From Me to We
A Phenomenological Inquiry into Coherence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47061/jasc.v2i2.3398Keywords:
Coherence, Co-sensing, Intersubjective, Group development, Beingness, Ways of knowingAbstract
Groups play a pivotal role in human lives and may be even more important at this current moment when the human species faces myriad intractable issues. It could be argued that groups that are able to form tight connections may be needed now more than ever. While many empirical studies of groups focus on group performance, productivity, and effectiveness, or group “doingness,” this paper introduces a recent study that explored group “beingness” and the experience of manifesting deep union and oneness, an intersubjective phenomenon called coherence. Coherence has been written about from a theoretical and conceptual perspective, as well as from a practice perspective, but it has rarely been investigated empirically. An interpretive phenomenological investigation of coherence inquired into the phenomenon through the facilitation of two group coherence sessions immediately followed by group interviews. The study’s design aimed to explore coherence from the intersubjective perspective, allowing participants to make meaning of their coherence experiences in community. This paper introduces the study and its findings and posits the importance of this type of group phenomenon in our current human reality.
References
Baeck, R. (2016, Spring/Summer). Collective presencing: Four years later. Kosmos Journal. https://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/collective-presencing-four-years-later/
Brabant, M., & DiPerna, D. (2016). Initial mapping and the eternal mystery of we-space: Cartography, capacities, and consciousness. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 11-18). Integral Publishing House.
Briskin, A., Struff, C., Ott, J., & Potter, D. (2001). Centered on the edge: Mapping a field of collective intelligence & spiritual wisdom. MorganPress.
Briskin, A., Erickson, S., Ott, J., & Callahan, T. (2009). The power of collective wisdom: And the trap of collective folly. Berrett-Koehler.
Buber, M. (1947/2002). Between man and man. Routledge.
Caspari, A., & Schilling, M. (2016). A we-space process ecology. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 61-78). Integral Publishing House.
Cox, L. (2014). Presencing our absencing: A collective reflective practice using Scharmer’s “U” model. In O. Gunnlaugson, C. Baron, & M. Cayer (Eds.), Perspectives on theory U: Insights from the field (pp. 29–47). Business Science Reference. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4793-0
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.12.1.82.s2
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1991.4279513
Cunliffe, A. L., & Hibbert, P. (2016). The philosophical basis of leadership-as-practice from a hermeneutical perspective. In A. L. Cunliffe & P. Hibbert (Eds.), Leadership-as-practice: Theory and application (pp. 50–69). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315684123-3
de Quincy, C. (2000). Intersubjectivity: Exploring consciousness from the second person perspective. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 32(2), 125–155. https://www.atpweb.org/jtparchive/trps-32-00-01-035.pdf
Donaldson, W., & Harter, N. (2019). Leadership in a constant liminal loop: How can I be authentic when I don't know who I am? Journal of Leadership Studies, 13(3), 6–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21658
Dossey, L., & Dossey, B. (2020). Survival, consciousness, and the one mind. In R. Atkinson, K. Johnson, & D. Moldow (Eds.), Our moment of choice: Evolutionary visions and hope for the future (pp. 121–127). Atria Books.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.44-2397
Finlay, L. (2009). Ambiguous encounters: A relational approach of phenomenological research. The Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, 9(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20797222.2009.11433983
Gadamer, H. G. (2013). Truth and method. A&C Black.
Gill, M. J. (2014). The possibilities of phenomenology for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 17(2), 118–137. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428113518348
Giorgi, A. (1997). The theory, practice, and evaluation of the phenomenological method as a qualitative research procedure. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.1163/156916297X00103
Glickman, S., & Boyar, D. (2016). Trillium awakening. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups. (pp. 95-114). Integral Publishing House.
Guenther, S. K. (2022). From me to we: A phenomenological inquiry into group beingness (Publication No. 29028032). [Doctoral Dissertation, Antioch University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://aura.antioch.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1769&context=etds
Gunnlaugson, O. (2016). Uncovering four levels of leadership presence: A dynamic presencing journey. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 115-130). Integral Publishing House.
Gunnlaugson, O. (2011). A complexity perspective on presencing. Complicity, 8(21), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.29173/cmplct9624
Gunnlaugson, O., & Brabant, M. (2016). Introduction: Background of we-space in the integral community. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 11-18). Integral Publishing House.
Gunnlaugson, O., Scott, C., Bai, H., & Sarath, E. W. (2017). Opening the field: Second-person approaches to contemplative learning. In O. Gunnlaugson, C. Scott, H. Bai, & E. W. Sarath (Eds.). The intersubjective turn: Theoretical approaches to contemplative learning and inquiry across disciplines (pp. VII–XVIII). State University of New York Press.
Guttenstein, S., Lindsay, J., & Baron, C. (2014). Aligning with the emergent future. In O. Gunnlaugson, C. Baron, & M. Cayer (Eds.), Perspectives on theory U: Insights from the field (pp. 161–180). Business Science Reference. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4793-0
Hamilton, C. (2004, May-July). Come together: The mystery of collective intelligence. What Is Enlightenment? (25), 57–79. https://www.andrewcohen.com/enlightennext-magazine/
Hamilton, M., Douglas, D. C., Beck, C., Aurami, A., Arnott, J., & Shore, L. (2016). We-space, integral city, and the knowing field. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 131-153). Integral Publishing House.
