In this lab, we explored the dramatic gains and losses throughout human history, both in our inner and outer landscapes. As we face increasing anxiety, fear, and declining well-being amid eco-trauma and climate events, we focused on slowing down to sense our grief around ecosystem decline. This process aimed to transmute suffering into fertile soil, fostering discernment around ‘progress’ and identifying potential trauma-informed regeneration actions.
It was open to all participants who have done basic study within the Hübl field and have resonance with the topic of inner and outer regeneration.<br />
We started out with a group of 22 participants and completed with 15 participants. We met for 12 group sessions from Jan - Dec 2024 for the CTFT stages, and added a 13th session as an add-on with a New Year regenerative energy in Jan 2025, which gave us all a real sense of completion. The Pocket Project’s 12 stages of Collective Trauma Integration became a path of regeneration and healing. <br /> <br /> We intended our Lab to be an intimate, transformational journey through some rocky terrain, tracing wide-ranging traumas resulting from modernity's “march of Progress.” All the while, we collaborated with Nature as our guide to a more nuanced understanding of regeneration. Together we learned that each participant’s personal relationship with the relentless forward momentum of progress and the mysterious art of regeneration can be difficult to contain and digest. Slowing down was always worthwhile, which turned out to be a regenerative practice. Because the aim of this lab was to expand our individual and relational capacity, even challenging experiences deepened awareness of hidden grief and frustration. Together, we explored titrating practices of listening, regulation, and collective creativity.<br />
It was our good fortune that most of the people who applied for this Lab had strong backgrounds in ecological studies, psychology, and/or healing modalities. And each had experienced at least one course with Thomas. We felt each participant had the competency to handle the Lab and discuss the trauma of progress, especially as we strived to always infuse various ways of building regulation.
We came together as an intentional container in the hope of expanding our individual and relational capacity to explore inner and outer regeneration. In our first session, we had everyone introduce themselves and their reason for joining the Lab. The facilitators assured them that we were there to facilitate the learning journey, not to do therapy. Indeed we were there to listen, learn, coregulate and co-create a sense of “shared soil” right along with all participants.
Each session contained a meditation, a contemplative journey and a triad component. We would also bring in a somatic exercise, a short bio break, and have a good deal of time for group sharing, discussion of any questions and housekeeping issues, then ending with one word about how they were leaving and offering a poem. We sometimes made time for journaling as well and suggested they do so in between sessions. A few months into the Lab we decided to add an online Signal group so that participants could share ideas, questions and experiences. We shared the I-YOU-WE awareness/ sensitivities which maybe encountered.
During these two sessions specifically focusing on trauma, we introduced three primary ways we intended to explore together: a feltsense experience of slowing down, collective presencing/attuning, and coming into the body to awaken our sensitivity and capacity for “seeing”. We shared principles of group witnessing and led guided contemplations into our individual and collective conditioning. Findings were expressed and listened to in triads, as well as through journaling and group sharings. Inviting self-awareness into where we have felt at odds with the collective flow of progress led to a rich conversation around individual and cultural trauma responses. Participants touched a feltsense awareness of being embedded in / connected with a larger natural or spiritual field as well as the pain around loss.
This section had its challenges for us as we were introducing a topic many of us had rarely recognized as a field of collective trauma – namely the trauma of progress. It was necessary to discuss how this might live in us individually and show up as numbing, uncertainty, discomfort, and obfuscation around the causations, and some lack of clarity around the pros and cons of progress. Especially as we have been enculturated to accept all change/progress as good, the externalities of progress are not often fully acknowledged. One participant shared why responding to progress was so difficult: “It’s hard to try to put a foot on the brake without getting trampled.”
Diving deeper into how collective trauma around progress had shaped us both individually and culturally, our group came to greater realization that it impacted virtually every aspect of our lives: where, who and how we live and plan our futures. Engaging with the world through digital means has meant less embodiment and less relational forms of communication. The faster pace of data exchange makes it harder to slow down and make space for processing change. An insidious requirement to always have a purpose for all we do has crept in, essentially shifting focus on doing rather than being.
A lively Signal group had formed, and triads / small groups began meeting on a regular basis. We practiced weaving the sessions by inviting reflections from the prior session to then continue with the next layer of exploration accompanied by teachings (like “the inner projector” that forms our perception.) We continued to create awareness of the “wet trauma” of progress which is all encompassing as the metaphoric water we swim in. It was at times not easy to stay oriented and attune with precision to the collective movement. Over time we became increasingly aware of our individual swimming and the larger “lake” and the trauma code we were exploring. Seemingly helpful was our invitation to take one aspect of progress in one’s life that had energy and to become intimate with that specifically. We explored how trauma conditioning shapes our view of progress, revealing deep, complex layers.
