Deep listening occurs when your mind is quiet. Your thoughts are flowing rather than crowding your mind with distractions, interpretations, judgments, conclusions or assumptions about the other person. Your mind is open, curious, interested — as though you were hearing this person for the first time. Deep listening applies not only to communication with another, but also to listening to ourselves and to life in general. The goal of deep listening is to hear beyond the words of the other person and yourself, to the essence of what the words and feelings are pointing to. Your mind and heart are joined in union — you are listening wholeheartedly.
Deep listening is synonymous with Compassionate listening as explained by Thich Nhat Hanh in this short SuperSoul Sunday video clip:
To go a step further, deep listening is normally thought of in the context of listening to another person. Another aspect of deep listening to ones-self. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks to this in terms of mindful listening. It can only happen in the present moment which is the only moment where one can truly live. He says that we have an appointment with life and that appointment with life takes place in the present moment.
By request, these are my notes and the diagram I created.
© 2017 Clay Boykin
Deep listening is often thought of as holding sacred space.
