Copyright © 2012 Macy Holdings, L.P. All Rights Reserved. Anyone may, without requesting permission, use this article for noncommercial and educational use as long as the copyright notice is acknowledged and this website (http://wwwmacyholdings.com/) is cited as the source of the article. Anyone wishing to use this article for commercial purposes must receive prior written permission from Macy Holdings, L.P.

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David Bohm's Dialogue

Fragmentation versus wholeness....that, according to theoretical physicist, David Bohm, was the greatest challenge to modern man. Not the conquering of space or the finding of even more minute units of matter, but our ability to get along together and to think together is the greatest frontier. David Bohm was a scientist whose range of interests covered not only his primary focus of theoretical physics but also a wide span of topics including language, creativity, thought, and social responsibility. Of deep importance to Bohm was the impact that individual and collective thought have at societal and political levels. While most of us take interest in the cultural and political environment around us, the intensity of Bohm’s orientation was different. He not only took an interest, he worried and agonized over these issues, feeling that he personally had responsibility to participate in charting a more generative way forward for society. And so, bringing together his research into the process of human thought, his depth of exploration in theoretical physics, his diverse experiences in his own pursuits to develop his consciousness, and his curiosity of human language, he initiated the process of Dialogue as a remedy for the many social problems facing our modern world.

In a Bohmian Dialogue, a group of individuals, preferably of diverse backgrounds, sit in a circle and talk over an extended period of time. A typical Dialogue lasts 90 minutes or longer, and the same individuals likely participate in these Dialogues over a period of time, say weekly or monthly over a year or two. Or, perhaps the group would meet for several days at a time. The group initially relies on a facilitator who describes the purpose and process of Dialogue and helps the individuals accustom themselves to Dialogue’s different manner of communicating, as well as noticing his or her internal experience of the communication. But as the group becomes proficient, the role of the facilitator merges into that of just another participant.

Copyright © 2012 Macy Holdings, L.P. All Rights Reserved. Anyone may, without requesting permission, use this article for noncommercial and educational use as long as the copyright notice is acknowledged and this website (http://wwwmacyholdings.com/) is cited as the source of the article. Anyone wishing to use this article for commercial purposes must receive prior written permission from Macy Holdings, L.P.

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In a true Bohmian Dialogue, there would be no agenda, no topic specified, no intended outcome other than for the individuals to explore under the surface of the conversation and to hone their ability to perceive their own assumptions and thought processes as they occur as well as the assumptions being voiced by others. In many group settings, Bohm's intention for no expectation has been modified to allow for a strategic or chosen question that emerges as the focus of the Dialogue.

The essential process of Dialogue differs from normal group conversation. The purpose is to understand the communication of others, though there is no expectation that the thoughts or opinions of others will be agreed to or accepted. In essence, Dialogue creates an inventory of diverse perspectives on a particular topic that is much broader than any one individual holds.

By holding the space for divergent expressions of the group members and by understanding rather than agreeing and disagreeing with their content, meaning begins to surface, the broad outlines of a collective pattern emerge, and the underpinnings of the context or culture become apparent. It is this elucidation of the meaning, the conscious awareness that results from Dialogue, that leads to a shifting of the consciousness of the group participants and through these shifts to the possibility of social, cultural, or organizational change. A new and creative resolution not previously seen emerges. The experience of Dialogue can be frustrating, especially as the group begins and is accustoming itself to the process. In our Western culture, we focus on a prescribed purpose or outcome, an agenda, specific meeting processes, maybe a meeting facilitator, time management, etc. And so to participate in a group process that lacks these cultural contrivances throws many into a state of confusion at first.

Copyright © 2012 Macy Holdings, L.P. All Rights Reserved. Anyone may, without requesting permission, use this article for noncommercial and educational use as long as the copyright notice is acknowledged and this website (http://wwwmacyholdings.com/) is cited as the source of the article. Anyone wishing to use this article for commercial purposes must receive prior written permission from Macy Holdings, L.P.

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With continuance over time, Dialogues have revealed deep insight into the reasons underlying cultural dysfunctions, into individuals’ perceptions of their own growth in consciousness, and into the capacity for the group to think together. David Bohm deeply believed that the hope for changes in consciousness necessary for planetary, societal and organizational survival lies in the individual and group development of a higher level of consciousness and in the ability to think and to reflect together.