Collective dialectic inquiry is a collaborative process where a group examines an issue through shared questioning, dialogue, and reflective exploration. It transforms differing perspectives into deeper shared understanding, allowing the group to move toward clarity, alignment, and wiser action.
Step 1: Arrive and Make Contact
Sit with one, or more.
Breathe, sense your body.
Feel the presence of the other person(s).
Let yourself be interested, and to show this interest.
Step 2: Sense the Field
Bring awareness to:
What is happening in you, as you feel the “air” or “space” around and through (both or more) of you
- Your shared presence
- Any vibrations, flow, contraction, intimacy, distance, charge in your bodymindheartsoul.
Acknowledge what you sense to yourself.
Step 3: Name What Is Happening In You Now
The first person in the group starts by briefly naming whatever is actually present for them.
Examples:
- “I notice I feel shy talking to you right now.”
- “I sense a warmth between us.”
- “I feel tense and I’m not sure why.”
Step 4: Hold The Space For The Other(s)
As the other takes a turn to respond and name their own experience, help contain their experience by listening deeply.
Inquiry is:
Expressing your immediate experience
AND
Allowing your partner(s) expression to impact you
Step 5: Explore Together
Let the unfolding relationship lead the inquiry.
Your job is to stay open to the truth of the moment.
Take turns to express what is most real in you as you hear one another.
Remember: You’re not analyzing, diagnosing, or interpreting each other.
You are:
- Staying sensitive to shifts in the field
- Feeling into what’s happening
- Naming its impact on you
- Following the unfolding thread
Step 6: Let Surprises Reveal Themselves
Unexpected things often appear:
- Resistance
- Attraction
- Shyness
- Vulnerability
- Tenderness
- Playfulness
- Eros
The Authentic Field 