At this time we noticed a general warming up in the group to our journey of uncovering this trauma field whilst the voice of denial through one participant stayed in separate exchange with us. Throughout, we held a fluid but recognizable structure of introducing the focus briefly, often preceded by a brief check in, meditation, contemplation of focus, often journaling, always triads, and group sharings. We offered digestive movement after a short biobreak, necessary as we always met for 2 hours.
Exploring ancestral experiences of rapid development in one session and listening to “voices from the dark lake” in the other supported a deeper felt sense of dive into taboo territories of suffering, forgetfulness, and loss. We transmitted that the way we learn to slow down and presence is, in itself, a form of regeneration since through this approach, we are meeting the energy of fast-forward progress with regenerative slowness. The dive into individual ancestral lineages prepared us well for presencing the dark collective lake and that energy follows intention. Our guided contemplation and deep-listening facilitation of the dark lake session opened up to deep and vulnerable sharings,, and the energy felt magically complete at the end of that session. Overall, the traumas of progress were challenging to access, as “hidden in plain sight”. The trauma feels so close that accessing it is challenging, often leading to speechlessness and shared silence.
We intended to explore how collective trauma integration rests upon an inner capacity to host the collective within, not from a purely personal space but as if held by a wider inner space of relaxed ancestral and ecological belonging. This wider inner collective space can be cultivated and tended. Before diving into this exploration, there was an eruption of simmering frustration by one participant. We took time to listen and then continued our exploration. But the group focus felt scattered and some sharings were rambling and even dissociated.. After the session, our team arranged a support session with a PP team member for support and to address and repair the situation.
Week 10’s focus was Ethical Restoration. We noticed more group harmony but also a continued avoidance of the topic. Rushing towards specific acts of ethical reparation, even though much needed, may have pushed the group into being performative.
After that session, our Team had two individual meetings with participants. Until then all communication had been by email and seemed to increase frustration.. In contrast, in-person zoom meetings were revealing, healing, and cordial. One participant expressed recommitting to their personal healing process as well as our collective trauma exploration. The other admitted not being interested in the trauma dimension of our topic and did not return.
We planned to focus on societal reparation and transformation in Session 11, but this broad collective focus was not what our group needed. Instead, we needed to cohere as a group. We skipped reflecting on the topic and then breaking into triads. Instead, using a virtual talking stick, everyone’s voices were invited and heard. The sharings felt coherent and clear. Later on Signal, a few participants naturally shared personal stories of transformation and plans for reparation.
Our final session revealed a widening awareness of the trauma landscape of Progress and even a willingness to touch, feel, and integrate suffering of the unintended consequences,, including the suffering of our ancestors. A meta-learning arising from our final session was that each of the stages in the Collective Trauma Integration process ARE themselves potentially regenerative. Knowing this from the start may have smoothed our journey and softened resistances,, but difficulties and resistances likely served their purpose in helping us integrate the healing surrender of regeneration and the hard work of collective trauma integration.
“At the end most of the air time was given to hear each of the participants - and I found this to have an emergent capacity. I felt the wisdom of the whole blossom as each participant was able to share their perspective. Its hard to put into words but I felt I was witnessing a greater capacity for mystery to flow in the organic nature of the conversation, again an emergent quality.”
“I've touched the trauma of progress, how the ever-marching forward disallows time for reflection/regeneration. I've seen how this has impacted my own life - how relentless movement forward has kept me disembodied and disconnected from self, the divine and many in my life......I have a deeper understanding of how my own movements impact the collective emotional body - both for healing and for division..."
“I might say that exploring the "Trauma of Progress"(inner/outer regeneration lab) has unearthed many wounds, misunderstandings and false beliefs held in my family, my culture and the western world at large..... The exploration has enabled me to unearth what my family actually went through with their humble means to compete in society...I know now how universal so much of our experiences, both internal and external, are with people far and wide of other cultures..."
“Although I found the Inner/Outer Regeneration Lab experience challenging throughout, there has been a lot of growth and expansion of perspectives. There is so much more acceptance, allowance of all perspectives, internally and externally, even when difficult emotions may arise as well. I have found understanding and forgiveness for the past within my ancestral relationships, and this is ongoing.”
“You get as much out of it as you are willing to put in. The container is set up well and you can trust it to guide you through a process of learning and transformation. The lab offers an opening into a new perception and existing in a new reality if you're willing to stretch past your comfort zone and be vulnerable with others by communicating.”
“Perhaps realizing and celebrating the beauty of simply being alive might light up the fire within and then playfulness may be claimed for each one of us in order to enjoy and reflect upon the many many many roles we all play to bring back heaven as earth.”
Crisis Trauma Relief
Trauma-Informed Practice
Collective Trauma Integration
Community of Practice
Raising Awareness
Overview
What we do
Who we are
Підпишіться на наші інформаційні листи. Допоможіть нам зцілювати колективну травму та зменшувати негативні ефекти для нашої глобальної культури.
Susan Belchamber 
English