Holistic Dialogue [Overview]
'A sober psychedelic conversation'
THE WHY & THE WHAT?
Holistic Dialogue (HD) is a space for individual & collective inquiry and exploration, transcending our psychological structures in real-time based on no past knowledge.
Beyond the definition above lies nothing but speculation and interpretation of what one sees in the here and now; all that is open for a fundamentally fresh look in an HD. Because whatever is present with me/us could be nothing more than the past reproducing itself, hence, limited and not the whole.
What makes HD very challenging yet effective is the way it goes about how an individual and, consequently, a group of individuals functions. Namely, through the perception of what is taking place as a whole instead of pure analysis of collected information and data. The reason being, that once one implements knowledge in their own understanding, it becomes a limited structure through which one perceives, regardless of its background, relevance or even flexibility. This undermines an, often overlooked, innate ability to observe, which underlies our conjectures, opinions, conclusions, shared meaning, etc.
HD is to meet each other where we actually are, understanding together, what might be standing in the way, which often is, if not always, our individual separative thinking. Inevitably, listening ends up being a necessity rather than a mere requirement. Then and there, each participant discovers for themselves the quality of holistic action.
Here is an audio introduction to our HD podcast for a different take addressing the same question:
To face yourself instantly, understanding it each moment anew. It is vital for friendship, that immeasurable quality, to be present from the beginning. Because then, the act of judgment and measurement (what stifles the living in relationship and oneself) ends up exposed and eventually gone through and beyond. Normally in judgement, comparison, measurement, etc., creative space is so scarce if ever present. And for dialogue, creativity is necessary because it is essential for healthy living. Otherwise we exaggerate and end up losing our sensitivity. So what makes HD a psychedelic process is just that.
This is why we are here, to understand what it actually means to be sensitive, alive, vibrant.
WHAT ABOUT THE HOW?
One of the things that makes HD different is the deep understanding of thought and thinking through language. Traditionally we overlook the fact that we live our lives through the dominant thought process, so we do not question and inquire into it. Our conditioning is all there, expressed in thought. So the lack of this foundational understanding hinders and breaks down the dialogue, communication and the flow of living. Thus, the HD facilitator's job is to help people understand what's happening and what might need to be looked at more closely. Having said that, the facilitator's role is not fixed, as an HD is not run by concrete roles.
Generic procedure:
To discover the common ground between the group members.
To explore the limitation of our current communication and, potentially, go beyond it.
To understand the process of thinking and thought and how limiting it can be in relationship and creative work.
To go into and unpack the impact of listening in the here-and-now rather than reflecting on theories or deriving meaning from previous experiences.
To see what happens when listening is its own action.
NOW WHAT?
If you are still here, then you are already partaking. The question is then, how can I take this further?
Our reply, not answer, to this is 'Let us meet' through one of our HD groups:
FAQ
Q: How do Holistic Dialogue (HD) and Meditation relate?
The general meaning of meditation, as perceived by people, is that of an activity or a practice - which is equivalent to a religious prayer to Tripute. Beyond that, the meaning of meditation is something to be observed rather than pinned down in a definition - observing the totality of life and its flow, inside of us and out, whether there is a separation in us or not. In this sense, Holistic Dialogue (HD) is almost inseparable from meditation.
Q: What makes HD different from Coaching and Counseling?
Counseling concerns itself with the content of the past and, consequently, the future, and co-living in our environments with peace and no conflict.
Coaching, on the other hand, concerns itself mainly with the content of the future, sometimes delving into the past to clear any limiting beliefs in order to achieve what is desired and make progress.
HD does not concern itself with the content of the past or the future but with understanding the nature of that content as a whole and the movement of the same within an individual and a group.
In a nutshell, Coaching and Counseling concern themselves with organizing consciousness as the individual knows it, while HD concerns itself with the total understanding of consciousness and beyond, if there is such a thing.
Q: How does HD make no use of a methodology?
Observing the nature of thinking and thought holistically opens up the possibility for method-less and structure-less change, raising the question of whether observation is a result of a method or not, a point often explored in HD.
Q: What makes Holistic Dialogue different from Dialogue as presented by David Bohm or Jiddu Krishnamurti or William Isaacs and others?
From our experience with different circles and spaces of Dialogue, most, if not all, often refer to previously documented works of so-called "experts" and their expressions and actions. However, HD is unique in the sense of having no body of reference related to dialogue or life in general. It stands apart from the reliance on established authorities and instead stays with on a fresh and uncharted approach.
Q: Can you say more about what makes HD a sober psychedelic conversation?
Individuals who have experience with psychedelic medicine/drugs would be surprised by the word 'sober'. Because it is not yet imaginable that one can go through a psychedelic process without the assistance of a substance. Here is where HD shines, the understanding of the intellect, thought and related sensations, through our initial and only vehicle: language. This same vehicle that creates all our prejudice and separations, is also what allows us to delve deep within. In an HD one learns, not through accumulating knowledge and meaning, to embody this vehicle, or be embodied by it, to see and release the internalized psychological structure, shallow and deep. This is also what happens in an HD: Unpredictable flow of verbal and non-verbal thought and sensation.