By Emma Nicholson and Dr. Chris Wells
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In episode 68, Chris and Emma debriefed about Chris’s session from NAGC 2023 titled “Overexcitabilities and Dąbrowski’s Theory: Correcting the Course in Gifted Education.” We covered the five common myths or misunderstandings about the theory of positive disintegration that were addressed in the presentation.
We’ve been sitting on this episode because we didn’t have time to get it out right after last year's conference. Michael’s episode was the priority following NAGC 2023 since his 90th birthday was approaching. We were also concerned that we had shared so many posts about NAGC in the lead-up to the conference that people might be burned out on the topic—but now, we are ready to share!
Highlights
00:02:13 Debriefing about the conference
00:03:50 Previous sessions from Chris at NAGC
00:07:22 Positive impact of the 2022 OE panel session
00:10:02 Myth 1: There is little or no empirical evidence for TPD
00:14:54 Myth 2: TPD is a theory of giftedness
00:24:27 Myth 3: Overexcitability can only be understood within the context of positive disintegration
00:28:43 We do still need the theory as a non-pathologizing framework
00:35:27 Myth 4: Overexcitability and openness to experience are the same thing, and the five-factor model can replace TPD
00:39:45 Myth 5: Overexcitability can be differentiated from ADHD and autism
00:44:50 There's no clear line of demarcation for types of neurodivergence and OE.
00:48:08 Best practices for working with overexcitability
00:52:58 Main takeaways from the session
00:56:49 We care a lot
We hope you’ll enjoy this episode! We’re releasing it ahead of NAGC 2024 in Seattle. Chris submitted no proposals this year and looks forward to attending NAGC without presenting for once. They feel it’s worth repeating this material from last year instead.
Links from this episode
Click here for the download Chris shared at NAGC with slides and relevant papers.
View the post NAGC 2023: Overexcitabilities and Dąbrowski’s Theory from November 2023.
The song “We Care a Lot” by Faith No More (1985), for those who are unfamiliar. It was mentioned during this exchange at the end of the episode.
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 67, Chris and Emma were joined by Caitlin Hughes from the Divergent Dialogues podcast. Caitlin is an accredited mental health social worker and founder of Cathartic Collaborations, a neurodivergent-affirming private practice based in Brisbane, Australia.
We dive deep into the complexities of multi-exceptional neurodivergent identities, the journey of self-discovery, and the importance of embracing our differences. We discussed the theory of positive disintegration as a liberating framework that offers an alternative to the pathology paradigm.
Here are some highlights from our conversation:
* The Power of Self-Understanding: Caitlin shares their personal journey of late diagnosis as an AuDHD PDAer, highlighting the profound impact this had on their self-perception. We talked about the importance of understanding ourselves and how this knowledge can lead to a transformative process of healing and self-acceptance. Our identities are multifaceted, and embracing our unique neurotypes can empower us to live authentically.
* Depathologizing Difference: One of the core themes of our conversation is the need to depathologize neurodivergent experiences. Caitlin discusses how societal narratives often frame neurodivergent traits as deficits rather than strengths. By embracing neurodivergent identities and advocating for a more inclusive understanding, we can create spaces where individuals feel seen and validated.
* The Role of Sensual Giftedness: Caitlin introduces the concept of sensual giftedness and how it plays a significant role in their practice. They explain how processing emotions and experiences through sensory modalities can lead to deeper healing. This perspective is particularly enlightening for those of us who may have felt misunderstood or marginalized due to our sensory sensitivities. Caitlin's insights remind us that our unique ways of experiencing the world can be powerful tools for growth and self-discovery.
(Please note that at 23:44, Caitlin said granite when they meant to say “graphite” when referring to diamonds and granite).
Caitlin uses their intersectional lived experience to therapeutically support neurocomplex & neuroqueer folks. They utilize somatic therapeutic modalities to support clients to heal systemic trauma and embrace their unique neurotype, strengths, and differences, empowering them to build a self-defined life of meaning and purpose.
Caitlin has a Facebook group called "Neurodivergent Affirming Social Workers Collective" where they want to inspire and support other Social Workers to grow in their neurodivergent affirming practice. Caitlin is co-host of "Divergent Dialogues" a neurodivergent affirming podcast and blog on Substack which explores a blend of current research, lived and professional experience. Caitlin is currently completing a PhD with a strong interest in qualitative research in the area of autistic mental health.
