Clowns for Peace
JOIN THE MOVEMENT! 17 members now!Mindsight.
According to FlowingLove (Daniel Siegel) Mindsight is a way we can understand what is going on in our inner mind and the inner minds of other clowns- thoughts, feelings, perceptions, sensations, memories, and hopes and dreams. To see FlowingLove explain Mindsight go here.
These things happen all the time in our non-conscious minds (they are the inner workings of our minds), but we aren’t always aware of them.
They are on a sort of automatic pilot.
In the sequence below we see OfficerHappy have experiences with donuts (please don’t laugh), one sequence without Mindsight and one with Mindsight.
Thinking Without Mindsight
Without Mindsight
With Mindsight
Thinking
OfficerHappy sees donuts and automatically starts thinking about having donuts and wondering how many to have.
OfficerHappy thinks “ Oh oh…I’m thinking about having some donuts…but what about my health regimen?
Perceptions
Perceptions without mindsight
OfficerHappy's perceptions are limited to how tasty those donuts look.
Perceptions with mindsight
OfficerHappy starts wondering if other clowns are watching, what with the reputation cops have concerning donuts.
Emotions
Emotions without mindsight
OfficerHappy starts feeling embarrassment, assuming other clowns are watching.
Sensations
Sensations without mindsight
OfficerHappy's micro-moment of bliss continues due to the wonderful flavors of the donuts.
Sensations with mindsight
OfficerHappy starts noticing tingling on the neck, because other clowns are definitely watching.
Memories
Memories without mindsight
OfficerHappy's mind is filled with all the great memories of eating donuts in the past.
Memories with mindsight
This brings back many other memories of embarrassment, like when Mom took OfficerHappy shopping for new underwear and bought "Chunky clown" instead of "Thin clown" underwear.
Hopes and dreams
Hopes and dreams without mindsight
OfficerHappy hopes to be able to continue eating delicious donuts throughout a long life.
Hopes and dreams with mindsight
Due to frustration with all this Minsight stuff OfficerHappy hopes to go back to liiving life on auto-pilot!
Furthermore, FlowingLove says we can come to understand the inner workings of the minds of other clowns as well!
In the illustrations below we see examples of a clown not using their Mindsight to understand another clown’s inner workings and examples of a clowns using their mindsight to understand another clown’s inner workings.
With Mindsight
Without Mindsight
Emotions
Emotions with mindsight
HappyUnicorn and FreshDaisy are strangers riding on The Peace Train. Fresh Daisy notices that HappyUnicorn seems to be upset.
Emotions without mindsight
FreshDaisy totally misses that HappyUnicorn is upset, due to thinking about getting a peace sign tattoo in a private area.
Perceptions
Perceptions with mindsight
FreshDaisy sees that HappyUnicorn is looking at a spider.
Perceptions without mindsight
FreshDaisy does not see that HappyUnicorn is afraid of a spider, due to thinking maybe a unicorn tattoo instead of a peace sign.
Sensations
Sensations with mindsight
FreshDaisy notices that HappyUnicorn is rubbing the arm, as if there is a feeling of some sort of sensation.
Sensations without mindsight
FreshDaisy is unaware of HappyUnicorn's sensation, due to thinking about a dove tatoo.
Memories
Memories with mindsight
FreshDaisy wonders if HappyUnicorn might be having bad memories about spiders.
Memories without mindsight
FreshDaisy does not realize HappyUnicorn may be having bad memories, due to wondering about getting a rainbow tattoo instead.
Thinking
Thinking with mindsight
FreshDaisy notices that HappyUnicorn had picked up a newspaper and may be thinking about killing the cute little spider!
Thinking without mindsight
FreshDaisy is not aware that HappyUnicorn is thinking of killing the cute little spider, due to thinking about a tattoo of a butterlfly and some hearts.
Hopes and dreams with Mindsight
Hopes and dreams
FreshDaisy notices that HappyUnicorn has put the newspaper down and is either having a seizure or is meditating. FreshDaisy wonders if HappyUnicorn is focusing on Loving Kindness for the spider so they can both enjoy peace and joy in their lives.
Hopes and dreams without Mindsight
FreshDaisy totally misses that HappyUnicorn is working on Loving Kindness for the cute spider, due to having decided to have tattoos of all those images.
FlowingLove explains that when we develop Mindsight we change the physical structure of our brains. Our brains grow new connections related to our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, sensations, memories, hopes and dreams.
This applies to adult clowns and especially to young clowns because their brains are like sponges soaking up seltzer water.
FlowingLove says that Mindsight allows clowns to see our minds as embodied and relational processes that can monitor, regulate, shape, and modify the flow of energy and information.”
Without Mindsight
With Mindsight
Mindsight with Guidance
Thinking
Empowering young clowns to use their mindsight to inclrease their Love Flow.
Empowering younger clowns by helping them understand Mindsight.
We can empower our kids by helping them understand Mindsight. FlowingLove says that most clowns can learn mindsight but it is important to help young clowns learn to examine their thinking, feelings, and behavior. etc.
FlowingLove (Daniel Siegel) explains that when we develop Mindsight we change the physical structure of our brains. Our brains grow new connections related to resilience, empathy, compassion, and well-being. Again, this applies to adult clowns and young clowns.
Also, FlowingLove says this involves3 mindsight skills
Insight- our sense of our inner mental life<
Empathy- our sense of the inner life of another clown,
Integration- our ability to link different parts of something into an integrated whole; some different examples; mental maps,, pics of inside our inner mental life; moving our minds and others’ toward integration.
There are 3 kinds of mental maps: “me” maps, “you” maps, and “we” maps.
Mindsight helps clowns form connections.
FlowingLove oints out that we can use Mindsight to create connections with others. This allows us to honor our differences while keeping lines of communication open. Studies show that clowns with mindsight skills show more empathy toward others and manifest greater effectiveness and achievement in school and work.
For young clowns, according to FlowingLove, the ability to see the mind develops through everyday interactions with other clowns, such as through attentive communication with parents, teachers and caregivers. When adult clowns are in tune with a young clown, they can reflect back to the kid clown an accurate picture of the young clown’s internal world. In this way, the young clown can view their own mind with clarity. This foundation of Mindsight.
FlowingLove presents several mindsight tools, many of which are included in the Classroom materials ([] creaate link later)on this site, including time in, sifting the mind, feeling felt, mental maps, reflective dialog, and repair ruptures.