It is not easy for me to clearly express what I do and what my unique approach is in consultation in my field of expertise.
I work in strategic design and systemic innovation, primarily working with networks, communities, and business constellations.
I haven't even addressed my professional mission or my services yet, and people already have at least 10 questions in their pockets because they haven't understood anything, whether in my field of activity or in my business model.
What I do is not new, even if my approach is unique to my own life experience and professional practice. I draw inspiration from many sources simultaneously, investing a lot of time, energy, and resources to continuously train myself and test what I learn in real-life situations. I am interested in subjects most people have never heard of. And my passion is to make them come alive, applicable, and concrete for everyone.
I humbly wish to share my own journey and inspirations to embody in reality a world that I want to co-create with others.
The visible and the invisible
I love science. I also love art. To me, between the two, there is a beautiful space where reality becomes much more beautiful, coherent, and flavorful. I have no words to describe this space, but when my creativity and sensitivity meet my logic and reason in a balanced and resonant way, anything becomes possible.
Several personal experiences, imbued with a certain mystical side, have led me to develop a very creative language on some aspects of what I do and share it with the world.
I often say that I co-create the visible with the invisible.
However, few people realize that it is mainly the engineer in me who asserts this with such certainty, and not the artist (sometimes a bit too esoteric). During my studies in mechanical engineering, my field and my favorite sector have always been related to energy. I ended up building my career in the field of renewable and sustainable energy. I love energy in all its forms, textures, contexts, and qualities.
When you are passionate about a subject to such an extent, you end up being interested not only in the concepts of visible, raw, obvious, and proven energies but also in the concept of energy as a whole. Scientifically, experientially, subtly, creatively, and even the forms that might still be unknown to our consciousness.
In the rest of my remarks, I wish to better express how I weave the links between the rational and the sensitive within my own system of perceptions. My scientific side and my mystical side. How I juggle creation and logic in my own evolutionary path, but above all in my professional practice.
Subtle Energy
When you mention working with 'subtle energy' in your facilitation approach, what exactly does that mean?
It's an excellent question, although quite difficult to explain in a simple enough manner, ultimately. But let's try anyway. Let's start with the basics: what is subtle energy?
For me, subtle energy is not purely an esoteric concept. Like most things in life, I approach this term with scientific curiosity and an empirical exploration method, even though at times I appreciate the poetic and mythical side of things.
I recently searched for information on this on the Internet, but I quickly abandoned that line of exploration. In fact, I don't really trust Google for this type of research. Right from the first sentence, it started to explain that subtle energy corresponds to the aura, and that already frustrated me.
It's a bit like if I asked, "What is a fruit?" and the answer was: "Well, an apple is a fruit." Okay, but that doesn't further explain what a fruit is.
For me, saying that the aura is part of the vast world of subtle energies does not define the concept of energy at all. Thus, what follows will mainly refer to my own view of things, my direct experience, and my personal angle of perception up to now. Because yes, it is possible that this may evolve and be different tomorrow.
In another context, I might use a completely different language to talk essentially about the same thing.
'The Vibe'
One of the terms that I find simplest to describe subtle energy is the concept of "the vibe."
When you enter a place (or space), you can 'resonate' (or not) with the energy of the place, and it can even alter our consciousness or our deep inner state. It can change the cocktail of hormones in our body. We can say "oh, I like the vibe here" or not. We are referring to something subtle and "invisible" that our nervous system is capable of recognizing, altering its functioning in response to this "energy" in the space.
This happens with places, people, and even with objects. It also happens with projects, organizations, and even industries.
Most people imagine really strange things when we start talking about energy, but in reality, it's very simple. There is an electromagnetic field inside us and outside us.
All mass and all information have an energy field. It's not just free energy, devoid of meaning and structure. There are operating laws and precise architecture that govern the mechanics and dynamics of energy.
Sometimes people will say, "I'm hypersensitive and I have super energy powers because I speak with the angel Gabriel/God/my deceased grandmother/or whoever else." But that has nothing to do with it. In most cases, you're just talking to yourself anyway, but well.
It's our nervous system that has this kind of power, and it has been doing this work for everyone forever; we can just be aware of it or not.
The Nervous System
When you start playing with subtle energy, you can feel colors, tingling, or sounds of a certain frequency. You can better perceive the emotions and "auras" of people around us.
Our nervous system picks up more information than we can analyze coherently and consciously in our brain. That's why it looks real and true, but often the experience remains blurry, neither very clear nor precise, with a lot of doubts.
But as we practice and develop the energetic sensitivity and rational cognition of our nervous system, we begin to perceive subtle energy and we can even learn how to work consciously with that energy.
