This is very much how the ‘Collective Wisdom Dance’ looks from the outside. Photo cc by Emilio Pereira

Collective Wisdom Dance

We can Dance a Better World into Existence!

Indeed, is that possible? Can we harness the power of super fluid collaboration on the dance floor for life? Can we dance a better world into existence? I thought it was, and gave it a swing with the ‘Collective Wisdom Dance’. This is the result.

The Question that drove the Experiment

First across the planet people go to events like ecstatic dancing. This form of dance lets people of all ages experience energy and flow all at the same time. There so much power in the experience of dancing like crazy, together with many others; everyone joining in the same energy. Then there’s constellation work, a form of therapy that reveals and heals deeply imprinted patterns in both our individual and collective system. In this method people get to ask their questions and insights one by one. I wondered, can we harness the collective energy of dancing with the wisdom of constellation work? Thus I invented the ‘Collective Wisdom Dance’. This is what I found.

We all can ask our current essential questions and all get answers at the same time. And we can shine in accordance with our society as a whole. All we need is conscious dancing in a certain state of wakeful flow.

I’ll explain what I exactly did. What I found. How I think it all works.

A little bit of Background

Before we begin, I’m a social innovator, albeit not a scientific one. I playfully experiment with questions and seek to make them work in the real world, often in the form of workshops. Whatever works stays on my list of offers. For example I found that most schools only focus on overcoming weaknesses, or dropping what you’re bad at and focussing on strong points. Then I wondered, what if we celebrated our weaknesses? So I developed the workshop ‘How to make money with your weaknesses?’ and found it helps people to accept themselves and find the gold within the perceived ‘weakness’. In fact the Gentle Revolution blog is full of connected ideas in many directions, all leading me to deeper understandings of essences that lie underneath it all.

Is it possible that all these people have a great dance and get deep insights into themselves and the world at the same time? I say Yes! Photo by cc by Ben Chun.

In this Collective Wisdom Dance experiment I was building on my experiments with Swarming, Collective Intelligence, Ecstatic Dance, Constellation work, Shamanism and more. I build on my years of experience of working with big groups, diverse forms of therapy, oracles, storytelling and wondering about collective growth, all culminating in one approach.

Set Up of the Experience

The first part of this workshop was quite regular, it’s what we did at the end, that was new and very different.

1. Core principles. I used a set of short exercises for people to experience what we were getting at, and what attitude would help them most. I used among others, the first two explained in this blog.
2. Earth. Getting the participants grounded and out of their heads into their bodies. Movement low in the body, stamping, shaking, using low tones and slow bass led rhythms.
3. Water. Letting them enter a state of relaxed flow. Read: gentle wavy music and the participants criss crossing each other like water, relating with each other to build safety and trust in the group, without any deeper personal contact.
4. Fire. Unleashing some fire and collective energy. Read: using great exciting dance music and getting them in a party mode to release collective joy.
5. Air. Going to the totally impersonal, almost floating through each other, not looking anyone in the eye. All attention was on seeing and being part of the collective movements, without judgement.
6. Question. Then it was time for the participants to wonder about their personal life question, like in any form of constellation work. They were asked to find intuitively their place and posture representing their question. We used slow abstract music to give them time and space.
7. Answers. Then we asked them to: ‘ dance your own answer AND your answer for the world.’ We invited 3 people to be observers from the side, and focus more on the collective answers, by observing behavior on the floor. This dance had three stages: focus on self starting at where you were at (your situation and your question), focus on role among others, focus on being part of and perceiving the whole as one. Observe what you do to shine yourself and let the whole do so as well.
8. Implementation. As a last dance we invited the participants to live their personal found answers within the collective. The purpose being them all helping the collective to shine more, each in their own way.

I think the routes followed towards step 5,6 & 7 can be be played with. It’s the essence of the approach that matters: get people to be open to feel and sense what their inner system tells them, beyond their own thinking about it. Get them using the essence of constellation mechanics in dance, with being present without judgement. Have them observe their own role in the whole and sense what works best for them.

Outcomes of the Collective Wisdom Dance.

The participants all experienced essential insights. They shared results such as: ‘I shouldn’t force myself to get results.’ ‘ I’m beautiful in my expression.’ ‘I help others more when I’m just there for others.’ ‘We experience the whole as chaos, yet when we accept it, based on trust the collaboration and interactions beneath become visible.’ ‘We each have different talents that all help the whole to balance itself out.’ ‘Wow, everyone looked so different, yet it was a whole.’ ‘When we, I mean I, trust we have impact, we, eh I, can shine without feeling stressed about it.’ One observer said, something like, ‘I saw my answer already in the first seconds. You can’t enforce your way onto others, you have to tune in to dance together for new things to arise and making things work.’

Diversity enlarged and talents started showing in a beautiful way too. Some people would dance around enthusiastically firing up everyone on their path. Another was much more caring in personal contact with everyone she met. A young woman danced alone, ever more beautiful from the inside out. She turned out to be an autonomous artist, who realized she shouldn’t be pressured to get results. Indeed expressing inside out worked the best for her. Another kept playing and puzzling others, yet this brought life back to people falling into patterns. Etc. Everyone showed talents that helped the whole to become more beautiful. And I went, wow, it actually works.