Links from this Episode
Cathartic Collaborations
Divergent Dialogues on Substack
Episode 25: Multi-exceptionality, Overexcitabilities and Positive Disintegration with Chris and Emma
Social media: @cathartic.collaborations (on Facebook and Instagram)
Neurodivergent Affirming Social Workers Collective on Facebook
2024 Dabrowski Congress videos (available for $15 USD)
Head Office, Making Sense of My Mind (Emma’s video)
Mellow Out by Michael M. Piechowski is the book Chris recommended about overexcitabilities and personal growth
Bring Me the Horizon — Mantra (song on YouTube)
InterGifted
Hearing Voices Network
Excerpt from Fragments from the Diary of a Madman by Cienin
Mr. Sparkle (fun behind-the-scenes fact: this was in reference to a Mr Sparkle t-shirt Emma was wearing during recording!)
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 66, Chris and Emma celebrated the podcast’s third birthday! We reflect on our highlights, challenges, and lessons over the last year.
One of the most rewarding aspects of our podcast journey has been the incredible community we've built around the theory of positive disintegration. The relationships we’ve formed—both with each other and with our listeners—have been instrumental in our development. We’ve witnessed the transformation of individuals within our community, and it’s a reminder of how vital connection is in our personal and professional lives.
We touch on letting go of perfectionism. We both know that growth is an ongoing process, and it’s okay not to have everything figured out. We share our experiences navigating challenges and how they’ve pushed us to rethink our values and boundaries. This journey of self-discovery is not linear, and embracing the messiness of life as we continue to evolve is essential.
Our conversation also delves into the complexities of values and how they can clash, especially in today’s polarized world. We explore how different perspectives can lead to misunderstandings and the importance of recognizing that our values may manifest differently in our actions. This insight fosters empathy and understanding in personal relationships and broader societal contexts.
Links from this episode
Our previous birthday episodes from year 1 (Ep. 20, Values) and year 2 (Ep. 46).
Episode 34, Mental health Awareness was mentioned
Emma’s post Visualisation, Sel-Therapy, and the Shadow Beast
Chris’s post Making Friends and Building Community
Some of the highlights mentioned from our last year
* Episode 47, Harry Potter and the Path of Disintegration with Katy McDaniel and Emily Strand
* Episode 48, Piechowski’s Insights on Positive Disintegration with Michael M. Piechowski
* Episode 50, Giftedness and Personality with Deborah Ruf
* Episode 52: Voice as a Mirror of Inner States with Laura Stavinoha
* Episode 54: Navigating the Tides of Change, from Gift-a-Palooza 2024
* Episode 55: Gifted Intersections and Transformation with Kaitlin Smith
* Episode 56: Autoethnography for Personal Growth
* Episode 57: Nurturing Giftedness and Overexcitabilities in the Classroom with Summer Cowick
* Episode 58: Building Better Social Worlds with Theory with Sergej van Middendorp and Abbie VanMeter
* Episode 60: Dabrowski 101, An Introduction to the Theory of Positive Disintegration
* Episode 61: The Power of Professional Identity with Sarabeth Berk Bickerton
* Episode 62: Discovering Your Inner Compass, our DC2024 workshop
* Episode 63 Diverse Voices and Gifted Belonging with Sheldon Gay
Videos from the 2024 Dabrowski Congress are available for $15 here.
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 65, Chris and Emma continue their two-part conversation with Dr. Linda Silverman. Linda shares her insights on asynchronous development, emphasizing the importance of understanding IQ scores as minimal estimates and not definitive indicators of a person's potential.
Linda also reflects on her involvement with the Dabrowski Congress and the evolution of the giftedness community. She recounts her role in developing the concept of asynchronous development with the Columbus Group and creating Advanced Development Journal, a unique publication dedicated to adult giftedness.
Chris and Emma express their gratitude for Linda’s decades of work and share how her contributions continue to inspire new generations to explore the intersections of giftedness, neurodivergence, and positive disintegration. This episode explores the challenges and triumphs of advocating for a deeper understanding of giftedness and positive disintegration.
