the tnover’s dependency on her and understands is value. Talking together ater the movement clarifies and slowly organizes the material within the language ‘of paychodynamic theory, This sharing can reduce tension and expand the tinderseanding of both people, and itis almost cerain to develop a deep bond between them. Authentic Movement and meditative practice | the first group of interns ~ therapists and artists — brought their intensive training to close, my own experience of realty was undergoing unsolicited tnd certfic change, Perhaps, because the laws of nature have a tendency toward balance, my extreme concentration on the personaliey was irrevocably shifted to an awakened awareness of transpersonal energies. ‘These enctgles imply experiences that are not related (0 personality of 10 personal history. Witnessing mysef surrendering to this impersonal force brought me toward 4 new understanding, of the relationship berween surrender and willasawitnes. Related to my work with John Weir, we have trade the assumption that che mover can only go as far as her witness has [pone Consciousness of transpersonal energy inthe experience of the witness Automatically expands the potential experience ofthe mover. By the time the second group of interns ~ again artists and herapists— came the following Fall of 1982, chis new consciousness created new (Guesions For example, we began to notice that there were times when the hover did not seem bound to her personal body. Hier energy was not ‘contained there andthe qualities of time, space and weight were not specific. “Those qualities were not flr in relation tothe body ego.‘When this tanspersonal energy was apparent, we realized chat the aude ofthe witness toward the mover wes quite different. Because in these Situations the material with which the mover is working is not about her personality, the witness is seeing from a place not citcumseribed by her personality Te seemed that under these circumstances the dynamics of transference and counterteansference, 3s we have come to understand them in therapeutic ‘Work, are less cental, les binding and, somehow expanded, The witnesscan “experience herself beyond the boundaries of her personality as she shares the Shue cnergy field with the mower. She is seeing with much less projection, judgement and involvement in content. Taking afterwards i often not helpful There i not the same need to sot, organize and understand the Inaterial within the language of psychodynamic theory. At these times there isan experience of n edges, no boundaries. There isa Sense of larity, within “and without feeling literally of no density, no obstruction, no place in the body through which light cannot move. In these situations the body becomes a vessel through which energy or ligt can pass unobstructed. “The psychoanalytic framework began co feel limited, as if we needed 3 Target form within which we might understand the process. It began to be apparent dhat the roots of the discipline stretched more broadly than ‘riginally conceived. Psychodynamic theories ofthe ego structure were only She root system. Though much less familiar w me, meditative practice and its foots in Eastern philosophy was another. We have just begun co articulate Some of the similarities and differences Between Authentic Movement and rmeditation. in both disciplines there is a primary focus on the lationship between ‘observation and action. However, ia meditation both the witness and the etivity ate incernal, Usually, the mediator is not actively moving bis body though his experience of is body isa very ative aspect of this process. He Tearns to be an undistracted observer of his body and of his mind, The activity in meditation i that ofthe ative mind, which automaticaly includes the sensed body. “The discipline of Authentic Movement, a the basic level, is about the relationship between two people, the witness and the mover. Initially, one ‘anesthe vole ofthe one who sees and the other the role ofthe one who is Seen. Yee as che work develops, a conscious witness emerges within the mind Sf the mover and, concomitantly, meonscious activity surfaces within the Experience ofthe wines. creasingly, like the meditatr, both mover snd svitness carry the tension and the union between these polarities within themselves. Ta both the discipline of Auchentie Movement and meditation there is a ‘continuous effore ro witness the conscious mind as it habitually fverferes “with the deep listening encouraged in both practices. In both ways of work several years of