Dialogue is critical to our times

Humanity is at a dangerous precipice. We have individually and collectively traveled into such extremes in our experience of separation, that we are deeply threatening our quality of life, if not our very survival. The destructive symptoms and behaviors that we are experiencing have their roots in personal and collective beliefs, emotions, stories and world-views that limit and divide us. These symptoms and behaviors include:

• Increasing conflict and polarization within our society (rich-poor, left-right, vaccinated-unvaccinated, black-white, etc), representing a separation from our common humanity.
• The climate crisis and mass extinction of species, representing our separation from nature
• The increase of the surveillance state, representing our separation from trust and each other
• An increase of guilt, blaming and shaming, representing a separation from responsibility
• A decrease in physical health, representing a separation from our body and emotions
• An increase of fear, anxiety, and depression, representing a separation from Self & Life
• A decrease in our sense of hope, meaning and purpose, representing separation from Source
• And, the list goes endlessly on...

With dialogue, we can begin to bridge the divide, reconnect and thrive

BECOME THE CHANGE in Dialogue

Dialogue will enrich you personally in extraordinary ways. You will:

• Get clarity and understanding about what could change your world
• Learn and practice ways of communicating that will improve your relationships
• Discover your authentic voice and have it heard, respected and appreciated
• Open up your heart and mind to other perspectives and ideas.
• Make new friends and be part of an enriched, supportive community
• Get to know yourself better and expand your opportunities to grow and evolve
• Notice yourself letting go of limiting assumptions and stories that hold you back
• Expand your capacity for compassion, empathy, and acceptance of others
• Shift and collapse the divisions within yourself; finding more inner peace
• Get to contribute to the growth of others through your presence
• Learn to trust that life is working for you, not against you — if you let it!
• Develop your skills and capacity to host your own extraordinary dialogues for change

Catch a Conversation for Change

You are invited to register below and participate in open dialogue to experience genuine connection, learning and change.

• These dialogues are focused on active participation by attendees and will NOT be recorded.   
• The sessions are free for anyone to attend, but you are encouraged to make a donation to keep the dialogues going.
• You may attend as often as you like, but space is limited to keep the dialogues small and intimate.
• If you register and cannot attend, please let us know in advance so that others can come in your place.
• The dialogues are hosted using the Bohmian Dialogue method and participants will be asked to agree to these dialogue practices.
• The dialogues often have a focusing theme, but otherwise, the dialogue is emergent, in-the-moment and free flowing

Bohm Dialogue Event Calendar

* Times listed in North American - Eastern & 90 minutes in duration

** Topic(s) to emerge from the check-in process

Conversations often divide us

Not all conversations are the same.  Typical conversations tend to be rooted in what separates us, rather than what unites us. We discuss, deliberate and debate. We have been conditioned to preach, teach, convince, gossip, win-them-over, negotiate, argue, coerce and manipulate others into seeing the world as we do. We express opinions and judgments without examining our underlying assumptions, beliefs and shadow projections.

Outcome-focused, domination-based conversations start with a premise that 'the others need to change' which results in more separation and nothing changes. We often miss the 'whole' picture. 

Dialogue is different

Open dialogue reconnects people; bridging what divides us. It is rooted in curiosity.

If there is an agenda to dialogue, it is genuine connection, learning and understanding. It is about the practice of deeply listening, respecting and suspending our own opinions and judgments in order to clearly see and hear the person(s) before us, including ourselves. In genuine contact, listening and understanding, magic happens! Dialogue bridges the divide with mutual respect, compassion, empathy and understanding. By elevating the quality of our relationships, new insights, opportunities and solutions can naturally emerge which are more sustainable and whole.

Bohm Dialogue

While we may use different methods to create open, connected, respectful and effective dialogue, our preferred method is Bohm Dialogue, named after the famous physicist, David Bohm. Experience it for yourself in one of our public dialogues!

What happens in Bohm Dialogue?

