The Self of Peace: Elizabeth Bader at the Science and Nonduality Conference

Elizabeth Bader speaks from the heart about the spiritual journey and the profound lessons conflict resolution can teach us about peace and who we are. High points include:

• Blessed are the peacemakers:  Using Peter Levine’s concept of “resourcing” with positive impressions, Elizabeth and the audience enjoy a beautiful music video on this theme before delving into the “dark” side of human nature.
• A doorway to peace with others:  Disappointment is often the doorway through which people must pass in order to be more realistic about themselves and others, and to achieve conflict resolution.
• A doorway to peace within: On the spiritual journey, accepting disappointment about the inevitability of conflict and the shortcomings of human nature can lead to a deeper experience of peace.  We stop trying to change the inevitable.  We turn within.
• The IDR cycle:  A cycle of ego-inflation, ego-deflation and realistic resolution is often experienced by parties during the negotiation and mediation of conflict, as discussed in Elizabeth’s publications.  The cycle is paradigmatic of the way our egos are challenged by the world and, often, ultimately reach resolution.
• A neuroscience of mediation:  Findings from neuroscientists Stephen Porges (author of The Polyvagal Theory, 2011) and Tali Sharot provide insight into ego-inflation (overconfidence) and the IDR cycle.
• Self v. Ego:  During mediation, seeing what is real in people often helps them release rigid ego-involvements, positions and identifications.

Thus, spirituality, psychology and conflict resolution come together in a practical way during mediation.  For more on Elizabeth’s work, see her publications, including especially:

• “Self, Identity and the IDR Cycle: Understanding the Deeper Meaning of ‘Face’ in Mediation,” International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies (2011)  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aps.295 and
• “The Psychology of Mediation: Issues of Self and Identity and the IDR Cycle,” 10(2) Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal 183 (2010).  Available at www.elizabethbader.com/SelfandIdentity.pdf