BootsnAll Travel Community

can somebody tell me about what Encounter Groups all about , just wanted to know if they actually advocate Viloence and support Physical Abuse in the Groups .

Encounter groups back in the 70's were linked with the term...sensitivity-encounter groups.

The goal was to break through our natural defensive barriers, shields or "facade" and get to real human emotions and "genuine being" hiding/hibernating underneath.

The encounter aspect was simply... one person had the right to call someone out on any issue, where/when it seemed they were not being quite honest or forthcoming in sharing their true feelings...or were using excuses, rationalizations, pure bull shit... or other defensive reactions, to avoid "getting real" with their self.

The line.."It takes a bull shitter to know another bull shitter" seems to apply here.

As advanced humans, we are very good at "playing games"...to keep from being real with our true emotions.

In fact... that is why we suppress emotions to begin with...when we are unable to deal with them or, they are confusing to us...we bury them until a time we can better deal with them.

The encounter process was created in an attempt to speed up the digging!

The term "plastic people" ...a Frank Zappa creation, was termed for people who live lives that are all just a front, or "fake facade"...like you find on movies sets...All front, no substance.

The sensitivity aspect was mostly related to "mankinds need for touch"...group exercises were designed, and envolved sharing group and one on one message...touching and sharing exercises, and creating genuine human warmth, in a caring open environment.

It was all based on: we hardly ever get all we really need in touch, warmth and strokes...and caring human contact...in fact a baby will show stunted growth or even worst without it.

Done right...the encounter aspect is not so much attacking someone...but it is letting them know you see and are willing to call them out on their "game" or play!

Games people play...we all play them...but through this process, the goal was to become more real...spontanious...open...caring...non defensive..genuine..honest...sincere..self fulfilled.

For more on it...or where it has evolved to today, check out:

http://www.esalen.org/

Encounter Groups have been an integral part of my training as a person centred counsellor. Old hippy gives a good description of what an encounter group is but I suspect unless you have experienced facliitators the encounter group could end up being manipulative and "gimicky". From a person centred model the encounter group should offer an opportunity for the participant a space for self exploration and for providing sensitive support to other group members. The facilitator should engage in the process in such a way that an atmosphere or climate is established in which members can gradually exhibit towards each other the qualities of genuiness, acceptance and empathic understanding.
An encounter group lasts from anything from 2hrs to a week. I am trying to enrol myself on a five day encounter group before my travelling.
My experience of encounter groups is that it can be an uncomfortable 2hrs but also very satisfactory in that you have been heard and understood. The other thing I might add is that it is difficult to explain fully what an encounter group is until you have experienced one. It took me ages to get to grips with what it was all about. Now that my training is complete encounter groups are going to be my staple diet of self development.

Karen Murray

Good points Karen...totally neglected mentioning
the "facilitaor" aspect.. which is another way of saying "helper" and the empathy aspect [which is not sympathy] is also well noted!

I am pleased to hear it is still active and going on, as it has been decades since I've been envolved with it...thru an off shoot of the link above:
The Topanga Center for Human Growth & Development in LA Calif.

Is there any chance The Human growth movement is making a comeback? I used to get a lot out of it, personally and socially, as it was always more fun hanging out with an"up front" open and caring human community!

I'm not sure about encounter groups making a come back in the U.S, but my understanding is that Person Centred Therapy in the U.S is on the decline where as in the U.K it is growing. I'm not sure if the encounter groups are open to the general public or if it is just for counsellors?
In the U.S there is the La Jolla,programme which I think is in Chicago which might offer encounter groups. If you do find out about any I would be pleased to know as I'd love to join one on my travels. I will be in the U.S from Nov 04 to Feb 05. I am trying to find out what is happening in the therapeutic world in Australia but no luck so far.

Karen Murray

Thank you very much for all the info guys.

This sounds a really interesting subject. Going to read up more... (I feel that us Brits are a bit anal) Hence me enjoying BurningMan so much I suppose.

Lisa