commitment are necessary fora continvous development of the process, which can bring experiences of balance, clarity and wholenes. “The major difference besween these two disciplines is that medttation usually requires specific body posture. In Authentic Movement the ‘ight way! is defined through the movement itself, not specific body shape or form but snl te he hacen ois ened he yee, Fhe sel People who seriously practice meditation or Authentic Movement are similar in that they have an established body ego structure. They are people ‘with 2 self-awareness, an ability to concentrate, 2 cutisity about the unknown, The longer both of these disciplines are practiced, the more developed isthe witnessing mind, Such development produces a sense of ‘larity in relation to one's own Behavior, enacted or internal. A long-term Commitment to ether way of work can occasionally generate an intense experience of spiritual rebirth. ‘Begining to understand Authentic Movement asa spiritual as well a5 therapeutic discipline offered new perspectives on the work. By the end of the second year ofthe insite twas clear that through Authentic Movernent 42 broad developmental spectrum of energy can be manifested from pre-verbal to tans-verbal, pre-egoic to transegoic, From sub-conscious 0 fsuper-conscious” We have come t0 believe, a5 does Wilber (1980), that people need not be prisoners oftheir history butare impelled to transcend it ‘The relationship between personal and transpersonal experience in Authentic Movement 1 would like t9 offer here three examples of Authentic Movement work which concer the relationship between personal and transpersonal ‘experience, one in which the wines, Juli, consciously chose to respond to the mover’ personal material from a transpersonal perspective; one in which the witness, Gail, consciously chose to respond to the movers transpersonat ‘material fom a personal position; and one in which the mover, ila, worked with Both personal and tcanspersonal energy while her witness was synchronous with her ehroughout the experience.tn Julia's case the mover va talking about her need to be nea Julia, to be held by Julia, o be nurtured. Inher movement she repeatedly moved close t jilia, ouching her and strugeling with her need to climb into Julia's lap. Finally, she forcefally rolled int julia and began crying asshe lay face down in font of he, julia flea pl co gather her up and rock her. While debating ‘within herself how to respond othe situation, she realized she had shifted to sitting on het knees, had placed her right band on the movers back and heard herself saying inside: “Protect this woman. Let her remain in this position, as she is now, as long asshe needs to. May she learn tobe patient, low Uae to experience her pain and te know when to gee up” Julia had ‘moved from a pull ro be the woman's ‘mother’ to another pull co be her “spirewal mother’ When the mover finally got up, she reported a feeling of great peace. She sal that che experience felt just right’ though she did not lunderstand what, if anything, had happened. Tn Gail’ case the mover was siting with legs crossed, rocking in deep but sharp rhythm, with a ‘beatific’ eypression on her face. Her hands were crossed over her heart. When she Bnished moving and began speaking, she talked of white light encicling her heart, opening it and then radiating throughout che room. Gail, response, spoke of her images and feelings as She watched the movement, She ele as though she was in che presence of a ‘Bficen-month-old baby who was al alone, rocking, maybe 1o soothe herself, land ooking like’ she was detached or no related ro what her body was doing. Gail fele deep sadness and waated to rock her baby. When hearing this, he mover began 0 cry and talk of early abandonment and her ateraction {o teligious experiences asthe only way to forgetabout her lossand pai. ‘We have found, 5 Mary did, that a witness must earn the very subd differences berween being quiet and letting the experience stand alone and Speaking about it She must further learn, as the preceding vignettes reveal discernment cepatding the diferences berween personal and tanspersonal ‘experiences in her boty as she witnesses, as wells what she chooses to share swith her mover In the following description, asthe witness, {continually responded to the mover's work out ofa similar energy source ftom which he seemed to be ‘moving, inthis case, Lil's movement work was both personal and cans~ personal in one session, In this particular session thee i clear sequential