Links from this episode
Gifted Development Center website
Advanced Development Journal
Institute for the Study of Advanced Development (ISAD)
For a deeper dive into asynchronous development, we suggest the book Off the Charts by Neville, Piechowski, & Tolan (Eds.)
Download “Giftedness: The View from Within” by Martha J. Morelock (1992), the first published article about asynchronous development. It was published in the journal Linda mentioned, Understanding Our Gifted.
Episodes with people we mentioned:
* Episode 5, Researching Overexcitability, with Frank Falk
* Episode 19, The Challenge of Levels, with Stephanie Tolan
* Episode 48, Piechowski’s Insights on Positive Disintegration with Michael M. Piechowski
Chris’s paper from ADJ: The Primary Importance of the Inner Experience of Giftedness
Michael Piechowski’s Table of Forms and Manifestations of Overexcitability
Giftedness as Neurodivergence, Not Functioning Label by Marni Kammersell and Katy Higgins Lee. The link is a YouTube video of their presentation from the 2024 Dabrowski Congress.
Click here to purchase the 2024 Dabrowski Congress recordings for full access. For the remainder of 2024, the purchase price has been reduced to $15 USD. Thank you to everyone who has supported this event.
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 64, Chris and Emma talked with Dr. Linda Silverman, a licensed clinical and counseling psychologist in Westminster, Colorado. Linda founded and directs the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development (ISAD) and its subsidiary, Gifted Development Center. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series with Dr. Silverman. The first conversation explores Linda's discovery of Dabrowski's theory in 1979 and her role in establishing the Dabrowski Study Group with Dr. Frank Falk at the University of Denver.
Listeners will also gain insights into the complexities of giftedness, including the controversial issue of IQ testing. Linda reflects on how societal shifts have shaped gifted education and the changes she has observed during her career. She offers a candid critique of the limitations of the field, highlighting the challenges of adequately identifying and supporting the unique needs of highly gifted individuals. Her work has had a profound impact on individuals as well as our broader understanding of giftedness.
This discussion included many articles and resources, which we’ve shared below. Part 2 will be released soon!
Links from this episode
Gifted Development Center website
Advanced Development Journal
Institute for the Study of Advanced Development (ISAD)
We’ve tried to include the following links in the order they were mentioned.
Michael Piechowski’s chapter on Developmental Potential from New Voices in Counseling the Gifted. The other chapter mentioned was Giftedness as Multilevel Potential by Kay Ogburn-Colangelo. The book, edited by Nicholas Colangelo and Ronald T. Zaffrann, can still be found online. Click here to read Linda's review for Contemporary Psychology called “Gifts for The Gifted.”
The Theory of Positive Disintegration and its Implications for Giftedness by Silverman & Ellsworth, from the 1980 conference Linda discussed attending.
Interesting Quotes, Vol. 7 featured work by Marlene Rankel
Episodes with folks mentioned in this episode:
* Episode 5, Researching Overexcitability, with Frank Falk
* Episode 35, Dąbrowski’s Theory in Practice with Patty Gatto-Walden
* Episode 48, Piechowski’s Insights on Positive Disintegration with Michael M. Piechowski
Chris discussed meeting Linda at the 2015 SENG Conference. SENG stands for Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted.
Making Friends and Building Community is the post that Chris mentioned.
Two papers by Linda were mentioned:
* The Two-Edged Sword of Compensation (Gifted Education International)
* My Love Affair with Dabrowski’s Theory (Roeper Review)
Nancy Miller’s MACS coding system and dissertation were mentioned. You can also read about MACS in this paper, which Nancy co-authored with Linda in Roeper Review.
Sam Ammirato’s dissertation
In a Different Voice by Carol Gilligan
Linda mentioned her book Counseling the Gifted & Talented
How the Gifted Cope With Their Emotions by Annemarie Roeper
Linda talked about chapters by Michael Piechowski on emotional giftedness. His chapter from 1997 was the focus of Interesting Quotes, Vol. 2. She also pointed out that his book Mellow Out is an excellent source for learning about emotional and spiritual giftedness.
“When Does Water Become Steam?” was presented by Linda in 2018 at the Triple Nine Society’s annual ggg999 meeting.
Ann Klein’s book A Forgotten Voice is a biography of Leta S. Hollingworth.
“A Feminine Perspective on Giftedness” is the chapter Linda said is currently being updated.
