Dear Karen (and others), Karen, I think you might be responding to my note about open space beeing about the present more than the future (or whatever I said). Thank you for your comment.
I am always wary when we try to say what open space is or describe with clarity and finality what it does or what happens when we're in it.. Open space is either very special stuff or it is nothing. Maybe it's both or neither or all of the above. I'm inclined to the "all of the above" side of the spectrum, as long it includes "nothing" as part of the "all." But I don't need anybody else to see it as I do. I have my own experiences of being in open space, and I do not want to generalize about them. I don't know how to do that. I do not know what generalizations I could possibly make that would be true for most people, let alone everyone. If open space has a certain character, then just how open could it be, really? If it's sacred or spiritual space, why is it moreso than say a church? Or a redwood forest? Or my bathroom? If it's not sacred, then why do we fuss over it so? Well it IS holy, but no more than anything else, in my opinion. The disinctions we're making are about ourselves, not about open space. A couple of years ago, while doing an open space training in Oklahoma City, I was having a hard time explaining it. Particpants were complaining they didn't understand, that I was not being clear. They peppered me with "Yes, but..." questions. Not until I hit upon the idea to describe open space as "nothing...just space that's open" did people relax and indicate they understood. We "open" space. But we cannot do it without people in the space. It's the particular collection of individuals in any opened space that give the event and the space in question its character. Or maybe that's wrong. Perhaps we should try the following experiment what do you suppose would happen? Open space with no one there. Get a big room. Designate it as space to be opened. Invite no one. Then say or do whatever seems appropriate (orally, silently, however) to open the space. Will "nothing" happen? Will there be no spirit present? Is the space less or more sacred, spiritual, holy, special or open because humans are not present? If you do a good, clear job of opening the space and holding it will anyone who wanders in notice the difference? (I think some would and some wouldn't.) Get a life. Designate it as open space. Invite yourself to fully occupy it. Or partially, or not at all, as you see fit. Say or do whatever seems appropriate (in the future, or now) to have it be what you need it to be. Or not. How is it more sacred than if you had not done this? Now, back to an earlier point. I say these things, but I also sense that there is indeed some generalization or essential truth that almost always emerges when we open space. One occasion "feels" the same, on some plane, as all the other open spaces I've been in. Somthing tells me, though, this is my subjectivity and not a verifiable reality. Time to hit the send key. Ralph Copleman
