With Glenna Gerard, 21 Nov 2024
Summary
This session drew on the insights of physicist David Bohm, to see how Bohmian dialogue can heal human fragmentation through proprioception of thought—a physiological-like awareness of our thought systems that fosters the awareness of collective interdependence and is essential for conscious vs. reactive choices. In breakouts, participants used a “virtual talking stone” method: sharing personal questions; pausing for quiet reflection; listening intuitively without judgment. Participants felt the emergence of a shared, interconnected field through the rhythm of this profound practice
Key Learning Points
- Lowering the Bar for Collaboration: Collaborative efforts with individuals who hold differing perspectives, values, or backgrounds can be incredibly difficult, but demanding perfect alignment upfront makes them impossible. Lowering expectations for full initial alignment makes working across boundaries manageable and achievable, shifting it from an extraordinary challenge to a normal facet of communal life.
- Proprioception of Thought via Dialogue: Inspired by David Bohm’s principles, dialogue functions interactively. Unlike introspective mindfulness which remains internal, this practice serves as a shared witness between participants, creating an interactive rhythm of reflection and inquiry, to make visible our thinking and feeling in support of more conscious vs. reactive choices.
- Building Trust Through Human Connection: A resilient network ecosystem relies on a solid foundation of trust and authentic presence. Fostering an atmosphere where people shed rigid organizational titles and connect simply as real individuals is crucial.
- The Importance of Silence: Integrating structured silence during dialogue serves as a vital tool. It slows the conversation down, counters intellectualized and emotional knee-jerk responses, and creates an environment where individuals can become genuinely attuned to themselves and others.
- Embracing Uncertainty and Creative Tension: For truly co-owned system strategies to emerge, groups must learn to navigate fluid spaces, accept not knowing all the answers immediately, and actively step into compassion even in the midst of societal and/or communal polarization.
Action Points
- Implement “Playbook” Rather Than Blueprint Models: When scaling network initiatives or helping other communities replicate system success, utilize a dynamic playbook that attunes to what is arising (similar to sports plays) to allow flexibility based on context rather than a rigid, prescriptive blueprint.
- Encourage Collaboration by Seeding Relational Tactics: Intentionally plan and include casual bonding experiences—such as sharing informal meals, traveling as a delegation to conferences, or organizing road trips—to organically dissolve barriers and establish real connections before tackling heavy tasks.
- Actively Value Vulnerability and Learning: Incentivize the creation and support of an environment where mistakes are not penalized but treated as a vehicle for innovation. Cultivate leadership behaviors that reward the courage to risk failure, ask questions, and step back to let others lead.
- Adopt Conversation Weaving: Utilize tactical approaches like “conversation weaving” in large networks. Allow broad audiences to self-organize around common prompts across multiple platforms, formats, or timelines, while systematically harvesting or synthesizing the insights back into a centralized public repository.
Image generated by WordClouds.com
References
Knowledge Base Categories: 1) Inner Work 2) Regeneration & Universal Wellbeing
