The Delight of Intersubjective Dialogue

enlightenment is that it expresses itself in the space between us – it is no longer only the subjective experience of the individuals in the group, but effectively becomes the inter-subjective experience of the whole group. This is why we came to call it Intersubjective Nonduality; or Collective Enlightenment, or simply a Higher We. As we deepened our capacity to come together in this shared consciousness in which the One Reality is the ground of people’s relationships, we discovered that whatever is being expressed and shared in this state no longer comes from accumulated knowledge. It bubbles up from the Creative Source Itself – from the very edge where formlessness and form meet; the place where nothing has yet occurred, yet everything is possible. When people come togeth- er in this Higher We, collective intelligence blossoms. Surprising novelty and original insights arise, and express themselves through the group, uplifting people’s dialogues, and generating new an- swers to old conundrums - insights that cannot easily be found in isolation, yet seem to emerge quite effortlessly through the rich tapestry of awakened collective awareness. As a result of these thrilling observations, it soon began to dawn on us that if nondual- ity could become the foundation of our shared human experience - the ground upon which we meet – the world could be a radically different place. Cultivating this Higher We is how we, at Manifest Nirvana, aspire to build a truly evolutionarily enlightened Sangha - a com- munity of finders adept in the art of living awakening relationally! The Delight of Intersubjective Dialogue The central practice for catalyzing this Higher We is called ‘in- tersubjective dialogue’ or ‘enlightened communication’. This is a form of deep self-reflective group conversation in which we step beyond our ego and its ordinary tendencies of self-absorption and self-concern, and relate to one another with awakened awareness. In this trans-egoic state, we move into dialogue with each oth- er, which can be about any topic related to the human condition. While communicating, we make room for the emergence of an in- terpersonal intelligence – a presence in itself, wiser than any single individual in the group – and allow it to express itself through all of us. The power of this practice is that participants aspire to speak from their Authentic Self. And so, whenever the dialogue is suc- cessful, it feels as if an ecstatic surge of evolutionary creativity erupts from the depths of the Creative Source Itself, speaking through every person directly and spontaneously - as one voice. The One and the Many mysteriously cohere. Everybody is uplift- ed into a state of transcendental awareness, in which their greater purpose for being alive discloses itself with such clarity that it sets them on fire with the passion to co-create the future. For years, our lived experience disclosed to us that when the unifying power of deep spiritual communion combines with the diversity of our self-actualized uniqueness, collective intelligence thrives. When everybody’s unique differences and perspectives are given free rein to arise from a basis of Prior Unity, the mysterious ascending drive of evolutionary creativity comes alive, and the dialogues between people become a crucible of co-creation. As we continued to refine the art of creating thriving collabo- rative ‘we-spaces’ between people, we slowly but surely began to better understand the dynamics of collective awakening, and we discovered and developed the ground rules that help catalyze the shift from a ‘Higher I’ to a ‘Higher We’. Here are the basic guidelines for the practice of intersubjective dialogue: When you listen to your dialogue partners, listen deeply! Deep listening takes you out of your mind and into awakened awareness. While listening, don’t try to make sense of what you hear. Don’t judge it, don’t interpret it, don’t put it into a framework. Only listen. Just receive, from a space of non-reactive openness. Simply listening itself is a full practice of attention that can catalyze radi- cal awakeness here and now, open-eyed, right in the midst of life. It opens the door for the Authentic Self to come alive in you. Choose to stand in the depths of your Authentic Self – the non-contracted, already liberated Self, that is expressing itself as the dynamic, ever-evolving creative principle; the evolutionarily enlightened Self that is one and the same in you and me. Feel this dimension of yourself that is always inspired, always sensing the imminence of higher potentials, and always ecstatically striving to create the future, and let your voice naturally bubble up from there. When you speak, do so with sincerity, transparency, dignity, and clarity. Don’t speak personally nor intellectually. We want our utterances to be transpersonal and transrational - beyond personal opinions, history, preferences and experiences. The Authentic Self always responds spontaneously; it comes from the Creative Source Itself and is, therefore, faster than thought, and prior to our person- al history. Even when you are not speaking, stay with the conver- sation. Remain present and attentive. Do not get lost in your own thoughts. Always lean fully into the dialogue. Our active partici- pation – verbal and non-verbal – is what makes the conversation come alive. Be more interested in what you don’t know yet, than in what you already know. This draws you into a state of deep unselfcon- scious curiosity. It generates a sense of delightful anticipation, and like nothing else it connects you to the creative potential that is in- herent in every single moment. As you listen with radical openness and ceaseless curiosity, sensing the imminence of fresh potentials ready to surface, you become deeply receptive to what wants to be said; to the novelty that wants to emerge from the shared field of non-separate intimacy between us. Whenever you sense the fledgling glimmers of a fresh insight arising in the dialogue, amplify them. Build on each other’s contri- butions. Add to the insight we are collectively co-creating – to the wisdom that is bubbling up from the intersubjective nondual space between us. If you can build on what others say, and allow your own thoughts to be evolved by other people’s responses to you, you increase the likelihood for creative novelty to emerge. As the dialogue gains a natural flow, and you are truly im- mersed in it, it feels as if the one Authentic Self is actually having a conversation with itself through everybody in the group. Hear- ing the diverse expressions it creates, through each and every one present, will fill you with a thrilling sense of joy. The mystery of consciousness – so it seems - always delights in its own self-recog- nition.