Behind the Mask / Beneath the Ego

Our spirits are lodged in, and flow forth from, our bodies, from our hearts and our brains. The body/spirit dichotomy is essentially a false construct, just as the idea of us vs. them… good guys/bad guys, superior nations, races, or religions are contrived concepts. Seven billion completely unique individuals now inhabit our planet; yet paradoxically beneath the ego and behind the mask, we are all one.

All human eyes open wide when confronted with danger and the need to SEE more thoroughly the threat of an approaching saber tooth tiger or speeding sports car. Human hearts beat faster, and our bodies heat up when anger takes over in the face of unjustified criticism, or the resistance of a recalcitrant teenager. When we feel love, neutrophins or oxytocins are released into our blood streams. Our bodies relax, excite, act up. Universal emotional responses inform deep philosophical questions about life and death, across cultures and history. For millennia diverse civilizations have created uncannily similar creation myths in attempts to learn how to live in harmony and understand our existence here on earth. Masks have been the timeless bridge for humans to experience this unity.

In his presentation “Behind the Mask/Beneath the Ego”, Rob Faust will offer laughter and insight while assuming the role of SHEN’s 2013 Conference Clown/Wise Fool. Using mask as metaphor, Rob will explore three components of emotional intelligence: empathy, humor, and non-verbal communication. Rob believes that a great way to deepen the dialogue with ourselves and to connect more profoundly with others is to de-value the ego and see behind the “roles”, and that we can accomplish this by learning empathy, by truly seeing others and revealing ourselves. Rob literally embodies his message to help us laugh at ourselves, as reflected in the menagerie of masked characters that he will present. Be prepared to have fun.