24 June 2007
Inner Dialogue
25/06/07 10:53
The other day I completed teaching in
Portland, a module entitled 'Inner Dialogue'. This
was a compilation of work which I used to teach from various
modules of [the old] work but now have brought together as a neat,
precise and specific series of module(s). This is also taught as a
comprehensive 7 module series entitled 'Ontological Kinesiology' in
Austria under the auspices of a large secondary education
organization called WiFi. Stephen, Marcus, Amalia,
Sylvia have done a very successful job of presenting this to
students looking for a new occupation for their lives. They also
present the Cranial Fluid Dynamics
course, that runs parallel to the OK course.
My purpose, in this new compilation, is to introduce students to more of the art of dialogue, to really listen to the client and be able to range through the many modes [mudras] to enable a fluid conversation to occur between client and ontologist. All of those attending had taken other courses - Cranial Fluid Dynamics, Qi-in a rhythm, Allergy-from symptom to Source and Myths and Archetypes, so between them they had a subjective yet wide grasp of the material. In practice, however, it is much harder to actually bring your thoughts together whilst conversing with a client. To have the fluidity of thought, flexibility of knowing the modes without having to look them up, and to be attentive to what is really being said takes time and practice. To enable us to enquire deeply, and to understand the real ontology of the problem, and to know that our clients - as well as ourselves - needs us to also understand that we [or them] will often 'fudge' the reply [answer]; not because they want to, but because the human organism is composed of levels, that can answer for us. In this way the client can tell us what is going on from the perspective of their feelings, but ignore what their humanity may be saying. Likewise our historical self can pipe-up and start talking, but its ability to speak the truth may be marred by old patterns of inherited trickery and obfuscation. At the same time this obfuscation is issuing from the mouth of the client and looks as if it is true, honest, and authentic. We must be aware that each one of us can bend the truth, which makes this work so fascinating as it it behooves us to really pay attention, have an understanding of the full range of modes [mudras] that must be learnt, so that as we converse with our clients we really are able to pull up, straighten out and cleanly transcribe [so to speak] the underlying message, free of interference, masquerade and 'red herrings'.
I mentioned several times during the workshop that we, as companions, may find ourselves walking with our clients towards a proverbial cliff, and that our job is to gently take them off a precipitous path without occurring wrath, dismay, reaction or disquiet, so as not to fall helplessly into their state - otherwise we do them nor us any good. This constant vigilance, attentiveness if you like, is a prerequisite of any good companion, so that we accompany others and are able to offer a 'truth' as we travel with them, and are able not to step back, parody, mimic or simple 'let be' - for our societal modeling of being 'politically correct' may lead us, as practitioners, around the wrong corner when we don't exercise our own authority, and allow the client, in their distress and dysfunction, to lead us down their own path.
In the work we have two modes: 'prepare the soil' and 'reciprocal'. The first infers that we, as practitioners, should be careful about how much information we give to the client, inferring that the information brought out of their system is powerful and has a resident 'force' and which has taken power over them. Too much talk may exaggerate its previous power and make it difficult for them to deal with it. Conversely the mode cautions us to be quiet, as we engage in our initially non verbal questioning and that when we pull up some important information, be cognizant that further or too much talking may cover-up important information, or take us in the wrong direction and so hide the data. The second mode 'reciprocal' infers that we as ontologists, either have the experience of something and so implicitly 'know' it, or, we are also patterned into a similar [but not always identical] force which may allow us to unconsciously collude with the client - it's like an early warning mode that helps us to keep on track. However there are lots of times neither mode goes in, and yet the client can still pull the wool over our eyes.
The work last weekend was to train the students to really begin to master their craft, and see the width and depth of the language of modes, and develop a relative vigilance as to veracity - the capacity to be an editor as well as companion whilst working with the client. It also engaged the students into understanding that we, as companions, can offer our own 'maps' and proclivities and ideas [that are often 'attached' to us] which have no relevance to the client, fill them up with one's own models and yet has no relevance to their story that is emerging. This work is unique in that we train students to listen to the client's story - it is true that we ask the questions, but their being or at the least, their differing elements or selves answer back, and we then, as companions, use the next mode to challenge the pathway of the conversation. In so doing we extract a detailed, precise and ontologically accurate picture of the story that holds the client in their state. By doing so, we enable to client to expunge, clean, blow-out the offending forces that have held their organism in unease, disquiet, dysfunction or illness.
