Today during a circle an interesting train of thought emerged. I got very excited about it, it made me feel light and active in a very pleasant way. I’d use today’s drift to solidify the memory and see whether writing about it would take me even further.
A short side note: As I am writing this, another curiosity, that I can’t let pass without noticing, enters the game. What would happen with an idea, if it would undergo two different developmental treatments. First through a dialoguing technique, when new thoughts arise in the moment and being spoken out-loud. Mostly in the stream of blabbering delicious insights come to life. And after that, the idea is developed further through writing. Writing and speaking activate different modes of thinking, and I wonder what it would make with the idea. I’ll find out very soon as I am about to conduct this experiment.
Back to the circle. There was a woman from Portugal in the group and we had a chat about the country. I have a special relationship with Portugal, so I naturally got curious about it. She mentioned that there is an interesting scene forming. People who are interested in alternative medicine and embodied practices, eco-communities, unconventional farming and other areas that explore ways to minimise existential risk and introduce change in the way we engage with the world. We got curious to think why Portugal attracts people with such interest. There are obviously objective reasons, like real estate prices, geographical convenience, language and governmental policy etc., but maybe there are also less direct reasons like climate, quality of air, colours found in nature, the sound of the language, the way we feel about the people etc. The whole atmosphere that comes together with the objective circumstances. I remember when I was in Portugal, the heat was so strongly present, it really got me in some sort of trance. My mind was quick, but my body was almost not there. Like the membrane that separates me with the outside wasn’t perceivable. It is a very special experience. The colour of air, reflected in trees and stones also felt slightly off.
Small details that affect the experience of being in the place. Thinking about the peculiarity of a certain place got me thinking what each place is good for. Let’s say Portugal is the place where the membrane of your skin merges with hot air, The Netherlands is flat so nothing can restrict the movement, boosting innovation. Switzerland is the place with gorgeous mountains, evoking the feeling of sublime and realisation of one’s own insignificance. High altitudes slow down time and change our lungs. Soviet architecture reminds us of history. Particular monuments make us contemplate and make better decisions for the future. List is endless. Each place has its own special character and power how to bring something in us only by being there. What if we had a stronger awareness about that special spirit a place carries. And what would that spirit need to have from us to fully manifest and give back to us. Say if the the super power of the Netherlands is to stimulate innovative thinking, what infrastructure would we need to build in order to use it and what kind of care do we need to give to the place in order for it to feel happy in its best capacity.
Let’s apply global thinking and imagine the world being one body. Each place is an irreplaceable part the body with unique character. Each point on the skin feels differently and each point is indivisible for the whole. If we take it even further and apply the attachment vs. authenticity dichotomy to the countries, can we think of the ways how to facilitate the possibility for authentic manifestation of a place? Same as with people, the desire of a country to belong, the ability to be authentic is jeopardised. I wonder if it is possible to apply some of the developmental theories of adulthood and apply it to the global development. Each stage needs a special attention, support and care. And I am not implying the hierarchy of power of any kind, but dreaming of the world where each participant, whether it is a country or an individual is seen for what she is. There is an immense potential to reciprocal exchange between individual parts. This exchange is happening outside our awareness all the time but perhaps bringing more gratitude and appreciation to the uniques of places can support global process of trans-individuation.
Redistribution of capacities across global landscape would take a pressure of individual parts and give a purpose to their existence. What do we need to feel ourselves as a part of a beautiful