In Bohm Dialogue, there is often no set agenda or focused subject to talk about. Instead, the topic(s) or themes emerge out of the active listening and contributions of the participants present.  There is no facilitator making anything happen, but rather a 'Host' that also participates, notices when the conversation slips out of dialogue, and invites people back into the practice. The group, through their contributions of suspending, respecting, voicing and listening, notice as themes, insights, learning and wisdom naturally emerge over the course of the conversation.

A Bohm Dialogue agenda tends to be very simple:

1. Welcome: The host welcomes participants, explains the practices of dialogue and invites participants into agreement. If there is a subject or theme for the dialogue, this is clarified.

2. Check-in: Each participant does a brief 'check-in,' introducing themselves and 'what is moving within them' at the moment.

3. Flow: An open dialogue continues, taking its lead from what emerged in the check-in, following the flow of what participants notice as they speak, listen, think and feel together. 

4. Closing: A final round or 'check-out' is conducted where everyone gets an opportunity to briefly share their experience and what they are taking away from the experience.

The Bohm Dialogue Practices

Participants are invited to agree to 'practices' for the dialogue. It is a 'practice', because most of us are not skilled in dialogue and fall into old polarizing habits. Together, we will develop our capacity for open dialogue but at times we will get off track, notice this, and come back into the practice. For example, consider the practice of meditation, where your mind may spin off into thinking until you notice this and pull yourself back into watching your breath.  Our four Bohm Dialogue practices are:

1. SUSPENDING: Letting go of assumptions, beliefs or certainty about things and opening up to other possibilities, viewpoints, experiences or ideas. This is not about convincing others of your views, but with curiosity, attempting to connect and understand them, and in the process, knowing yourself too.

2. RESPECTING: Seeing and respecting the humanity in others and relating with empathy and compassion to their life journey. By seeing them, you may see yourself more clearly too.

3. VOICING: Discovering your authentic voice and trusting it. This is not about saying something clever or wise. It is about noticing the call within you to speak, or to just respectfully listen and notice that others might be saying exactly what you wanted to say. Speak about only one important idea at a time, rather than talking about all the run-on thoughts arising in you. Less is more.  If you or someone is dominating the conversation, notice this and find a way to come back into balanced dialogue.

4. LISTENING: Listen with all your senses and intuition, to the whole person behind the words. You will be listening far more than speaking. With curiosity, hear the tone, cadence, pitch, pauses, movements, meaning, energy, emotions, values and intentions of the speakers. Be present to the beauty and richness of the silent moments too.

About your Dialogue Host

Richard Schultz

Richard is all about 'being the change' that we want to see in the world - both inner and outer. For the last 20+ years, he has studied, taught and developed ways to create change from the inside - out. These inner change technologies include how to quickly change limiting subconscious beliefs and for even more powerful inner shifts, how to integrate our 'shadows' to become 'whole 'again.  Richard's shadow integration technology is actually done through a powerful inner dialogue process that heals past inner wounds and traumas through forgiveness. 

Richard has also studied and worked with organizations and communities around change for over 20 years. This work includes teaching and facilitating using whole-person meeting technologies such as Open Space Technology and Genuine Contact™ as well as working with purpose and values alignment.

Richard has a passion for peace. He has helped hundreds of individuals overcome challenges to find more inner peace and has facilitated many groups such as Rotarians to organize themselves to create more peace in the world. In 2020, he co-created and facilitated a Peace Leaders group in Moncton, Canada to reach the goal of becoming an International City of Peace. He also co-created and facilitated Peace Cafés in the Moncton area and online. Essentially, these Bohm Dialogues are the next step in the evolution of the Peace Cafés! 

Click here to learn more about Richard and his work.

Contact Richard

 Contact Richard

About Richard

Richard Schultz assists leaders in unlocking their true potential, authentic power and inner wisdom to create extraordinary, high impact lives. Courses, life mentoring and dialogue with Richard can help you live your legacy and build capacity to thrive with change!

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