In all, it was a successful workshop, for the relatively small numbers of students were able to acquire a deep appreciation yet again of the complexity of the human organism through the simplicity of this medium of ontological kinesiology. I was very pleased.
My purpose, in this new compilation, is to introduce students to more of the art of dialogue, to really listen to the client and be able to range through the many modes [mudras] to enable a fluid conversation to occur between client and ontologist. All of those attending had taken other courses - Cranial Fluid Dynamics, Qi-in a rhythm, Allergy-from symptom to Source and Myths and Archetypes, so between them they had a subjective yet wide grasp of the material. In practice, however, it is much harder to actually bring your thoughts together whilst conversing with a client. To have the fluidity of thought, flexibility of knowing the modes without having to look them up, and to be attentive to what is really being said takes time and practice. To enable us to enquire deeply, and to understand the real ontology of the problem, and to know that our clients - as well as ourselves - needs us to also understand that we [or them] will often 'fudge' the reply [answer]; not because they want to, but because the human organism is composed of levels, that can answer for us. In this way the client can tell us what is going on from the perspective of their feelings, but ignore what their humanity may be saying. Likewise our historical self can pipe-up and start talking, but its ability to speak the truth may be marred by old patterns of inherited trickery and obfuscation. At the same time this obfuscation is issuing from the mouth of the client and looks as if it is true, honest, and authentic. We must be aware that each one of us can bend the truth, which makes this work so fascinating as it it behooves us to really pay attention, have an understanding of the full range of modes [mudras] that must be learnt, so that as we converse with our clients we really are able to pull up, straighten out and cleanly transcribe [so to speak] the underlying message, free of interference, masquerade and 'red herrings'.
I mentioned several times during the workshop that we, as companions, may find ourselves walking with our clients towards a proverbial cliff, and that our job is to gently take them off a precipitous path without occurring wrath, dismay, reaction or disquiet, so as not to fall helplessly into their state - otherwise we do them nor us any good. This constant vigilance, attentiveness if you like, is a prerequisite of any good companion, so that we accompany others and are able to offer a 'truth' as we travel with them, and are able not to step back, parody, mimic or simple 'let be' - for our societal modeling of being 'politically correct' may lead us, as practitioners, around the wrong corner when we don't exercise our own authority, and allow the client, in their distress and dysfunction, to lead us down their own path.
In the work we have two modes: 'prepare the soil' and 'reciprocal'. The first infers that we, as practitioners, should be careful about how much information we give to the client, inferring that the information brought out of their system is powerful and has a resident 'force' and which has taken power over them. Too much talk may exaggerate its previous power and make it difficult for them to deal with it. Conversely the mode cautions us to be quiet, as we engage in our initially non verbal questioning and that when we pull up some important information, be cognizant that further or too much talking may cover-up important information, or take us in the wrong direction and so hide the data. The second mode 'reciprocal' infers that we as ontologists, either have the experience of something and so implicitly 'know' it, or, we are also patterned into a similar [but not always identical] force which may allow us to unconsciously collude with the client - it's like an early warning mode that helps us to keep on track. However there are lots of times neither mode goes in, and yet the client can still pull the wool over our eyes.
The work last weekend was to train the students to really begin to master their craft, and see the width and depth of the language of modes, and develop a relative vigilance as to veracity - the capacity to be an editor as well as companion whilst working with the client. It also engaged the students into understanding that we, as companions, can offer our own 'maps' and proclivities and ideas [that are often 'attached' to us] which have no relevance to the client, fill them up with one's own models and yet has no relevance to their story that is emerging. This work is unique in that we train students to listen to the client's story - it is true that we ask the questions, but their being or at the least, their differing elements or selves answer back, and we then, as companions, use the next mode to challenge the pathway of the conversation. In so doing we extract a detailed, precise and ontologically accurate picture of the story that holds the client in their state. By doing so, we enable to client to expunge, clean, blow-out the offending forces that have held their organism in unease, disquiet, dysfunction or illness.
In all, it was a successful workshop, for the relatively small numbers of students were able to acquire a deep appreciation yet again of the complexity of the human organism through the simplicity of this medium of ontological kinesiology. I was very pleased.
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