At 10:32 AM 12/29/2001 -0500, Ralph Copleman wrote:
Let us be careful.... The key word in your statement may be "allows". I have seen what you describe happen in OS countless times but expanded consciousness does not *automatically* occur. I also believe that OS is not the only technique (large group or other) that makes expanded consciousness possible. So if we're looking for ways to distinguish OS from other approaches, I'm not sure this is it.
Ralph, I think your caution is a very valid one, and a key word is "allows" or I might prefer invites. The invitation to an expanded Now (consciousness) is issued each time space is opened. It is certainly permissive, in that room is provided that allows consciousness to expand, but I think it is more than that. There is a positive expectation, hope, dream that those present will see their world in larger terms, that the narrow options they entered with will be expanded to include options previously un-thought of. Importantly, this is a true invitation -- which means that it cannot be coercive. Nobody has to do a thing, which is why The Law of Two feet and voluntary self-selection are so critical. So does consciousness always expand? Probably not -- as doubtless there are folks who enter as curmudgins and leave in a similar condition. I can attest to that very personally. Having said all that, I think it is also important to note that "expanded consciousness" is probably not an absolute. As in you either got it or don't got it. For me it is always a process, a journey of expanding consciousness. So even us curmudgins probably grow a little bit, or at least we can see the possibility.
To your last point-- " .... that OS is not the only technique (large group or other) that makes expanded consciousness possible." For sure. But it seems to me that there might be a useful "metric" here of sorts. Specifically in terms of other large group interventions and the place that Open Space may hold amongst them -- we might ask, how much space does each intervention offer? I can't say that I have been through all 18 (if that is the magic number), but I can say that some of those 18 which i have experienced make me feel absolutely claustrophobic, and others less so. It is only when I enter Open Space that I begin to feel fully free to be my self, and fully explore my/our possibilities. Obviously I am a very biased witness, and others will feel differently -- which is as it should be. But I think the question remains valid -- How much space do we really have?
Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 USA phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
