"esoteric story"

Sat Sep 23 00:53:48 PDT 2000

Dear Chris,
wonderful story indeed, and I think these are the moments in life where you
really feel that you are being held in space by a force which you may call
spirit, god, coincidence or your life plan. And what a strong experience to find
the hand you need right next to you on the floor.
I do,however, doubt strongly that this should serve as an invitation to be what
is to me irresponsible with regard to stirring up what people have locked into
their inner selves because they don't feel strong enough to deal with it openly.
If it were true that htose who can contribute to healing were there and there
were some congruence between pain coming up and healing force being present it
would be wonderful. I do not believe it. We have seen the discusssion on people
who start opening space, who do it half way only... and who may not have the
inspiration to guide the process in a way which makes (almost) sure that what
comes up can be dealt with.
I would always prefer a very cautious way of dealing with people's insides. In
this regard I liked a lot what Birgitt wrote the other day on an open space with
young people to identify their need of support in case of experiences of
violence.
Best regards,
ulrike

Doersam, Laurel schrieb:
> Chris,
>
> Thankyou for sharing your beautiful story and your wisdom.
>
> Laurel.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rhett Hudson/Chris Weaver [mailto:rhett&chris at main.nc.us]
> Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 5:32 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Client Curveball No. 321 -- how would you do it? and a
> perspective and two offers
>
>
> Chris, Birgitt, Michelle, Others,
>
> This thread has explored ethical questions about opening space for a group
> of victims of violence.  In one of the entries in this thread, Chris
> Corrigan wrote:
>
> Just how much responsibility *I* am supposed to take for their healing is an
> open
> question in my mind...
>
> I have been pondering this for several days and would like to share my
> perspective.  My story takes us pretty far from the logistics of meeting
> facilitation, but I feel it is important to offer it.
>
> My perspective has been shaped by an experience of being in an open space
> with others.  It was not an Open Space Technology meeting, but a gathering
> for spiritual practice.  I was among people whom I did not know well, when
> extremely painful memories/experiences from the past came flooding into my
> being in the present, triggered in an indirect and mysterious way.  In that
> moment I did not feel safe in the sense of having any ground to stand on; I
> was completely consumed in the experience.
>
> As the situation unfolded, my own trauma was met by people in the circle
> whose gifts for healing became manifest.  We were out of the realm of words.
> In fact, I was lying on the floor on my back, shivering, with a sensation of
> waves of cold pulsing through my body and entering the floor.
>
> Another person present was equally consumed with energy.  She also lay down
> on her back on the floor.  After a long time of being in my state, I
> realized that I had no way out on my own.  I made a clear conscious choice
> to reach out and take her hand.  An enormous energy of warmth moved from her
> body into mine.  Another person in the circle spontaneously began to speak a
> prayer/meditation.  At the moment he finished, the flow of energy was
> complete, and in my mind and body I felt like I was waking up in the
> sunshine after a fierce, strange storm.
>
> Please forgive the esoteric nature of this story.  Neither I nor anyone else
> in the group expected anything like this to take place, but it did.  It
> happened so swiftly that I didn't even have a chance to be embarrassed.  I
> have learned many things from this experience, but here is my offering to
> this discussion:
>
> I believe, beyond doubting, that the Spirit has an agenda of healing.  At
> the time of this meeting I was in need of healing of which I had no
> conscious awareness.  My experience of pain would never have taken place if
> the group around me did not have the capacity to hold the space for healing
> to occur.
>
> I do not think that any Open Space facilitator needs to fear that some kind
> of healing gift that he/she does not possess will be required by the
> situation, before, during, or after.  Whoever comes are the right people.
> If someone is going to experience trauma as a result of the space being
> opened, then the people needed to heal the trauma will be there.  The Spirit
> knows the capacities and needs of all.  If no one is there with the healing
> gifts, then the trauma will remain safely nested for a later experience of
> healing.
>
> But we do, as facilitators, need to be prepared to be surprised, and ready
> to trust the Spirit and hold the space to the best of our abilities when the
> unexpected appears.
>
> Chris Weaver
>
> *
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