Higgs, G. E. (2008). Psychology: Knowing the self through arts. In J. G. Knowles & A. L. Cole (Eds.), The handbook of the arts in qualitative research (pp. 545–556). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452226545.n46
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. (2017). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (12th ed.). Pearson.
Levi, R. A. (2003). Group magic: An inquiry into experiences of collective resonance (Publication No. 3098829). [Doctoral Dissertation, Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/openview/e46064dfe5edeeffc605efffb7a3b8e5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
McCraty, R. (2017). New frontiers in heart rate variability and social coherence research: Techniques, technologies, and implications for improving group dynamics and outcomes. Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00267
McTaggart, L. (2017). The power of eight: Harnessing the miraculous energies of a small group to heal others, your life, and the world. Atria Books.
Mills, 7A. J., Durepos, G., & Wiebe, E. (2010). Naturalistic generalization. In Encyclopedia of case study research (Vol. 1) (pp. 600–601). Sage Publications. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412957397.n224
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2007). Understanding organizational behavior (3rd ed.). South-Western College Publications. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1981.4287874
New York Times. (1946, May 25). Atomic education urged by Einstein: Scientist in plea for $200,000 to promote new type of essential thinking. New York Times. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1946/05/25/100998236.html?pageNumber=11
Páez, D., Rimé, B., Basabe, N., Wlodarczyk, A., & Zumeta, L. (2015). Psychosocial effects of perceived emotional synchrony in collective gatherings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(5), 711–729. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000014
Patten, T. (2010, October 23). What’s emerging from the collective field? Beyond Awakening Series. https://www.beyondawakeningseries.com/2010/10/whats-emerging-in-the-collective-field/
Patten, T. (2016). Why “we” matters: Transformational potentials of evolutionary subjectivity. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 225-247). Integral Publishing House.
Radin, D. (2018). Real magic: Ancient wisdom, modern science, and a guide to the secret power of the universe. Harmony Books.
Rebel Wisdom (2019, Sept. 4). Making sense of sensemaking [video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Es_WTEgZHE
Reddish, P., Fischer, R., & Bulbulia, J. (2013). Let’s dance together: Synchrony, shared intentionality, and cooperation. PLoS ONE, 8(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071182
Ritter, L., & Zamierowski, N. (2021). System sensing and systemic constellations for organizational transformation: Building collective capacity for navigating complexity. Journal of Awareness-based Systems Change, 1(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.47061/jabsc.v1i2.1181
Salanova, M., Rodríguez-Sánchez, A. M., Schaufeli, W. B., & Cifre, E. (2014). Flowing together: A longitudinal study of collective efficacy and collective flow among workgroups. The Journal of Psychology, 148(4), 435–455. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2013.806290
Scharmer, C. O. (2016). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges (2nd ed.). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Siegel, D. (2006). An interpersonal neurobiology approach to psychotherapy. Psychiatric Annals, 36(4), 248–256. https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20060401-06
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretive phenomenological analysis: Theory, method, and research. Sage Publications.
Steininger, T., & Debold, E. (2016). Emerge dialogue process: The intersection of the higher we and dialogue practice. In O. Gunnlaugson & M. Brabant (Eds.), Cohering the integral we space: Engaging collective emergence, wisdom, and healing in groups (pp. 269-293). Integral Publishing House.
Steininger, T., & Debold, E. (fortcoming). When meaning shines forth: Emergent dialogue and the co-conscious we. In J. Vervaeke & C. Mastropietro (Eds.), Inner and outer dialogues. Perspectiva.
Storberg-Walker, J. (2022). Relating differently: Exploring how a relational ontology might catalyze transformative, emancipatory, and action-oriented MSR research. In Y. Altman, J. Neal, & W. Mayrhofer (Eds.), Workplace spirituality: Making a difference (pp. 261–276). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110711349-018
Studdert, D. (2016). Sociality and a proposed analytic for investigating communal being-ness. The Sociological Review, 64(4), 622–638. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12430
Surrey, J. L. (2005). Relational psychotherapy, relational mindfulness. In C. Germer, R. D. Siegel, & P. R. Fulton (Eds.), Mindfulness and psychotherapy (pp. 91–110). Guilford Publications.
Vagle, M. D. (2018). Crafting phenomenological research (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315173474
Vervaeke, J. (2019, September 19). Awakening from the meaning crisis, episode 37: Reverse engineering enlightenment, part 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kQooMZzR7w
Warren, S. (2009). Visual methods in organizational research. In D. A. Buchanan & A. Bryman (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of organizational research methods (pp. 566–582). Sage Publications.
Wheeler, M. (2020). Martin Heidegger. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2020/entries/heidegger/
Wilber, K. (1997). An integral theory of consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 4(1), 71–92. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/imp/jcs/1997/00000004/00000001/748
Yorks, L. (2005). Adult learning and the generation of new knowledge and meaning: Creating liberating spaces for fostering adult learning through practitioner-based collaborative action inquiry. Teachers College Record, 107(6), 1217–1244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2005.00511.x
Zahavi, D. (2001). Beyond empathy: Phenomenological approaches to intersubjectivity. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 8(5–7), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.3846/coactivity.2010.08
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Stacey Guenther
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
