The Game of Presence
The Game of Presence is what we (myself and creator, Jamie Lorenz) are calling this new clinical philosophy. It is philosophical in that it stems from an ontology of presence and clinical in that it includes a practical methodology that has implications for the mental health community and groups concerned with the art of healing and connection.
To recap: What we ultimately seek is connection. This is where we feel the best, happiest, and safest. In connection, we are safe, happy and healthy and recharge off of the warm and loving energy of one another. This is the state that we are ultimately seeking all of the time. Unbeknowst to us, until now, however, is the ego that has been obstructing us from entering into such a blissful state.
The Game of Presence offers a new paradigm for socializing that prizes human connection as its utmost goal.
So, just how does one play?
In its initial stages, as one begins to learn the essential concepts of the Game (and this philosophy of presence and why we are seeking it), it begins as a method to help the player build stronger muscles of self-observation and personal responsibility. It is a game that seeks to quicken the speed and facility with which one is able to catch, then cease, being in the mind.
Played alone throughout the day, The Game can yield good results in helping the player notice and re-wire their neural networks. Neuroscience has named this our ‘default-mode-network’ and is another reason why psychedelics are so powerful. They help us to break out of our well-worn mental pathways.
The Game seeks to accomplish the same effects as psychedelics. The only difference is the player’s activation of a strong narrative of ‘why?’ to replace the psychedelic. Why am I seeking presence? Why am I looking to get out of my mind? The further the player goes towards crafting such a narrative, the stronger the results they will yield.
The Game’s potency increases when brought into social situations, which is its true home.
The Game of Presence is a system of communication that seeks to bridge our social world with our psychology - a system that honors our sensitivity and that of the inner child.
In its current state, our social world is abysmal. It is chaotic, exhausting, competitive, argumentative and controlled by fear and negativity. I think most introverts can attest to this feeling after a long day of socializing and the craving for alone time afterwards.
In order to play the Game, there exists one agreement: You are here to seek connection.
Once you have agreed upon this principle, a few more important factors come into play.
Learning how to seek connection through The Language of Connection
Understanding how the ego plays through The Anatomy of the Ego
Surrendering into presence through The Art of Letting Go
By learning and understanding these concepts first, one can then proceed towards playing The Game.
