Shared Workshop: Religion and Spirituality

Workshop 1 - “Systems as Gnosis – The Adab of Spiritual Reflexivity” 

Nadir Khan

Systemic enquiry has been described by systemic philosophers as a form of ‘gnoseology’ a Greek term referring to the study of the nature and limits of knowledge which historically included both the rational and intuitive means of intellection (Laszlo and Krippner, 1998). Gnoseology is derived from the word noesis meaning inner wisdom, illumination or direct knowing that transcends sense perception and discursive reasoning (James, 1902; Perl, 2014; Uždavinys, 2004). This is to be contrasted with dianoia i.e. the cognitive process and discovery through discursive thinking more associated with the conceptualization and description entailed in much of modern systemic thinking (Ulivi, 2019a). 

The therapeutic relationship according to an Islamic worldview is a relational microcosm and liminal space. This relational space is embedded in an ontological backdrop consisting of God, the cosmos or macrocosm (al ālim al kabīr) representative of endless created multiplicity and the human being as the microcosm (al ālim as saghīr) whose uniqueness and constitution entail the potential to synthesise all levels of reality in a complete manner (Chittick, 2005). 

The relationship between the gnosis, Islamic mysticism and systemic thought and practice is indicative of a spiritual reflexivity and participatory mode of consciousness where the empirical and non-empirical levels of existence are synthesised in the soul or spiritual heart of the human being considered normative in premodern societies. 

This conception of spiritual reflexivity also entails the notion of a pre-reflective or ‘normative self’ (ethical and spiritual in nature) providing the foundational awareness for the unfolding process in the presence and witnessing of another together with the descriptive (bio-psychological, socio-cultural and cognito-experiential) aspects of the self, which systemic practice aspires to (Faruque, 2021). 

This workshop will explore the understanding and practice of what I term ‘Spiritual Reflexivity’ as a Muslim systemic psychotherapist drawing inspiration from sources from within Islamic intellectual tradition and their own practice. This workshop will explore the understanding and practice of what I term ‘Spiritual Reflexivity’ as a Muslim systemic psychotherapist drawing inspiration from sources from within Islamic intellectual tradition and their own practice. 

Workshop 2: Exploring how Celtic shamanic practices can align and influence systemic practice 

Caro Grindrod

We will briefly explore the overlap between traditional shamanic practices of the British Isles and systemic family therapy and honour that which is not always acknowledged. The ethical proviso for this workshop is that individuals on shamanic training undergo long experiential trainings over many years under specialist guidance from experienced shamans. Much information is not shared outside of the training groups. My experience is as a beginner on the very first steps of shamanic training. I have chosen to train in the Celtic tradition as it is the closest tradition to the land in which I was born and live. In this workshop the focus is on our own experience and training, but also in tuning in to listen to those voices and skills usually unseen. To consider where we can learn from that is not always the most obvious. How can we as systemic practitioners expand our practice to include and learn from the shamanic principles. We will consider the overlaps in knowledge of the two traditions of shamanic practice and systemic practice including the focus on inter-connectedness, ancestral influences, healing through story telling, use or ritual & object representation, visualisation & calling in of part of ourselves that are lost, symbolism, healing in community, reframing our stories of ourselves, nature based connection & healing. 

In small groups we will take on one of the shamanic principles and explore the connections with systemic practice and the learning for our specific work and personal contexts. 

• Ancestral healing and understanding transgenerationally - symbolism & ritual - non linear process of change

• community and relational healing

• narrative & myth & story telling

• nature based healing

• visualisation

• Celtic wheel of the year

• allies and guides often involving respectful irreverence and playfulness 

We will be keeping a focus on our emotional responses to this and where we feel comfortable to take knowledge and learning from. Do these beliefs still serve us, or is there a new journey for us. If so how can we alter our individual medicine bags or toolbox to expand our practice with the families we work with.