Into the Wild Mind: Life-enhancing anxiety and the experiential democracy dialogue

Abstract

Drawing on the 2024 film Conclave and related examples as background, I will describe life-enhancing anxiety and its implications for the bridge- building dialogue process I call the ‘experiential democracy dialogue’. Life-enhancing anxiety is the capacity to live with and make the best of the depth and mystery of existence; it is also a capacity to live more on the edge of wonder and discovery than terror and overwhelm; and it is a profoundly needed skill in this era of anxiety-driven polarisation and certitude. I will describe a one-on-one format that aims to humanise starkly contrasting cultural and political positions. I will elaborate the structure of this format, including the six phases that comprise it, my experience facilitating it and research that backs it. I will conclude my talk with a plea for integrating experiential democracy principles into peoples’ day-to-day lives, thus expanding and deepening our encounters with differences, ‘otherness’ and the radically unknown. Viewing of Conclave is highly recommended.