I’m changing my focus to include more of what consciousness and awakening – grand words - might mean in this challenging time. What IS awakening? The conversation about conscious women and men is a subset of that. I’ll be hosting experiential conversations and explorations for small groups too. The focus of them is on what I think of as participative inquiry. Meaning making isn’t a job for experts or heroes, but for each one of us.
A large ecosystem of intentional consciousness practices continues online. Many are of a high order. Among them are such offerings as Presencing, listening circles, Focusing Change Groups, wisdom circles, asmallgroup conversations (Peter Block), men’s or women’s circles, Global Dyad Meditation and more. Often they happen online because it’s difficult to find interested local people.
I participated in a consciousness practice called “4D Mapping” the other day. Here I’ll share my experience of this process.
It came out of Otto Sharmer’s work. Otto is founder of the Presencing Institute and someone closely associated with group consciousness practices. He’s certainly an influential leader and his work is a good place to start.
I’ve only participated in 4D Mapping twice. Like constellation work to which it’s related, it’s based on representing. Participants sense into and perceive from the perspective of what they’re representing – other people or qualities - rather than, for example, what they themselves think.
We were 13 women and men. Two were hosts, one was an observer and ten were representatives.
This particular mapping was titled From Growth to Abundance – Growing our Consciousness for a Regenerative World. What were we representing in it? Starting off were Earth, Most Vulnerable Groups, and Highest Possible Outcome. These three are always present, I understand. From the remainder we chose from among Mainstream Media, Mainstream Consumer, Conscious Consumer, Individual Changemaker, Politicians, Indigenous Wisdom, Corporates, Purpose-driven new Organizations, and Senior Leaders. Except for hosts and observer, we each chose one of these (sometimes against our normal inclinations) and changed our Zoom names accordingly. We’d done some attunement and “settling in” before we started.
For the process itself, each representative spoke one single sentence of what was true from the chosen perspective. Having heard from all, each then moved to a second “sculpture” and expressed a second single sentence. The representatives then conversed among each other at some length, letting new things be expressed.
There was a strong sense of aliveness and movement. I felt comfortable and safe, even though I was out of my usual element and not “being myself.” Shifts emerged from unforeseen and seemingly counterintuitive directions. By “shift” I mean a change in the atmosphere in the conversation. This was similar to the way that laughter changes a room, but here, rather than laughter, the shift was more a sudden dawning of insight. One of those, as I experienced it was the realization that the corporate leaders may be the real “Most Marginalized Groups.” They can be stuck in place, isolated and unable to break rank. By contrast the Most Marginalized had warmth and human connection amongst themselves.
Another insight was the recognition that change was perhaps was not so much a burden or responsibility as a JOY. This emerged less as a nice idea than as a dynamic hidden truth that had been invisible but now wasn’t. I’m still connected to that shift a few days after.
Transformative shifts like this frequently happen in consciousness groups. It may be that beneath the superficial narratives and unbeknownst to us, a spreading awakening is taking root. Intentional consciousness work like 4D Mapping surely helps with this, but it may be that the origin is beyond. We live in a conscious universe after all and most of the consciousness transcends what we currently know and perhaps can imagine. Our conscious intention, especially undertaken collectively, can help to make these higher energies available. My book Evolutionary YOU highlights the crucial role that participation in conscious groups plays in individual evolution.
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A 4D Mapping for subscribers is in the works.
I’m hosting Base Camp, an introductory men’s zoom call November 4th evening (aka November 5th down under). Base Camp is a starting point for a conscious men’s journey. Eight spaces remain; it’s free and you can read about it and register here. Registering should indicate your intention to attend, something more than a thumbs up. There’ll be free or reasonably priced ways to explore more of Base Camp for those who wish.
Andrew