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At 10:32 AM 12/29/2001 -0500, Ralph Copleman wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Let us be careful.... The key
word in your statement may be "allows". I<br>
have seen what you describe happen in OS countless times but
expanded<br>
consciousness does not *automatically* occur. I also believe that
OS is not<br>
the only technique (large group or other) that makes expanded
consciousness<br>
possible. So if we're looking for ways to distinguish OS from
other<br>
approaches, I'm not sure this is it.</blockquote><br>
Ralph, I think your caution is a very valid one, and a key word is
"allows" or I might prefer <i>invites</i>. The invitation to an
expanded Now (consciousness) is issued each time space is opened. It is
certainly permissive, in that room is provided that <i>allows</i>
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 <u>always</u>
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 expand<u>ing</u> consciousness. So even us curmudgins probably
grow a little bit, or at least we can see the possibility.<br><br>
To your last point-- " <i>.... that OS is not the only technique
(large group or other) that makes expanded consciousness
possible</i>." 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?<br><br>
Harrison<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh" eudora="autourl">www.mindspring.com/~owenhh</a><br><br>
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