What makes a question clean?

[phil]

There are assertions in various places on the forum about whether a particular question is clean or not. What do you think? Is 'and what would you like to have happen?' cleaner or less clean than 'and what kind of...?' or 'and what do you know from there?' or 'and what does that space know?'?

Wendy Sullivan and I used to introduce a spatial 'continuum' metaphor to ask trainees to consider where they would place the clean questions they had learned. What determines where a question would come on the continuum from clean to not-clean?

http://www.cleanforum.com/images/clean-continuum.png

Phil

[webmaven]

Phil,

I'm not sure if it's the questions themselves that are clean or less-clean. I think it has more to do with the intentions and/or ulterior motives of the person asking the questions. To me, there has to be a wholeness/purity of intent, as well as some intuitive understanding of the process, in order for the questions to really work. Also, some level of trust is a necessary ingredient IMO.

As it seems from some discussions of David's later work, it becomes more evident (in EK and later developments) that clean extends beyond the questions and requires much more skill and self-awareness of the facilitator (perhaps even going to a non-self or no-mind state).

However, I also think it might be interesting to gather a list of clean questions and allow people to "vote" on where those questions fall on the spectrum.

Cheers,

webmaven

[super_yacht@hotmail.com]

Absolutely Webmaven, Its the intention not the words.

A person who is asked how clean is that question will answer from a mental space with all the shadow side influencing their reply. This would include limiting beliefs, ego, emotional events, cultural responses, possible even their traumas.

If you have just leant a process or list of questions then how can you be led by information? You receive a response and then think (with your shadow side) what is the best ‘next question’, this is process/facilitator led! Albeit led by the client’s response but the point of clean for me is to remove the shadow side of my response (or as much as possible).

So ‘AWWYL2HH?’ is as Corrie has said future focused, a leading question. But in the moment it may be a clean question.

We discovered that while processing a client you are processing stuff yourself (unconsciously). I find now I can’t turn off, processing is no longer some thing I do only in a session, I prefer to call this a clean philosophy.

Even the questions ‘AITAE?’ or ‘and’ could be considered un-clean.
Nodding your head, pointing with your hand, being polite (asking how your client is) or murmuring agreement are all responses that are not clean. Instinctive responses, which can have major influences on the client, where would they sit on the continuum?

We spent some time working on David’s vocal abilities, to copy them, because there is a flow that is important to his delivery (using one of his voice analysis programs). This proved the wrong track. My theory is because he grew up in a Maoris community, which is a more, spoken language than written; he developed his story telling voice. This is a more appropriate deliver style. To ask ‘AITAE?’ with an inflection at the end, as when asking a question, I would not consider clean!

cheers

[Corrie van Wijk]

John: "So ‘AWWYL2HH?’ is as Corrie has said future focused, a leading question."

I didn't say that, Steve did, I quoted him from the Sangatte emergence gathering.

It may just as well be a 'present' question, as it reflects A here and now.

If it is a leading question I'm not sure, the client is free to answer that he or she is quite happy right now and doesn't need anything.

John: "My theory is because he grew up in a Maori community, which is a more spoken language than a written, he developed his story telling voice. This is a more appropriate delivery style. To ask ‘AITAE?’ with an inflection at the end, as when asking a question, I would not consider clean!"

I think it is o.k. to ask AITAE? as a question, as long as it doesn't sound obligatory.

John, what about your story telling voice?

[phil]

When any of the 'clean questions', nods, inflections and so on can 'in the moment' be considered clean - or not - or to some degree, what determines how clean a question is?

Who does the considering?

When clean is in the intention, where is clean when 'no-mind' and thus I assume 'no-intention'? I am not intending to be facetious here.

When clean is in the intention, how does it manifest in practice, in behaviour?

Intention is one aspect of clean. It's not enough to intend to be clean though. It is possible to intend to be clean in communication with someone and at the same time be not-clean unintentionally. As well as the intention there's the practice of actually staying clean.

Here is a hypothetical definition of clean wot I just wrote for discussion and improvement:

"Clean is the degree to which one person is intentionally or unconsciously affecting another person by word, deed or presence."

Phil

[Corrie van Wijk]

Hi Phil,

Your [hypothetical definition of clean] happened to 'coincide' with mine:

Corrie: "clean is at the basis, it requires a whole different attitude from the facilitator who, unlike the therapist, doesn't try to put any structure on the client, or influence him or her with his or her own views and opinions."

Phil: "Clean is the degree to which one person is intentionally or unconsciously affecting another person by word, deed or presence."

I think it would be better to say: "the degree to which one person is not affecting"

[webmaven]

Phil: "Clean is the degree to which one person is intentionally or unconsciously affecting another person by word, deed or presence."

I think it would be better to say: "the degree to which one person is not affecting"

I agree with most of Phil's definition and with Corrie's edit, though I think it would be even better to say, "the degree to which one person is not contaminating another person by word, deed, or presence." I don't know if it's possible not to affect someone even just by virtue of one's presence, but I know it's possible not to infect someone by your presence. ;-) Keeping it clean.

Cheers,

webmaven