Dialogue and the Creation of Consciousness

Fieldwork sites: Northern Ireland and Florissant, Colorado

Dialogue, sometimes referred to as the way of council, is an ancient method of collective contemplation and profound interchange of ideas within a group. It is being rediscovered, and like most ancient ways that are rediscovered, it is practiced more fervently than it is understood. Writers on the subject agree that dialogue works "magic", but there is little discussion or understanding of just what that magic is. Practitioners of dialogue, even those with long experience, are content to describe dialogue circles in how-to-do-this-yourself-at-home terms. They overlook the opportunity to explore what is happening psychologically as the dialogue circle progresses.

Depth psychology gives us the means and the language to research dialogue by seeing it through psyche. My fieldwork projects (two summers) have included dozens of dialogue circles in seven cities in the US and Ireland with 81 participants. The results indicate that when properly set up and then left to follow its own inclinations, the dialogue circle is naturally propelled toward its fundamental work which, like dream tending and active imagination, is to create consciousness.

George Davis