ACFM #ACFM Trip 5: Consciousness Raising
Oct 5, 2019
Mika Nava, a retired academic and early participant in the UK women’s liberation movement, shares her insights on feminist consciousness-raising groups. She recalls the power of collective discussions among women to transform daily life. The conversation explores the links between consciousness inflation, psychedelics, and radical change. Mika reflects on the emotional impact of activism and the lasting friendships formed in these groups. They also discuss modern obstacles to reviving such practices, emphasizing the need for solidarity and shared experiences in today’s movements.
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Consciousness Inflation Versus Deflation
- Consciousness inflation opposes neoliberal consciousness deflation by expanding people’s felt capacity to imagine alternatives.
- Jeremy argues radical politics aims to inflate consciousness linking psychedelic expansion and political organising.
From Personal Trouble To Social Diagnosis
- Consciousness raising helps reveal that personal troubles are symptoms of social structures rather than individual failings.
- Nadia and Jeremy stress it builds a felt sense of collective capacity, not just abstract awareness.
First Women's Group In A Tufnell Park Flat
- Mika Nava describes her first women's group in a small flat with no chair, consensus and women-only participation.
- She recalls discussing childbirth, abortion, household arrangements and making concrete changes to living practices.
