Focused Intention May Make a Difference
Ancient wisdom holds that an enlightened sage can change the world by thought alone. What if a mediator could bring peace to a room by thought, positive emotion, and focused intention alone? Recent scientific findings suggest that thought and focused intention can change the nature of physical space, emotions, and energies of others. The implication is that a mediator's thoughts, intentions, and emotions may affect the mediation process and possibly the outcome of the mediation in subtle and profound ways.
At the neurospyschological level, the discovery of mirror neurons in the human brain provides us with the neural substrate of empathy. Discovered in 1995, mirror neurons allow us to experience in a very direct way the experience of another without conscious thought or rational analysis. Mirror neurons allow us to experience the emotions of others in the moment. Some people have learned to pay attention to their mirror neurons more than others. These people are considered highly empathic Interestingly, autistic children seem to lack functioning mirror neurons, which may account for their inability to express or feel emotions of others.At a more esoteric level, several strands of research point to the possibility that a mediator’s unspoken thoughts, intentions, and emotions may profoundly affect the parties, the process, and the outcome. The Maharishi Effect studies suggest that the number of meditators (not mediators) necessary to effect positive change in a population is the square root of one-tenth of 1 percent of the number of people within the population. A village of a thousand people can be affected positively by one skilled meditator. From Washington, DC to Lebanon, this phenomenon has been measured to show that in places where concentrations of meditators are engaged, an actual reduction of incidences of violence will occur. When the meditation stops, the rates of violence increase. Likewise, the Heart Math Institute has demonstrated how heart rate variability coherence in one person affects the brain waves of another in a positive manner. Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences demonstrates that physical space can be "conditioned" by focused thought intentions so that healing occurs more efficiently and faster.
Taken together, these studies suggest an intriguing possibility: A mediator's thoughts, intentions, and emotions matter and matter a lot on a very subtle, yet profound level. A positive, affirming, compassionate state of mind could be literally beneficial on the hearts and brains of the parties.
This research suggests some observations about mediation practice. First, being in touch with one’s emotions and feelings in the moment may be an important tool for a mediator. Every mediator experiences anxiety, frustration, exasperation, and anger at one time or another. Recognizing those feelings as they arise and choosing to move from them to a place of compassion and understanding for oneself, the parties, and counsel could subtly shift the mediation dynamics more profoundly than we now understand. Rather than holding onto those feelings, if a mediator could learn to shift to positive feelings such as gratitude, loving-kindness, and compassion in the face of provocation or obstruction, he or she might be literally changing the internal states of the people and their concrete behaviors in the room.
The research also suggests that we may want to prevent process distortion through mediators’ thoughts that may pollute or distort the mediation process To prevent this, mind discipline may become a significant portion of mediation training, through meditation, focused thought exercises, biofeedback or other concentration training. Professor Leonard Riskin seems on track with his “Mindfulness Meditation in Mediation” workshops. Meditation may not be not some “out there” practice, but a cutting edge technology for developing mediator effectiveness. Indeed, at the leading edge of the field, institutions such as the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative are exploring the inner life of conflict practitioners. In the coming years, attention to the inner life of the mediator may become an essential ingredient of mediation training.
How might you use this information today? Try holding a feeling of compassion or gratitude for the service you give to people in your next mediation. When you lose the feeling, come back to it. Don’t talk about it, of course. Observe what happens. Were you different? Were the parties or counsel different? Experiment and see for yourself if there are any changes in the room. Try the practice for a month and take notes on each mediation. You might be surprised at the results.