Self-Organization is What Consciousness (Spirit) Does

[Harrison Owen]

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

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