Afterfeelings

Tue Oct 25 00:06:56 PDT 2005

Dear Paul,
Thanks for having the courage for going against the grain and giving
us a "heads up" (a warning).

It all comes down to one's spiritual practice.

It is very humbling to hear what you have said.

I think back to the tone of your User's Guide, Harrison. I recall when
I first read it that I heard a tone of "Hey, this OST facilitation is
easy. Anyone can do it. It's simple. It's fun. It's a cinch."

I don't think you necessarily wanted to convey that message, but
that's the message I took to heart.

And what I find is that the deeper one gets into os, the further we
are invited to jump off the pole into a bottomless well, the more we
are invited to lose ourselves...so that we may then be found.

You mentioned how one consultant said that OST must be the greatest
scam invented-- you get paid and the client does the work.

That story makes me think that OS is one of the greatest ways of
tricking somebody into developing a spiritual practice. To do this work well
there is no other way. And sometimes that's scary.

Grounding. grounding. grounding.

Warmly,
raffi

Raffi Aftandelian wrote 25 октября 2005 г., 10:09:25:

> Dear colleagues,

> I am somewhat reluctant to offer up this thought because it goes
> counter, or at least somewhat against the grain, of the thrust of
> the discussion on "needing a day of rest after conducting an OS".  
> Nonetheless, perhaps it has some truth in it, even if many of you
> aren't experiencing it.

> One of my life teachers was a man, a mining engineer from South
> Africa.   One of the finest, deepest minds on philosophy, psychology
> and general spiritual awareness I have been blessed to have known.  
> It was his contention that if we feel tired after leading an event,
> and needed time to 'recover', it was because We (ego) were trying to
> do it, and not letting spirit do the work.   Not fully surrendering
> to the now, without attachment to outcome. Our anxiety about outcome
> produced the exhaustion.   His contention was that we should be
> feeling exhilarated, infused, energized by an event where spirit was
> in charge and being released, most especially in the workplace.   It
> seems to me that OS is about as close to 'letting spirit do it' as
> I've experienced.   Why, then, is the circle opener (convenor?)
> tired?   Just something I've been pondering.

> Sincerely,

> Paul Everett  

-- 

 Raffi                          mailto:raffi at bk.ru

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>From  Tue Oct 25 09:08:14 2005
Message-Id: <TUE.25.OCT.2005.090814.0400.>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 09:08:14 -0400
Reply-To: hhowen at verizon.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
Organization: HH Owen and Co.
Subject: Re: Afterfeelings
In-Reply-To: <611703707.20051025110656 at bk.ru>
MIME-version: 1.0
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Raffi -- As a matter of fact, I didn't say "anybody" could do an OS, but
rather, "anybody with a good head and a good heart." That is not so much a
matter of theory as experience. I have just watched folks with zero
training, never having read "the book" -- no background save having been in
an Open Space -- do just fine. Frankly I was amazed, but the more I think
about it, I should not have been (amazed). The key to effective facilitation
in OS is authenticity -- that sort of focused presence that comes when an
individual really knows and accepts themselves, warts and all. All the rest,
I find to be interesting, but pretty inconsequential. Which I guess is why
we can make all sorts of "mistakes" and everything turns out just fine.
"Mistakes" as in skipping a principle, fumbling the Law, etc. However,
getting to authenticity is no mean feat, and there are millions of ways to
go. So I think it is true, anybody with a good head and good heart can "do
it." But there is more, because it may well take you a lifetime (or more) to
do it well. There is practice (or maybe A Practice) involved. And the reason
is pretty straight forward.

When you intentionally place yourself in the midst of the intense crucible
of human emotions, thoughts, hatreds, anxieties, hopes, fears, expectations
that often (always?) show up in an Open Space -- going in without deep
personal preparation is a one way ticket to suicide. At least that has been
my experience. The folks will probably get along just fine (they usually
do), but you will find that your soul is fried. And here, Paul, I think you
have it just right in terms of the possibility of ego getting in the way.
God help you if you ever think that YOU ARE IN CHARGE! Being totally present
and absolutely invisible may be an impossible ideal, but the closer we come
to that state, the better things work for us (as facilitators) and the
group. 

And when we get it right, or as close to "right" as we can on that
particular day, the total experience can be euphoric, not to say ecstatic.
Things really fly! At the conclusion we have the opportunity to experience
ourselves at our fullest -- when everything we could be becomes actual, at
least for that moment. I suppose this is the source of the "OS Addiction"
that a number of folks have mentioned. Sort of a super "runner's high." But
when the euphoria turns to really nice "warm fuzzies" -- I always find that
I am totally pooped, spaced out, exhausted -- tired for sure. But it is a
GOOD tired, the sort that deserves to be savored on the following day by
doing absolutely nothing.

Harrison  

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!
hhowen at verizon.net

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Raffi
Aftandelian
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 3:07 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Afterfeelings