From the CIP Learning Inquiry, in participants' own words...
+ Meaning and wholeness can be experienced in virtual environments. It requires, however, learning and accepting different kinds of interpretation and understanding of those expressions -- we can not expect that it will be as in face-to-face meetings. - I'm learning that it's just as hard to carry on meaningful, sustainable conversations on-line as it is in the material world. o Coherence is an experience which resides in a participant, not some inherent quality of a hypertext database or any other representation of a conversation. + Listserves and home pages make for quasi-dynamic ways to help people connect, but I think the real power is in conferencing -- especially asynchronous conferencing. I believe that conferencing, done right, can be more powerful than face-to-face meetings, that moving to virtual will not be a disadvantage to my clients, but a real benefit. - Primary learnings revolve around how difficult it is to get something like this going -- Very. o The planning, organizing, leading, evaluating, and effort required using this medium appears to be the same as with face-to-face interactive workgroups. + Groupware has a wonderful capacity to dissolve physical and time distance. + The questions Trudy and Peter have presented us creates the container where we can uncover and share our deepest values and aspiration and build the bases for developing communities of meaning and growth. It also helps to have others to share their deep meaning in the virtual spiritual practice space. This on-line space is quite wonderful for maintaining and developing a deeper reflective approach to all our daily relationships. - The context for collaboration, such as that created by Peter and Trudy, is most important, is not easy to conceive, is a challenge to implement and maintain. + I'm learning that beauty, spirit and heart surpass the medium. CIP images, the invitation sentences, the "Considers" and several of the contributions in all spaces taught this to me. + I am very clear that we are sowing seeds of future partnerships, friendships, pools, communities, through the learnings and relationships emerging here in this beautifully crafted space/time. + I like that I'm getting valuable information and experience that I can use in my work today and in the future.