Dedes, wth the movement originating continually from a deep and uncon~ cious impulse. Although she had done extensive work as an tern in the Institue overa period of ime preceding ths sesion, the breath of material ‘within one session is unusual ‘What follows is my experience as the witness of Lik’s work, She begins Iying against a wall, 2 an infan, with deep pleasure inher own sounds, het ‘skin sensation, her non-differendated movement. Her fingers look and act like those of a baby as they exploce her mouth and her skin. I fee peaceful, soft and content. Now, with no apparent line of demarcation, the same fingers become those of a young git, ofa pre-adolescent. They ae tentative, not lingering, and are moving under whar might be a self-conscious eye. [Now Tila shows clear signs of distress a she is actually in physical pain. Heer hands eventually pull herself ito a sting poston. 1 fel anxious bit confused and wanting t help. 'As this phase of the work progresses, her arms cross Her left hand is delicate and exposed, her righthand grows large and strong, Now she begins to look like a woman. She seems grounded as she stands up, reflecting a ‘quality of Remnes a she leads with her sgh hand. Ic iss though the space between her head and her pelvis fills up fillsn, becomes soltd and mobile. 1 feel relief, wonder and met i the presence of this woman. ‘Again, with no recognizable transition, Lila changes, this time into a syoman with great strength and elarty but, at the same ime, with less and fess form, The quality of her movement i larger than her physical Form. It though figure has arrived from the inside of her form but now extends fai expression, vastly Beyond her form. She stands much taller than her usual self, her bead cured to the left a5 her Angers and face reflect a very ‘ephemeral quality Her face actually appears radiant as this quality sustains itself Her ‘Lady’ has appeared, an archetypal guide and ceacher familiar (© her ffom easier work, My body becomes warmer and slowly my awareness of my weight and form diffuses. | experience wholeness, within myself and swith Lil {In this one session Lila traversed and embodied atime span that incuded moments of resolved and wnresolved personality work as well as a moment ‘beyond her ego structure in which the pain and pleasure of her personal history and presen realty were transcended. New questions Enlarging the perspective of Acthenrle Movement work to include the spiritual aswell asthe psychological no only enriches the work in significantsways but also creates new questions. Using Lil's work as a base, i seems lppropriate here to explore some of the questions. ets ost pecan es cevlopmenal? “Thais should personal work precede tanspersonal work? Tes clear that the saronger the body-pyche connection, the more che body can contin, Swihsand and ground the spre well-developed ego stracure helps an individ not identify wth material fom the ranspersonaleln-Ta Li's tase, because there is sil work tobe done withthe shadow atthe time of Stolescence, encounters with the shadow in the ranspersona reas could be premature ‘Om the other hand though dhe logle of personal work preceding tcanspersonl work seems convincing, could the opposite also be teue? Can tranpenonal energy guide and diece personal growth? The anawer must thave something ro do with ining, I ia’ case it seemed as though the Lady shar nstreting the ess developed aspects ofthe adolescent Lis, heping her {o geow up. By example bythe Lady being in my body, I cold know by Ccperence how fo bein my body as 4 wonsan instead ofan adolescent in Lila eae transpetsonal energy was belpfal and, petaps, no more helpful than psychological exploration would have been. I seems 9 me that there are times when this energy isthe only source of help and, liimately pethaps an estat source in ordet co perceive this world as “hole Continual efor toseeal experience within the framework ofthe ego ‘procure can dramatically ita individual scapait tose oneself On the ‘ther ha st the case of Gis mover, anspersonl energy can distract, Confuse, seduce, enchant, inflate & mover so that esenial developmental ‘work within the ego system is avoided or even betrayed, 1s it ncessary for the wines ooffr the mover afm, beyand the body ie ‘within sbich she can bring her experience to consciousness? Fits, isi essential forthe mover to talk afer moving, make associations of Consciously remember petzonal history? We know that movement followed by talking Can expand the experience, especially when the material concerns ‘peronal