Compassionate Integrity Training CIT-Faciltator-Guide-2.1-Final | Page 66

C OMPASSIONATE I NTEGRITY T RAINING
A S ECULAR E THICS A PPROACH TO C ULTIVATING P ERSONAL , S OCIAL AND E NVIRONMENTAL F LOURISHING
F ROM S PARK TO F OREST F IRE I MPROV *
Goal: To enable participants to see the mental proliferation that occurs between a stimulus and a reaction,
and the beneficial or harmful nature of these mental states.
Materials: None
Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Instructions:
1.
If you haven’t done so already, explain the concept of mental proliferation or escalation and moving
from a “spark” to a “forest fire.”
2.
Invite participants to stand up in a large circle and say to them, “In this activity we will be creating
a human chain representing the various mental states that can lead from a spark to a forest fire. The
chain will begin with a stimulus, or ‘spark,’ because emotions always occur in response to external
or internal stimuli. In response to a stimulus, we very quickly, and sometimes without being
consciously aware of it, make judgments or appraisals of whether the stimulus is positive or
negative. These judgments give rise to emotions that can trigger the next mental state or behavior
in quick succession. In this activity, I will represent the ‘spark’ or the stimulus that sets off the
chain reaction. You will join the chain and suggest possible sensations, thoughts, feelings and
emotions that arise in sequence after the spark.”
3.
Select one or two scenarios from the following list to use for this activity. Feel free to change names
or details to be culturally appropriate for the environment in which you are teaching. It is
important, however, to keep the scenarios in the third person and not let participants suggest the
sparks from their own experiences.
•
Sally is driving to work. She is running late for the second time this week. As she is getting onto
the highway, another driver zips in front of her, almost hitting the front of her car.
•
Jonathan is in a meeting with several of his peers, customers, and his boss. During the meeting,
Jonathan’s boss rudely dismisses an idea he has as stupid.
C ENTER FOR C OMPASSION , I NTEGRITY AND S ECULAR E THICS | L IFE U NIVERSITY | M ARIETTA , G EORGIA
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