In group practice, the Unification process is enhanced by the energy of relationship and the force of shared intention. But the outcome in both group practice and individual practice is the same: Loving opens up a radiant space in which the true and present nature of love –- that is, God -- becomes increasingly apparent.
Paradoxically, in group practice, Divine presence gradually outshines the sense of love as an interpersonal activity. Ultimately, we experience love as a Unity, and not as an exchange of any kind.
Unification practice in a group can be done by any number of people in one of three ways:
1. Group meditation WITHOUT EYE CONTACT. Unification can be practiced as a form of group meditation, conducted silently, with eyes closed.
2. Group meditation IN PAIRS WITH OR WITHOUT EYE CONTACT. The group can be divided into pairs. Then Unification can be practiced in pairs, with eyes closed or open. (For information on appropriate use of eye contact in Unification, click here.)
3. Group meditation IN CIRCLES WITH EYE CONTACT. Open-eyed Unification practice can be done by the group as a whole. However, as a general rule, this form of practice should be employed only when all the interpersonal relationships in the group are harmonious and well worked out.
In this eye-contact version of Unification practice, the participants arrange themselves in a circle and tune in to the resonance of Being. This is done with prayerful intention AS WELL as eye, mind, and heart contact. (For information on appropriate use of eye contact in Unification, click here.)
People take turns sitting in the center of the circle. The person in the center spends a little while in open-eyed communion with each individual in the surrounding circle, switching from person to person until the circle has been completed. Each exchange may last from thirty seconds to a few minutes, however you wish to set it up. Then, another person takes the position in the center. This process continues until each participant has had a turn in the center.