Mediators' authentic presence: ways of knowing our primitive selves

Abstract

'From the brain, and the brain only, arise our pleasures, joys, laughter and jests, as well as our sorrows, pains, griefs and fears.' Hippocrates, 5th century BC New advances in neuroscience, together with considerations of emotional intelligence, hold considerable significance for mediators within the context of mediation practice. It is important for mediators to engage in reflective self-awareness practices in order to increase their understanding of personality type and emotional triggers. This paper encourages mediators to explore the possibilities for improvement through such methods as the enneagram (an ancient comprehensive symbol of the human psyche), the use of metaphor, and nonverbal communication, together with specific sensory inputs, such as colour. Existing research and theories of the emotional, nonverbal communication capacities of the limbic brain, offer many possibilities for mediators to consider in their management of communication.