By Amber R. Balk, Ph.D.

Expand Inwardly to more powerfully Connect Outwardly

Transpersonal Community Action is a way of rooting community change within a deep sense of expanded inner self.

The process requires facilitators and participants who are willing and able to explore often challenging topics and situations with an introspective approach, uncovering subconscious motivations, beliefs, and desires.

From this more centered and clear inner space, individuals may then meet with others in the outward sphere with a deep sense of personal motivation and drive.

Interested individuals are then invited to participate in dialogue gatherings. These gatherings are facilitated and provide participants with a safe place to express any thoughts, concerns, and desired outcomes regarding the topic at hand.

The facilitator(s) records the gatherings in order to enter into a transpersonal process with the information. From this process organization begins to emerge, which is then brought back to the group for feedback.

The backbone of the group intentions begins to emerge. It’s a process of constant co-creation and adjustment that requires much from the participants and facilitators. Over time, a transpersonal community action plan emerges.

The emergent community action plan is deeply aligned with the participants, so it is more likely to carry a potent and tenacious rootedness within the community. This deep rootedness makes the project more likely to succeed long-term.

This fertile ground helps bring the desired changes to fruition, even if it only occurs in small ways. Because transformation has occurred on an individual level, ripples of change extend outward. This can create both large and small changes at multiple layers. For instance, it could catalyze a conversation that proves pivotal in a person’s life trajectory, it could catalyze a person to take action to change legislation, it could catalyze the formation of various organizations, or it could catalyze the creation of solid, concrete change.

The possibilities are endless. Transpersonal community action involves engaging the creative edge of what is possible and what we choose to bring into being.

Along the way, participants are encouraged to pay attention and share any synchronicities that may occur. And they will occur. This is a signal that the group is generating a charged energy around the topic. Such synchronicities can bring forth innovative ideas that lie beyond the group’s initial standpoint– they serve to usher in further creativity and potential.

An example of a Transpersonal Community Action project can be found here. If you have a nagging urge to create change in your community and think this approach might be helpful, contact me for a consultation.

Amber R. Balk, Ph.D. is a transpersonal educator, writer, researcher, and independent consultant who combines diverse educational and professional backgrounds to provide well-rounded and unique individual and group psychospiritual services. She can be contacted at dr.amberbalk@gmail.com.

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