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 63, Chris and Emma talked with Sheldon Gay, a serial entrepreneur with a background in engineering and a tech-focused MBA. As a late-identified gifted and, therefore, neurodivergent Black man, Sheldon uses his experiences to help others embrace their unique identities and foster community through his podcast, I Must Be BUG’N.
In this episode, we dive into the complexities of giftedness, the importance of diverse voices in the gifted community, and the journey of self-discovery. Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:
The Power of Mirroring: Sheldon emphasizes the critical need for representation and mirroring within the gifted community, especially for marginalized populations. Many gifted individuals often feel isolated, believing they are the only ones experiencing their unique challenges. By elevating diverse voices, we can create a more inclusive environment where everyone feels seen and understood. This mirroring is essential for fostering authentic connections and validating our experiences.
Self-Reflection as a Tool for Growth: Throughout our conversation, we explore the importance of self-awareness and self-reflection in navigating the complexities of giftedness. Sheldon shares his journey of discovering the theory of positive disintegration and how it opened the floodgates to understanding himself better. This process of introspection is not just about identifying where we stand but also about recognizing the areas where we can grow. It’s a reminder that our paths are not linear, and embracing the messiness of self-discovery is part of the journey.
Challenging Traditional Definitions of Giftedness: Part of our conversation touches on the traditional definitions of giftedness, which often focus on IQ and academic performance. Sheldon challenges this by suggesting giftedness is a multifaceted experience that encompasses emotional depth, creativity, and unique perspectives. By broadening our understanding of what it means to be gifted, we can create a more inclusive understanding that celebrates diverse talents and abilities.
We also discuss levels of development, self-awareness, and multidimensionality. Doing inner work and exploring our depths.
Sheldon introduces the concept of "shadow thoughts," which are the unspoken beliefs and internal narratives that shape our self-perception. These thoughts often originate from external influences, such as societal expectations or familial messages, and can hinder authentic self-expression. By confronting and understanding these shadow thoughts, individuals can begin to dismantle the barriers that prevent them from fully embracing their giftedness.
This is a rich conversation, and we invite you to join us. We also suggest you follow Sheldon’s podcast, which we’ve linked to below.
Links from this episode
Sheldon’s podcast I Must Be BUG’N
We mentioned the episode It Must Be Them, Not Me, Part 1 (with Visuals)
Sheldon’s website
Our Wild Minds
Episode 55 with Kaitlin Smith
Episode 48 with Michael Piechowski
The Origins paper Chris mentioned writing with Frank Falk
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 62, Chris and Emma delivered the audio from the DC2024 workshop they previewed in episode 58. The Dabrowski Congress was a special experience, and this workshop was no exception. So, we’d like to say a big thank you to the people who shared their thoughts and questions with us during the session because they really helped make it amazing. We hope you’ll enjoy our workshop, too, and participate with us as you listen!
Values are at the heart of the theory of positive disintegration. They play a crucial role in personal growth and understanding your identity, serving as an inner compass to guide behavior and decision-making. We emphasize the significance of understanding personal values, their evolution, and their impact on our behavior.
Values are the principles or standards that inform our behavior, driven by what we perceive as important in life. They are not static—they shift and evolve as we grow and encounter new experiences and challenges. This dynamic nature is essential for personal development, as it allows us to reassess and redefine what is meaningful to us over time.
Just as a compass provides direction, values help us navigate our lives, particularly during times of disintegration or uncertainty. Establishing and understanding your hierarchy of values is critical for the processes of autopsychotherapy and self-education. The journey toward authenticity is facilitated by recognizing and aligning with our core values. The session aims to help participants discover their core drivers, define their values, and embark on a journey toward authenticity, so there are reflection exercises and questions through the workshop.
A quote we shared from an interview Dr. Dabrowski gave in 1979, which was published as “The Heroism of Sensitivity” in 1994:
“Creating new values is a fundamental part of development. When we grow, we start to have a different view of reality and that leads us to reorder our value system. We create values by our self-observation, by our thinking, and by putting our ideals into practice. Discovering in ourselves higher levels of development, higher tendencies, and sensitivities, we simultaneously create them.”
Listeners are encouraged to participate actively by taking notes and reflecting on prompting questions throughout the workshop. There will be places during the episode for you to pause and reflect on the questions being asked. Workshop slides are available for further reference by clicking the button below or from the resource list.