history. Words 3 symbols are often a natural way to respond ro the trovement work, a common language for che witness and mover. Sometimes, Images a8 symbols are deeply connected co the material IF sages are dominant and/or thete is litle specific emotional content, making a drawing, apiece of sculpuute or creating a dance or story ae vivid and rch ‘ways of bringing form to and further enhancing the energy that has been awakened. When strong emotional content or ttanspersonal energy first infuse the movernent, i can ofien be overwhelming in its newness and power. When this happens, oF when significant catstions occur, verbal fespoase from the witness seems elpful ‘Ae there times when any response, verbal or ocher, from the witness oF movers uamecessary? Logically, tseems thats long as we live inthe human form, at some level our need for orm exists. Some movers report that when the experience is rans-egoie, sometimes there is not @ need for form other than the form of the body ise to either contin the energy or release the energy into an experience of no form, no boundaries Can the body be the Container, the form, in relationship to the enetgy? Is i possible that the movement wimnessed over a fong period of time can be intcinsically transformative, whether the energy source is personal or tanspersonal? Can, this proces, without the overlay of Wester psychological theory, be in tse 1 cohesive and sulicent way of knowing? ‘As a witness of Lia's work, [felt as though I had nothing to say in ‘respons, though I often spoke i response to work that preceded this sesion ‘when both personal and transpersonal work were the center. This time it was as though hee body was sufficient container, a form that could completely hold and sustain her energy a any point along the spectrum of work as it developed. The work resolved itself. As witness of this work, it seemed tunnecessity to offer anything beyond my presence, which fel synchronous with her experience. Can ome ever do Authentic Movement without «witness? Certainly, within a therapeutic context, by definition, a witness i essential As long asthe mover is developing 2 ‘good enough’ internal witness and as long asthe phenomenon of tension, which i a primary seed for growth, is apparent, the presence of an external wimness is critical. When the unknown 1s being explored through the arrival of and encounter with unconscious activity, thete is often the element of fear and/or awe. The presence of another in ether case can be a response (0 the human need for safery, containment or balance. However, when fear and/or awe ae not experienced as overwhelming, it becomes less and less cleat why 2 mover working, especially with trans- personal energy, needs a designated witness. Would Lila have been able 10move through the energy layers as she din the session being discussed if She had been alone? Moving toward the answer to this question fist Concerns the Idiosyacrasies of Lila and chis particular session: Lila’ famil- {arity with the personal aspects of the work, her tolerance for and understanding ofthe pain around the unresolved adolescent work, whether ‘rmoe the Lady had appeated before and the quality of energy cadiating rom the Lady, But, most imporant, was her non-attichment roe ego ~to the felf needing to be seen — so established that the inrinsic power of her intemal witness could carry the ftensity and clarity ofthe experience? [Reiave to this quewion, dere i larger context. One of the very fst ‘experiences of life is that of being sen, The paent witnesses the infant. The {nfant, as it grows into childhood and adulthood, moves through endless ‘experiences of being seen and seeing oneself This could be one way of ‘eseibing the development of the self cis interesting to notice in our ovement work so far tha being seen inevitably precedes seeing oneself. ‘T Can't see myself here First you see me as Tam in this unknown place, chen T begin to witness myself anew’ “Winessing oneself in Authentic Movement can thus only be developed through exensive experience, frst as 2 mover being seen by a witness [Because of being witnessed, the mover is automatically developing interal sitness hich iin tur, preparing her to witness another. (It never, of Courses 30 neatly developmental in practice). eis at this point, mastering the wienessing of another ~ loving another ~ that the next essential step sSecurs For no matter how well and objectively one can witness oneself, that Sclbwitnessing is transformed after erly seeing another as she is. I s as though