Collective Presencing by Ria Baeck has lots to say about guiding questions.
We can access the full depth of the potential in service of manifestation and generative action, only to the extent that we can articulate a clear and lofty intention or purpose. This explains the importance of finding powerful guiding question(s) and clearly naming the shared purpose.
The Women Moving the Edge gatherings were always collective inquiries where the guiding question or theme was set in advance by the hosting team.
The guiding question acts as a boundary or membrane, framing the scope of the inquiry and its attendant conversations. Beyond that, there is a high level of not-knowing-yet what will arise from the collective inquiry.
For me, reading Collective Presencing was a very stimulating experience. My mind was flooded with ideas, so many guiding questions that I was overwhelmed. But with the passing of some time, I focused on My Gift, Your Gift, Our Gift.
But I also want to capture and preserve some of my other ideas and park them for now.
One idea I have is combining intergenerational dialogue with collective presencing and below is an attempt to move in that direction.
Greetings Gary,
Your enthusiasm on Civics Unplugged and Saving Democracy w/ Gary Sheng - Voices with Vervaeke was fun to watch. As you have discovered, John Vervaeke is doing impressive work towards solving the meaning crisis. You have discovered Game B and your life will never be quite the same ever again.
I had a look at your personal website and read the three articles you wrote that were posted there. Again, I was impressed as I am getting to know you a little bit. I am guessing that you are about half my age but you are at least twice as wise as I was in my early thirties, seriously.
And I had a look at Civics Unplugged, also impressive. I hope it becomes a great success. You have found important work to do.
I would like to extend three invitations to you.
1/ Please consider responding to my open letter On Baby Boomers and Millennials. I think intergenerational dialogue is important and we have much to learn from each other. So far I have been disappointed with getting only one response to my letter.
2/ Please consider helping with the creation of an intergenerational collective presencing practice. I am guessing you have never heard of collective presencing, but check it out. You can start by having a look at my An Introduction to a Beginner’s Guide to Collective Presencing which has a link to the real thing.
3/ Please check out The Stoa, also part of the Game B world. It could open up many new insights for you. But stay focused on Civics Unplugged as a vehicle for transition from Game A to Game B, better to do something than just learn, learn, learn.
Regards,
John Stokdijk
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
Gary replied and indicated that he had forwarded my email to some young people in his circle of acquaintances, but I have heard nothing further.
Another idea I have is combining collective presencing and peer support as a tool for coping with loneliness and/or depression, as well as suicide prevention. Below is an email to a former colleague as an attempt to move in this direction.
Thanks for responding, Andy. Do you use Zoom? If so, we can use that next time.
Stokdijk Greenhouses are now a third generation operation - started by my father, then my brother, now a nephew.
Yes, this is a new idea. You will need to invest a couple of hours reading to get a glimpse of it. I will give you some links and then explain what I would like to do.
https://ajijicbookclub.com/books/54
I started a book club four years ago. Read this book report to get started.
An Introduction to a Beginner’s Guide to Collective Presencing
This is a 12 page summary, just scratching the surface.
https://book.collectivepresencing.org
This is a book, so just skim it.
What I have in mind is a project investigating whether Collective Presencing can help alleviate intense feelings of loneliness (which can lead to depression). I am hoping you will help me find two people interested in working on this project, sort of a pilot project. There is a big cost, zero dollars but lots of time. This should appeal to someone in the mental health world in Canada and you know lots of people.
By the way, retirement is generally good for mental health, but I did have some challenges adjusting, all good now.
Regards,
John
I have not heard back from Andy to date and I have not followed up.
For another idea, my guiding question is Does it take a village to raise a child, or does it take a circle? Although I have no children, when I married it was my intention to start a family. Looking back at my own life, I do not think that I had any chance of being a good father until I was at least forty. I also know that at age fifteen I began to fiercely fight for my independence from my parents. I succeeded by leaving home at age seventeen.
What if parents recognize their immaturity, their shortcomings and their lack of parenting skills? What if, in addition to being the best parents they can possibly be, they involve others. What if parents encourage their young teenagers to connect with trusted others in a collective presencing practice?
There are many related questions to explore in this direction.
There is another idea that I have had for several years that could be combined with collective presencing. It is my desire to help create An Agnostic Manifesto but doing so by myself would result in something ridiculously incomplete. This must be done by a group.
This project would be an exploration of what I/You/Us do not know, perhaps cannot know, but find meaningful. It would be an exploration into the great mysteries of life. It would be an agnostic path to being spiritual but not religious.
Finally, I would like to have a collective presencing experience in my local community. I want to sit in a circle with real people and have deep, meaningful conversations. There is much to explore and it would not be difficult to frame guiding questions that would resonate with others here at Lakeside.
Some areas of interest to me include 1/ aging as a spiritual practice 2/ anything related to ending the cultural wars 3/ facing decline, death and the end of our journey, and anything else connected to retirement.