With Dr. Sally Goerner and Curtis Ogden – 6 Jan 2022
Summary
This session explored how Energy Systems Science (ESS) and flow networks can deepen the practice of “weaving”—the purposeful interconnecting of people, projects, and places for universal well-being. The speakers argued that shifting from a focus on static connections to dynamic energy flows is essential for building a resilient, regenerative civilization.
Key Learning Points
- From Matter to Energy: Modern science is shifting its focus from separate “matter” to interconnected “energy flows.” In this view, organization is not an anomaly but the natural state of systems (like a hurricane or boiling water) aligning to increase circulation.
- The Problem of Oligarchy: The current “Oligarchic Capitalism” model incentivizes the extraction and concentration of wealth at the top, which kills the “metabolism” of the system. This leads to systemic crises across education, health, and the environment.
- Intelligence is Natural: Intelligence is defined as the ability to respond functionally to information (patterned energy trails). Human civilization thrives when we pool information and learn collaboratively.
- The Fractal Nature of Health: Healthy systems require a “Goldilocks” balance of big, medium, and small structures. For example, a healthy economy needs mega-banks for large-scale needs but also many small, local banks (capillaries) to nourish every “nook and cranny” of the community.
- Second Enlightenment: We are currently at a “choice point” in history. Without a positive, life-affirming alternative vision (like an Ecological Civilization), the pressure of systemic collapse often leads to neo-fascism.
Key Action Points
- Cultivate “Core” Presence: Use physical practices (like chi gong) to find your energetic center, ground yourself, and observe how sensations, emotions, and thoughts move through you and your surroundings.
- Invest in Human Capacities: Regenerative circulation requires investing in the people and infrastructure that do the actual work and learning, rather than just maximizing shareholder profit.
- Build Common Cause Culture: Implement rules for governing the “commons” (inspired by the likes of Elinor Ostrom) that emphasize fairness, mutual benefit, accountability, and commitment to the health of the whole.
- Bridge Scales: Consciously weave connections between different scales of impact—from neighborhood and city levels to regional and global networks.
- Focus on Narrative: Create new stories and narratives that shift beliefs. Since beliefs act like “software” for behavior, changing the story is a prerequisite for changing the system.
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References
- Dr. Sally Goerner: The New Science of Sustainability: Building a Foundation for Regenerative 21st Century Economies
- Becoming Great: Creating Change in Education
Other Authors & Concepts:
Curtis Ogden: Mention of his work with Food Solutions New England (FSNE) .
Denise Levertov: The poem “The Fountain.”
Paulo Freire: Conscientization and transformative education.
Elinor Ostrom: Rules for Governing the Commons (Nobel Prize in Economics).
David Graeber: The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity .
Buckminster Fuller: On being architects of the future.
William Stafford: The poem “A Ritual to Read to Each Other.”
Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what brings you to life…”
Mantak Chia: Awaken Healing Energy Through the Tao: The Taoist Secret of Circulating
Internal Power
Knowledge Base Categories: 1) Weaving Methods 2) Regeneration & Universal Wellbeing
