MetaVisioning

MetaVisioning is a collaborative process dedicated to resolving a coherent, moral, and universal vision of how humankind can move forward together creatively, joyfully, and peacefully.

To prepare ourselves to meet this extraordinary challenge, it will be useful to:

• step back from the noise of modernity and beyond the confines of our specialty, our social role, and convention;
• place faith in our own moral compass, rather than submit thoughtlessly to the moral certainty of traditional programs; and
• rely on science to distinguish truth from what is false, but appreciate that creativity and new truth involve more than the reductive process of science.

We begin the MetaVisioning process by examining the perspectives of major historical visionaries. In each case, we want to determine if their vision was: (1) based on coherent, moral, and universal page zero premises, (2) institutionalized in a manner that is open-ended, self-catalyzing, and self-cleansing, and  (3) orchestrated by ethical leader dedicated to adapting to change and to serving the best interests of humankind.

As we proceed with this inquiry, we wonder whether what we learn can be applied to the reality within which we find ourselves today, a “global village” challenged at its core by demanding questions, such as:

• Do we possess the humility, resilience, and awareness to dialog constructively with individuals from a wide range of cultures to reconcile differences and agree upon page zero premises that are coherent, moral, and universal?
• How does a society adapt to change peacefully, if leaders of prevailing institutions are dedicated to maintaining the status quo and their power and control?
• In the pursuit of a unifying vision, are we defining correctly and applying appropriately the terms “coherent,” “moral,” “universal,” “open-ended,” “self-catalyzing,” and “self-cleansing”? Do they represent the basic criteria that should guide us? If not, what should be the criteria?
• Are we asking the right questions? If not, what questions should we be asking?

We write our thoughts and feelings about these questions and discuss them in the classroom, and, if we wish, with family and friends.

At this point, we begin the pursuit of a MetaVision by working at two levels, individual and collective. As an individual, we build upon our own page zero premises that we defined during the Life Mapping process, and upon our opinions about great issues of our time that we defined during the Social Mapping process. We build upon those premises and opinions by asking ourselves what they prompt us to envision regarding how humankind could direct its developmental journey forward more wisely. We incorporate our premises, opinions, and what we envision within an essay that becomes our personal “MetaMap.” To review what others have written within their MetaMap, we will have access to a Database of MetaMaps. Beyond what we can learn from the database and from class assignments and discussions, we are encouraged to explore the perspectives of contemporary visionaries through books, academic journal articles, Internet sites, and other recommended resources.

Collectively, we work toward distilling the combination of MetaMaps that were composed by the class into an overarching MetaVision of how humankind can move forward together creatively, joyfully, and peacefully. While this might not be accomplished by the end of the term, we are graded on our individual effort.

Many of us will want to continue this noble quest beyond the classroom through MetaVisioning Worldwide, an online initiative of The Mazeway Network.

S U G G E S T E D  N E X T : Database Of Life Maps