“Follow that what helps our planet to flourish and supports all movement that do too. You may consider yourself one very small bee. Yet, with each flight you enrich the hive and with each flight you help some flowers to bear fruits or seeds. That is the best win win possible. Be a bee.” ~Swarm Leadership II

I personally, while dancing myself in the last stages, also started to feel a presence of many connections and many energies at work. It was beyond what I could comprehend, too complex for words, yet it made sense to a deeper more physical ‘knowing’ and surrendering within me. I wasn’t controlling the workshop, nor the outcome, yet I was in flow with it and, as such, helping a new fluid kind of collaboration in between all participants to emerge. My brain sometimes went wild trying to grasp it, my body went into not-doing (Read Wu Wei or flow), not needing anything, enjoying the possible. It was like the intuition, I often work from when working with groups, became tangible, almost even visible. That state didn’t last long, but the feeling of wonder what more is possible has stayed with me, since.

How it all Works.

It makes sense to wonder if this approach, much like methods like World Café, might be a bit self referential, meaning that conclusions will be in line with the method. I think, yes, a certainly a little bit. That makes this approach both teaching (all the principles from How to Live in a Complex World can be applied) and a method to help people find their own answers. And yes, those answers, at first will seem in line with my message as a whole. But I found my preconceptions about some outcomes and answers to be wrong. The collective answer dance didn’t become more orderly, as chaos gave way to collaboration in attitude, not in movement. Rather everyone kept doing their very own bit, yet each separate own bit was much more in accordance with, or enriching, the whole. The experience changed, not the (seeming) chaos on the dance floor. And this experience helped everyone to see what they needed to see, or wonder about, related to fundamental principles of life.

The question thus changes to: How can we grow in accordance with fundamental principles of what it means to be alive in a collective society?

1. The world is our mirror, when we approach it as such. And when we get into a state where the unconscious may talk or express itself we get answers beyond the ongoing storytelling of our monkey mind. This is similar to why indigenous Vision Quests or the Walnut exercise work. We learn in the real world too, about what works and what doesn’t, yet play, workshops and dances have always been great exploration grounds to explore new insights in a safe setting, a miniature world of sorts.
2. Everything is connected and everything is a state of energy. When we tune into that, rather than force it, or try to control it, we do become more free, more aligned, more natural and less stressed or anxious. The method here is both teacher and help to find personal insights into how to do this better. Understand that the billions around the world who dance, actually are playfully training this anyway. People can dance all night in a state of bliss, no needing drugs, when they can naturally surrender to the flow. When you need drugs to get there, it may feel wonderful at the time, yet you may wonder if you can practice what you’ve learned in society.
3. We shine the most when we contribute. Our styles, gifts may be different, yet all natural gifts over time have been developed as something nature found helpful to our society as a whole. So many people feel lost, when pressured towards ways to take more than they give. The planetary rule of psychopathic paradigms is hurting us all. The collective wisdom dance helps people see what their gift in essence is. And it isn’t taking. It’s adding to the whole. That’s where we become essentially most happy. And I love teaching this, through an experience where you can discover and experience this for yourself: at the moment you shine the most, you contribute the most. You’re most beautiful, most at play and adding to the beauty of the whole, if you’re free to express yourself in a careless giving way in interaction with others.
4. To improve living based upon the previous insights follow these principles of How to live in a complex world: 1. The body knows. You have overview through the body; as a complete system it knows and experiences more than our brain can encompass. 2. Show leadership by taking part. 3. Achieve by not-doing (Wu-wei). 4. Embrace diversity and see what your contribution is. 5. Act where you are at (Glocal action).
5. Find and work with collaborative people. If you’re down, depressed, overworked it’s because of this ‘keep working for the economy’-cult. Seek ways to escape the cult and start dancing/playing. Why? To escape the flight-fight-or-freeze-conditioning, what works best are wisdom and play. They also are so outside the box of those who see the world as a chess board, that they can’t control nor relate to the dancers. Yes, dance yourself free. Use real dancing, real play and experience your whole life as a dance, seeking always to express your gift better. The result will be more happiness, more freedom, more health for people and planet.

And still wondering how to find your personal best way to contribute? Well, dance and play and join the global collective wisdom dance and or organize your own workshop around it. The world is waiting for your best moves. ;)

Gratitude: The first workshop of this new approach came into being through Danny Vader, a Dutch shaman. He once came to me with the idea that we could dance our collective answers to global questions, rather than keep on discussing them in ‘meetings’. The idea intrigued so much that I decided to put it into reality, with both his approval and some suggestions. Key the 1st time were also Bahar Farshchi Jamshidabady a focus therapist and ecstatic dance facilitator, DJ Bravon added great music choices. Also I thank all others in the field of family constellations, ecstatic dance and swarming who influenced me. And the Open Up festival for the space to experiment.

For deeper understanding how sick our culture is at the roots, listen to Gabor Mate or read this older blog post on it, by me. Very connected is this post, that focusses on voice, our role in the ‘World Song’. More exercises around the power of the collective (swarm), I’ve been using in diverse settings: training, conferences, education.