Reflection and the Inner Media

It is hard to believe that twelve years have gone by since the first IVOH conversation in June of 1999 in New York City. One of the 200 people in the room that day was Tom Callanan who was moved not only by the animated conversation about the impact of media on society, but also ... by what we came to call the "inner media," the spiritual component created by the Brahma Kumaris. Tom said:

"I was attending a luncheon conversation with almost 200 journalists hosted by a program called "Images & Voices of Hope, when I first experienced drishti. Drishti is a unique form of seeing practiced by the Brahma Kumaris. It is a very simple yet powerful way of affirming another's essential and highest self. And it's something that everyone can practice.

"I anticipated disaster as almost half the guests were talking on cell phones as if they were still at their newsroom desks. Then Dadi Prakashmani, one of the senior sisters of the Brahma Kumaris, stepped forward to offer grace. Instead of saying a prayer, Dadi began to make personal eye contact with every single person. The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. You could have heard a pin drop. A number of people, myself included, were moved to tears without quite knowing why. After five minutes, Dadi sat down and the luncheon conversation began, this time without the cell phones."

For the past 12 years, I attended most of the Images & Voices conversations held around the world. I participated in the Thought Leaders Dialogues, and I enjoyed the annual summits. And what I found to be the most intriguing was to observe the subtle dynamics at work, such as the one Tom described above. At one level the conversations were about the changing world of media; and at another level, which in my opinion was even more significant, was the manifestation of the ‘inner media' being expressed through story-telling, sharing of personal experiences and interpretations of ideas that generate newness. It was as if the changes were being lived in the moment they were happening! Was my awareness being drawn to this subtle dimension because of what Tom Callanan shared? Was it because I was holding the reflection space? The reason doesn't matter. What matters is I was a privileged observer to the intersection between the inner and outer media. It was fascinating to witness first-hand the expanding awareness of the choices those in media are making to raise trust, generate meaning and amplify hope.

For me there has been a learning curve in my experience with Images & Voices of Hope: I am able to better understand the concept of ‘inner media.' The simple meaning is -- at the end of the day, just before we close our eyes and ears to the images and messages that have consumed our lives, and we enter into the mysterious domain of sleep, all we are left with is only the inner media - to make sense and meaning of in our dreams. Is there a way to make sense and meaning of the flood of messages we take in during our waking hours when our senses are saturated with the many forms of multimedia?

The term ‘inner media' is still in its exploratory phase, and so it means different things to different people. However what seems to be essential and foundational in this exploratory process is the role of reflection, at both the personal and collective levels. Reflection as a personal practice is an accepted phenomenon in many cultures, but reflection as a collective experience is something new and novel, especially in the field of media.

Reflection is to embark on an inner journey of thoughts, feelings and experiences and to connect to one's intention, awareness, attitude, vision and action relative to personal mission and social impact. Reflection is the spaces between the talk in the conversation, and to use these spaces to sense and feel what is emerging in the bigger context. Reflection is not a lecture, it is not an imposition. Reflection is a natural flow; it is an opportunity to connect at a deeper level.

At a recent meeting of the IVOH management group, Linda Gerber, Meredith Porte and Wendy Bodden decided to look at the role of reflection specific to Images & Voices of Hope. And this is what they said:

THE ROLE OF REFLECTION:

"Images & Voices of Hope invites people in media to participate in reflective processes through dialogue, writing, the creative arts, silence and meditation.

Our process of reflection serves to:

• develop a deeper understanding of the inner dimension of experience and the interpretations of experience;

• cultivate self-awareness and personal transformation, and in doing so, serves to improve media's service to humanity.

• explore the connection between the inner and the outer; between personal mission and social impact;

• expand a readiness for all possibilities in the future;

• reveal hidden assumptions and broaden perspective;

• highlight ethics, values, gifts and talents;

• distinguish media that transforms, promotes dignity and builds community, from media that divides, alienates, disempowers or defeats;

• increase awareness and appreciation of what it means to be human in a modern connected world;

• uncover the call to make a difference through the exchange of ideas in the media;

• provide space for mindful media.

The opportunity for a thoughtful, contemplative experience is at the heart of IVOH's invitation to explore and reveal the impact of storytelling on ourselves and the wider community. Our hope is that the reflective components of IVOH conversations support media that elevates the global discourse and builds bridges to a better future."

Images & Voices of Hope always allows for an exchange from a space of trust and acceptance, knowing that there is the freedom to give expression to what is most profound and essential to each one. Such in-depth exchange with people from diverse fields, and supported by moments of reflection allows our minds and our hearts to become clear and focused - something we often cannot do when we are sitting alone trying to understand something that is very complicated.

In the changing world of media, reflection as a collective experience of the whole may embrace a truth and understanding that is bigger and deeper than the sum of the individual expressions. There are times in our reflections when we need to consider things in solitude, and then come back together to share those ideas and hear the responses from others. One of the true gifts in a busy life is to take the time to reflect, a time when we intentionally turn our attention away from the rush of conversations and commitments, images and messages, and lists and obligations, and quietly attune ourselves to an inner space. Resilience and meaning-making emerge from this space.