the sharing process. At the end of the meeting each par-
ticipant might briefly mention how he or she are feeling
about the group process.
Group members usually form close bonds. Everyone’s
presence is important to develop and maintain trust. Let
the group know ahead of time if you cannot make it to a
meeting or when you are planning to leave the group.
Make an agreement about confidentiality. It is recom-
mended to keep confidential what other group members
say about themselves. You can share your own newly
gained insights about yourself with a spouse or friend
outside the group. But avoid telling them information
about the other participants’ processes, even if the group
consists of your friends.
Avoid getting stuck in critiquing the movie: instead, come
back to your experience.
Because personalities are different, group members will
respond differently to mood, meaning, symbolism, and
characters of films. Respecting these differences helps
everyone learn from others and creates emotional safety in
the group.
Do not interrupt another group member’s sharing.
Be careful with giving advice. Even if you have no inten-
tion of adopting a “holier-than-thou” position, advice giv-
ing can be perceived as such. Supportive listening is usu-
ally more helpful.
Be considerate of the time. Extroverts need to avoid
monopolizing the meeting. Overall, everyone should have
approximately equal time available.
Respect introverted members as they might need to take
their time before they open up in front of everyone else.Ideally, the group watches a video or DVD together while
everyone applies the guiding suggestions about watching
with conscious awareness (see the last section of Chapter 3).
After the movie, the group should share their experience. But“Like a caring mother
Holding and guarding the
life
Of her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Hold yourself and all
beings.”
Buddha180 E-Motion Picture Magic