Links from this episode
Click here to download the PDF of our slides
Watch the video of our session on YouTube
Visit the 2024 Dabrowski Congress page
Purchase DC2024 recordings
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 61, Chris and Emma were joined by Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton, a professional identity researcher and the leading expert on hybrid professional identity. Sarabeth is based in Boulder, Colorado, and author of More Than My Title: The Power of Hybrid Professionals in a Workplace of Experts and Generalists.
Understanding and articulating your professional identity is essential for achieving fulfillment and success in the workplace. Sarabeth emphasized the significance of understanding and articulating your professional identity beyond job titles. She stressed the importance of recognizing ourselves in our work, independent of the tasks we perform.
We delved into Sarabeth’s concept of hybrid professional identity, where individuals bring together diverse skills and experiences to create something new. She shared how being a hybrid professional can lead to disruption and innovation in the workplace, challenging traditional norms and boundaries. We learned about the need to explore the intersection of multiple professional identities to truly define and showcase your unique value in the workplace.
Sarabeth’s work helps people articulate their unique values and contributions in the workplace. Through exercises and frameworks, she assists individuals in exploring their skills, experiences, and preferences to create a comprehensive understanding of their professional identities. This process enables individuals to enhance self-awareness, communicate strengths effectively, and navigate career transitions or advancements with confidence and clarity.
Sarabeth shared that professionals with hybrid identities often face challenges in traditional work environments where they are expected to fit into specific roles. This can result in feeling misunderstood, undervalued, or limited in expressing their full potential. We discussed the importance of career belonging, where individuals seek to align their values, skills, and aspirations with their work environment. We learned the importance of understanding where you fit and belong in your career journey, whether to yourself, others, or a larger purpose.
Links from this episode
Sarabeth’s website: More Than My Title
Her book More Than My Title on Amazon
Find Sarabeth on:
We mentioned Gifted Unleashed Episode 33, featuring Nadja Cereghetti and guest Chris Wells.
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
Support our work by becoming a Founding Member, and join the upcoming virtual Q&A with Chris on August 14, 2024, at 4 pm MDT.
In episode 60, Chris and Emma introduced the theory of positive disintegration in a nutshell. We did our best to make it as approachable as possible and kept jargon to a minimum. Our goal was not to deliver a scholarly presentation of the theory but one for the layperson going through positive disintegration.
This introduction was created especially for the 2024 Dabrowski Congress for attendees who want to learn more about the theory behind the conference. Our hope is that it will serve for years to come as a primer for positive disintegration. As Emma often says, TPD is not only a theory but an experience, and those going through it appreciate a mirror that makes sense of their struggles.
The topics we covered:
- Background of Dr. Kazimierz Dabrowski
- Nervousness, Psychological Tension and Big Emotions
- The Five Types of Overexcitabilities
- Types of Development, Developmental Potential and Multilevelness, and Multilevelness in Personality Growth
- Hierarchy of Values, the Third Factor of Development (and Nature, Nurture, and the Third Factor)
- Unilevel vs. Multilevel Disintegration
- Positive Maladjustment, Spontaneous Multilevel Disintegration, Pain, and Self-Reflection
- Challenges in Discovering and Acting on Values, and Organized Multilevel Disintegration
- Transforming Overexcitabilities into Tools for Growth
- Lifelong Journey of Personal Growth, and Personality as an Achievement
- Resources, DC2024, and Final Thoughts
Register for DC2024 at https://dabrowskicenter.org/register
If you want to join one of Chris’s courses this year, click here to register your interest and receive more information.
We created Dabrowski 101 as a video and podcast episode. You can watch the video on YouTube.
Quotes
“The prefix over attached to ‘excitability’ serves to indicate that the reactions of excitation are over and above average in intensity, duration, and frequency” (Dabrowski, 1996, p. 7, Multilevelness of Emotional and Instinctive Functions).
"Making multilevelness the central concept in the approach to development means that we have to apply it to every phenomenon under scrutiny. It means that we are using a new key, or paradigm, with which to approach human behavior and its development. It now becomes less meaningful to consider, for instance, aggression, inferiority, empathy, or sexual behavior as unitary phenomena, but it becomes more meaningful to examine different levels of these behaviors." (Dabrowski, 1996, p. 10)
“Discovering in ourselves higher levels of development, higher tendencies, and sensitivities, we simultaneously create them.” Dabrowski, 1994, "The Heroism of Sensitivity," an interview in Advanced Development Journal.
