conscious of evolution as it evolves. ???

[Harrison Owen]

Great story, Brian! I have done a number of 4 day Open Spaces, and finally
came to the conclusion that time frame was just too long. The fatigue factor
began to show. I rather wonder now -- were 4 day too short? I had noticed
that by the end of the 4th day, there seemed to be a deepening re-engagement
of conversation. Had we had a 5th day -- might it not have gone as you
describe??? I rather think so. Which of course does not suggest that
everybody should now be doing 5 days in Open Space (Wheeeu -- big sweat!)
But no reason not to if the situation warrants.

As for your back and penance . . . I suggest you find a new confessor.

Harrison


----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian S Bainbridge" <briansb at mira.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2004 11:31 PM
Subject: Re: conscious of evolution as it evolves. ???


> Dear Harrison
> Thanks for the insighting in this message.  And I am very much where you
> are on these developmental matters, though not about to go into print in
> any way.
> My thinking is reinforced from the five and a half day Open Space event
> we have just concluded in wet and rainy and sticky Langkawi with some 43
> people from the East Asia Division of The World Bank.
> Don't know if there are many OST openers who have "done" an event of
> that time span.
> It was utterly marvellous, IMHO. And also in the opinion of all present
> of whom about 20 were in the 2003 Open Space in Bali.
> Someone asked me on the Sunday evening if this year would be better than
>   last year.  I said I didn't know that, but I was sure it would be
> different -  a bundle of new people, a bundle of people who know and
> have learnt to trust OST, all of whom are a year wiser than  they were
> last year, and many of whom have been involved in implementing the bulk
> of the resolutions emerging from the 2003 event.
> And so it turned out, as you would expect.  The 65 page document which
> reached them Thursday morning reporting on 36 sessions, the inviting
> them to spend time reading all of that to find what thread or topic or
> common theme needed their next attention as a challenge, the allowing
> plenty of extra time for reading because most of those present had
> English as a Second Language.
> And then inviting everyone to name the thread/topic they thought stood
> out, and inviting those who so cared to name a topic they would be
> prepared to champion, focusing particularly on the work in each of the
> country offices represented here : Cambodia, China, East Timor,
> Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Papua-New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore,
> Thailand and Vietnam.
> They did just that - and brilliantly.
> On Friday morning, everyone in the circle "audited" each of the six
> ACTION OUTCOME reports one by one, such that additional ideas and wisdom
> and suggestions and contact options were added to each document,
> bringing it about that everyone present now knows what is being
> attempted, and that the document is actually richer by being added to by
> all present.
> As you can imagine, the Talking Stick (my Shillelagh) evoked wonderful
> and emotional and deep responses from everyone - and took two hours to
> complete.
> It was my huge and emotional privilege to declare this Open Space is
> over.  And they are already looking forward to next year.
> Thought you might enjoy a little of the wonder of yet another very
> brilliant Open Space.
> I'm back in sunny and warm Bali for another 11 nights - very tired after
> all that work with a very sore back which may be a cracked or broken
> rib.  Mercifully, I have these days just to read and write and rest.  It
> was pelting down rain in Langkawi, Malaysia where the five and a half
> day Open Space event took place. Yet another huge monsoonal downpour.  I
> was carrying gear from the building we had been inhabiting for those
> days for the last time.  I slipped on the stairs which were covered in
> water, and the rest is history.  It will get better over time, but
> coughing or sneezing right now is an agony. And breathing deeply not
> much better. We have to do some penance, I guess.
> Cheers and blessings,   BRIAN
>
> Harrison Owen wrote:
> As usual OSLIST and it's denizens seems to be going where angels fear to
> tread. Some may feel that we are wandering off into the realm of idle
> philosophical speculation, and I guess that is true to a point. I also
think
> that this present discussion lies at the heart of what we do/don't do in
> Open Space.
>
> Funda said, "is evolution possible without consciousness??" And I might
> ask -- are we talking about the evolution of consciousness? Or the
> consciousness of evolution? Or both? And not too far down the road we come
> to one of the great divides in World Thinking. There are those, largely in
> the "Scientific" West who prefer to think that matter is primary, and that
> over time it manifests consciousness (becomes conscious). Roughly put, we
> all start out as bodies (matter), then develop mental capacities, and
> finally (for most of us) evolve the capacity to be conscious of our selves
> as thinking bodies -- and then maybe even become conscious of our
> consciousness. Much of the rest of the world looks at the same data
> (progression) and comes to a radically different conclusion. Their story
is
> that  Consciousness is primary and that over time It appears (manifests)
in
> progressively more complex and elegant expressions. From where I sit, this
> is truly a case of "pay your money and take your choice." I can't imagine
> how you would "prove" either one, and we actually have a case of  a priori
> assumptions. And the real issue is which story makes the most sense and is
> most functional in terms of what you (whoever you are) want to do. The
> Western Story is and has been a powerful one, forming the basis of the
> Western Scientific enterprise. And obviously that enterprise has been
> rewarding, albeit with certain limitations (We have created an industrial
> society which is about ready to pollute us to death). With this story we
> find ourselves confronting such wonderful questions as the "Biological
> (molecular) basis of Consciousness." The alternate story -- that
> Consciousness is primary -- takes one to rather different places.
> Consciousness
> IS -- and over time becomes manifest in quarks, atoms, molecules,
> quasars -- and you and me. According to this story, when we perceive
> ourselves
> as conscious (or Consciousness) we are not doing/creating anything new --
we
> are simply recognizing our selves as we have always been and truly are.
The
> Buddhists would say -- We see our original face. And the journey of life
and
> evolution is the journey to (the recognition of) our authentic selves.
Some
> of us move more quickly down this road and we call them mystics or saints.
> Most of the rest of us take our own sweet time. Anyhow . . .
>
> What on earth does this have to do with Open Space, the application of
Open
> Space, our role in Open Space, the place and relationship of Open Space to
> current organizations?????
>
> The answer(s), I think, begins with yet another question. What happens
when
> space opens? Is it the case that we are doing something novel and
strange --
> or rather that we have created some appropriate conditions such that what
> was already present becomes visible. In short we are not "learning
something
> new"  but rather remembering what we already knew -- but forgot?
Personally,
> I find the "remembering" story to be the most compelling, or how else to
> explain the common experience of working with a group of folks who have
had
> no training in esoteric skills, conflict resolution, group process -- and
> yet in basically 15 minutes flat most are behaving as if being in Open
Space
> was the most natural thing in the world? Maybe it is? They just remember
> what they had forgotten. Rather like riding a bicycle -- once you have
done
> it you can never really forget.
>
> Our role in this situation becomes rather clear, and our anxiety level
> should go down. There is little to teach and less to worry about. The
folks
> are already there, they only have to be reminded. Gently.
>
> And do you have to be a Buddhist? Probably not, but it could help.
>
> Harrison
>
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