chee is now a reversal, Inthe same way that being seen by another cniinally enabled me to see myself as Iam, ina further sweep ofthe spiral, Seeing another as she s~ loving her—enabes me to see myself as Tam. This it a ifferent secing myself as am because it sno longer birthed by another ~ the mother, therapist, witness or lover ‘This seeing myself ae Lam isbirthed by myself and isnot then a beth of humility? Te somehow miraculously evolves fiom loving rather than being Joved. The deepest longing now has shifted from being seen as I am by another to seeing another as shes, others as they are, my universe anew. And So the cycle continues fo recreate itself, each rime expanding consciousness Trcresingly, the concern is about seing and loving. Being seen by another iradually becomes iclevant and uninteresting, NOW whois the witnes? A ‘synopsis of this spiral could be: ong 0 be sen caressa) 1 fel seen ust) ong to see myself (ego) {see myself healthy ego) {ong to see another (ow) 1 see another (compassion) 1 see us both a8 one (anion) id iy al ok efron pel eg a ac a hob opera nny ot mae boo? -Asmentoned eae, wn een eying lean se How heb Sen ety whe moving fu stp sue of egy ter tha apna nee of ey The Japan word es ets ‘Sone fh bye sep oe Inn opin is ihe fing and conte be he nt portant pase wich thee titre ho the Layered sty be pei bld her no) pete wey wh ey cnee erates wake, Spec ite tye yas nested some of ey sce op Inthe esec fhe byt plcAhsoppened he won Site owas ese egy conn aout o ee a —rtrtS—s—s—~—s—s—=—te poy’ ens an en ep vtec to when eon Tacr eta und he evi arapeorl nce ed the "roundups inthe se ofthe ln, whch can tein te be of ‘Reopne hi grounding ean comets ste sean, possi mone inogened ote py “ther in is bay in which sins diernce was obvious wer lt ua gee When he ay ae, uty {sara ther body Decne eigen therein shaping tm nthe won ene sof user way. To scons cae ined o mind Heo teeth st eto hen von Art buns nd finger eo dst expen Hing not oe, ochre eat the bepning of he slo human devcopmen prea sae They pn tiny tick they tao ot od Sr ewe the ool ud tthe expanded oe ofthe tae spi whose wr, hnds an ng, te fom of made, settrans-egoie state. Some of these people, as messengers between God and than, spin, rock and sway. They too can seem ‘out ofthis world: The autistic Child can be as focused, as pastionaely engaged in repetitive spinning, 36 the whirling dervish. Though one i pre-egoic and the other tans-egote, We ‘anor belp to ask: ‘What isthe relationship between these ewo kinds of feople? How do they know one another? Where do they mect or have they net within the mandala of ie? “Tovcome back toward the center, whether the energy source is personal oF ranspersonal, whether the experience is one of regression or egresson, linderoeath the aliferences th basic ground ie always the same in Authentic Movement, With an increasing capacity to concentrate, co listen to inner Jmpulse, he mover learns to recognize the channel within which the creative orautheadi energy lows. In so doing, each movement, no matter how sal, becomes impeccably ordered, placed ot sensed Her honoring that know- Tedge holds the cransformatve power ofthis work. In both personal and twanspersonal work the move Teaas(oallow and acepe the early experience Of chaos, of ittational forms embodied or imagined, of not knowing. in both ways of work the witness must honor her developing awareness in enact the same way as che mover, bt she contains her experience rather than actively expressing it. She learns 10 begin a session with 10 “Expectations, no plans, no directionsto her mover. The witness strives to bear, to contain, to embrace her experience ofthe early chaos within her mover, the irrational and idiosyncratic pateras that emerge, che unknown that is txplored in her presence. She i also open to the messages from her own “invotscious and is responsible for a growing consciousness of them, She is highly selecuve in choosing what to share with her mover of her own inexnal process. ‘Death, lose, and suffering are integral aspects of both ways. Though here, cepecialy, it seems artificial o make a separation in the personal work, Cnvounters with the shadow wichin the frame of transference and Couneertansference bring death of old patterns, old ways ia which the ego {eveloped in its need for survival. In the canspersnal work there is also the possibly of a death, death ofthe self ast was known prior roa spiritual rebieth: In the beginning, there wat not the word, but rather there was the symbolic ston, a union of body