"Do not run from yourself but conquer yourself!" P. Cienin, 1972, p. 40, (Existential Thoughts and Aphorisms).
“Movement from “what is” to “what ought to be” opens a channel for resolution and direction of developmental tensions. When this channel is not open, as in unilevel disintegration, the tensions lead to severe psychosomatic illness, psychosis, or suicide.” Dabrowski, 1977, p. 43, (Theory of Levels of Emotional Development, Vol. 1)
“Crises are periods of increased insight into oneself, creativity, and personality development” Dabrowski, 1964, p. 18, (Positive Disintegration)
More resources
* Download a PDF with the list and short definitions of dynamisms at https://dabrowskicenter.org/1977
* For more on "nervousness" and the history of overexcitability: https://dabrowskicenter.org/origins
* The book we mentioned on the slide with five types of OE was "Mellow Out," They Say. If I Only Could" by Michael M. Piechowski.
* Download Table 1 from Mellow Out, Forms and Expressions of Overexcitability
* The following papers from Michael M. Piechowski include case studies of moral exemplars that shed more light on the higher-level dynamisms:
* Piechowski (1990): Inner Growth and Transformation in the Life of Eleanor Roosevelt
* Piechowski (1992): Etty Hillesum: “The Thinking Heart of the Barracks”
* Piechowski (2009): Peace Pilgrim, Exemplar of Level V
* Podcast episodes we mentioned:
* Episode 2: Overexcitabilities and Pseudoscience
* Episode 8: Surviving Disintegration
* Episode 33: A Personal Journey of Self-Discovery with David Sweeney
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
In episode 59, Chris and Emma were joined by Dr. Sergej van Middendorp and Abbie VanMeter of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. We discussed the CMM (Coordinated Management of Meaning) theory and its intersection with the theory of positive disintegration.
Sergej helps generate healthy systems with action research-based practice in improvisation, design, and communication. In the Netherlands, he facilitates a collaborative support network of caregivers and IT providers in their development of an integral digital health system. He is on the CMM Institute's Board of Stewards.
Abbie is the host of the Stories Lived. Stories Told. podcast. In partnership with the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution, she is involved in a number of projects that work to make the tools, language, and knowledge offered by the communication theory Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) more accessible.
CMM theory posits that persons in conversation (when we communicate with each other) co-create their social realities, and are simultaneously shaped by the worlds they construct. Its focus is on storytelling and meaning-making, and the goal of the CMM Institute is to create better social worlds, by helping people communicate in healthier (and more conscious) ways.
Meaning is socially constructed—we all have a part in its creation. We discussed how one intersection between positive disintegration and CMM theory is how positive communication and storytelling can include conscious choice, awareness, and relational dynamics in shaping personal growth and social interactions. By being mindful of the stories we tell and the meaning we create through communication, we can contribute to building better social worlds and fostering genuine connections with others.
Both CMM theory and the theory of positive disintegration provide language to name and understand our experiences. These frameworks are empowering because they serve as toolkits that can help us in our meaning-making efforts.
Abbie and Sergej will be presenting virtually at the 2024 Dabrowski Congress in the session “Improvising Personal and Social Evolution with the Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) and the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM).”
Resources from this Episode
CMM Institute website
Stories Lived. Stories Told. Podcast
“Plan for Emergence” episode with Abbie and Sergej
Chris and Emma were on Episode 44 and Episode 45
CMMi on Substack
CosmoKidz
CosmoTeenz Fellows on Instagram
Watch Sergej and Abbie’s preview video for DC2024.
Click here to register for the 2024 Dabrowski Congress
We want to thank the CMM Institute for becoming a DC2024 sponsor!
Positive Disintegration Podcast, Ep. 22 on Nonviolent Communication
Connect with us
Positive Disintegration on Substack
Visit the Dabrowski Center website
The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel
Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook
The Tragic Gift blog by Emma
Email us at [email protected]
Please consider supporting the podcast to help fund this work through the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Find Positive Disintegration Merch
If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!
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