and payee. Inthe beginning, dance asthe sacred language through which we communicated with che vast “nkaow: In hese earliest times, she dancer wast he sme ime healer and priest. Then, through the centuries, inthe name of progress and clulization, mind and body were split apart. (Chodorow 1984, p. 39) ‘The collective wnconicios was the begining” The personal unconscious o——r——_—S cur longing sls an for wo eal pl to bing our consciousness indians nto conscious collie Though the eollectve unconscious infrs and inst sn ls ak tere no way back, Tap completly diferent fm preg ire imeresting ro note» paral, sdinedly 2 general on, inthe cvotnton of Ane Maven Oeste gro Ope tmovng witha singe wines The fin ek ofthe wines fo beg fo Gistngish element of the eolacve unconscious fr element of the india or poral snconacows Next, the expince of an indivi tmoving usally deepens when hes wines along there fen Being mr oppormaly for wengiienng the devopecrt of her imdb conscious I the yay, the fourth yar ofthe nse, we have fond crstves working within» for that might fle a part of the nee wp One individu er many mont of being wesc by one person motes lone in the middle ofa ce of eight wien. The eight people Conscious collective, help rc containandsengthen the mover swell f thems Exh te, then, ne by on, rene and tenga he Cipereace ofthe mover a vel whe cher niteses "To bring this ducusion of the evohitonary proces inthe Authentic Movement worktoward completion meat ining that aie yen of i sian wins ends omng tect mune mere tegianing Jon the move, to move ap thems, bt ti tie a fersonalyconscioor Individuals dancing tgster At tis pon, saced ince is teeated athe tre source ofthe work. Maran Chace (hatin 1975) i he oxgnl dance sep groups, fom my perspetve ofr wert enbody the collective ncontoat Mary Whitehouse (1963, 1958) tif way to explore the elonship bern the personal consis tnd pessoal conniuseess Now thes vo dion begin oon ito the maietation ofthe corsctous olive Conclusion ‘Whether challenged by the unlknown within the embodiment of personal ot collective consciousness, the evolutionary process that we are each ving, 25clients, dhecapsts, artists and seekers, is about the transformative power of Suffering, The task of locating, ening to and then tuning the guide svthin always, by definition, bad work, Much ofthe workin Authentic Movement is difca,painfl redundant and fustrating. Tc involvesiing, ‘ising, premature insight and paralysis aswel asreward. When feworks a sehen piece of a wotks the clay and simpli ~ the git oF wholenes~ is sunning Inherent in being person in he cultures ofthe Wests he longing fora ‘wteness We want, deeply want tobe seen as we ae by another, We want tobe Witesed. Unite be sane to etess, to lor, another. Jung. (1958) Speaks ofthe phenomenon ofthe wines: “rus the underlying idea ofthe psyche prowes tio bea half boy, half “prea! substance, an sna medi nag, a6 the alchemists cal am Fermaphroditc being capable of urting he opposites but who never CGmple tn the individual unless felted co another individual, The “iretated human being lacks wholeness, for he can achieve wholeness ‘Shly throug the soul andthe sol cannor exis withow 4 otber sd, Sohich is aways found ina You 249) “Traditionally, people expect such a blessing in relationship t0 2 parent, a mate child, friend ors god. Weare given or nt given, find or don't find, Create or destoy that ‘other, or the potential for that ‘other’, a8 we move through our lives. Whether the other i anthet individual, God or the god ‘vithin, our developing relationship with that other is one of our greatest ‘asks, one of our greatest opportunites. Archetypally, we experience this in fimages of loving parents, oftheir union with each other, of their union with tis We live always in relationship co these archetypes, though a8 we BrOW they evolve and deepen into the union of Earth and Spic. Authentic ‘Movement is one more way ~ Mary Whitehouse (1938) called ithe Tao’ of the body —2 way that can lead to union and wholeness, whatever the source tor shape of energy, as It infuses the ime and space of ou lives. References ‘Cetin (8) (1975) Maron hc He apr, Cub, MD: Amen Dance Therapy Ccradecow, (984) Fo wove snd be ove Quan 17,2 39-48 Joma, Ce (1954 Poyehlogy ofthe tranaecr.n Te Cole Wor fC og Vo Wo) tenon: Routledge 8 Keg Posh ‘Whitehouse, Mt. (1938) "The Ta fe body ID. Jason ne Bret an Geta "puso Entedines Batley, Che Nath Ate Books, 1995, pp241~231 igh M190) Ppa oven pence Wh 987, ‘ae, (1980) Te non rojo, Wheat, Ie The Theesophel Publaing Hoa,