It's a bit like having access to a multidimensional database with information that is otherwise invisible and imperceptible to our usual senses. It's not just feeling the energy like an abstract and blurry watercolor painting, but also seeing the splendid engineering and geometric coherence with astonishing precision.
It’s about understanding the energetic mechanics and dynamics of everything.
Thus, it starts to become quite paranormal skills, even a bit "magical" for some. However, all this can also be explained by what we know today about our nervous system and its complex functioning through neuroscience. It's very scientific and tested in experience what I'm telling you here.
Sometimes, I just love to take the art and poetry route to express myself on these subjects.
Hyper-sensitivity
Also, in the hypersensitive people I meet, I have observed a strange connection between their "energy powers" and their level of past traumas. Superpowers and trauma seem to go hand in hand. They dance together.
I then say to myself that the fact that some people are also aware and skilled with subtle energies is often explained by the fact that, in their life journey, they had no choice but to develop an intimate relationship and deeper communication with their own nervous system to survive.
When you live through a lot of personal, ancestral, or collective traumas, your nervous system naturally becomes sensitive, and you develop a cognitive understanding of your environment with much more nuance and feeling. Obviously, all this is possible only after a real post-traumatic growth process. When the trauma is not healed, our superpowers become our blockages, and we are afraid of them.
Once the trauma is fully integrated into our nervous system and our consciousness, it becomes our superpower.
That's also why often people who have already lived in war-torn countries develop much more subtle and responsive auditory abilities than those who have never experienced such a reality. They are much more aware of the part of their nervous system that perceives and interprets sound noise and vibrations.
The same goes for the sense of touch in people who have been physically or sexually abused. The part of the nervous system responsible for touch is much more sensitive and much richer in experience and information. They often develop an energy touch superpower or simply a very acute sensitivity of their nervous system to certain specific stimuli.
We can talk about the same thing with different words. When we talk about the nervous system, it makes things much more concrete and understandable than when we talk about the etheric aura, doesn't it? And yet, it's almost the same thing.
Holistic Communication
Another example I like to use when talking about subtle energy is communication.
Knowing that less than 10% is given to the meaning of what we say, and the rest is non-verbal and para-verbal, which does the rest of the work in an exchange with another person, raises serious questions. And exciting exploration paths for future experiences.
These are not elements that can be logically explained. But, sometimes, simply because our nervous system doesn't like the posture of the person in front of us, we are literally unable to listen to them.
It's subtle too.
In this case, we might say: "I don't like his vibe. I don't really like how he talks." But sometimes, we can hardly explain what really disturbs us.
The Mystery Solved
In short, I would summarize subtle energy as something that we feel in our environment in a not immediately obvious or clear way. It's a kind of inspiration, subtle information, feeling that is present in space and attracts our attention. Through efforts of concentration and observation, we can learn to communicate more consistently and effectively with the subtle energy around us.
In other words, it's a bit like developing a nervous system external to our physical body. We develop an expanded spatial awareness that allows us to energetically 'connect' with objects and places around us. It's really the same as developing a muscle – its strength, its elasticity, precision, and shape. It's all about practice, concentration, and consistency. It's all.
Basically, we develop our feeling and become more aware of communication with our own nervous system and what surrounds us. The more we do this and the more we pay attention to being fully present, the more information we naturally capture with our entire nervous system.
The more we do this consciously, the more our cognitive abilities of subtle feelings develop like in science fiction movies.
Without any drugs. And for free.
It's just that. There is nothing esoteric about it.
Etheric Body of a Project
In my personal life journey, I have developed a very acute sensing capacity around different types of social and environmental strategies. Facing all kinds of power dynamics and navigating in the macro structure of the 'system'. Co-creating projects, organizations, sectors, and industries. Collaborating with communities, networks, and businesses.
This is where my passion and deep pleasure truly lie. When I observe an organization, I perceive a magnificent fractal of collective and multidimensional consciousness in the energetic worlds. I discern the 'chakras' of projects; I can connect with the emotional or mental plane of an organization. I can feel the presence of systemic traumas in the organizational strategy; I can connect with the essence of the project and the shared purpose of the team. I can see its collective 'aura' and its main 'energy' blockages…
Yes, I could describe my approach like this, and it wouldn't be wrong. However, I can also express the same idea in a much more conventional language for the slightly more rational and less "far out" world.
If I were to translate it all in a much less poetic way, what would it be?
Basically, I use tools and transformation processes that analyze the organization in its business context holistically. I draw inspiration from integral and macro-systemic methods. I use concepts from psychology, business, and design to create co-creation opportunities that are very conscious of the 'organizational nervous system' that is unique to them.
I assist my clients in creating a map of their own internal and external dynamics of their organization, project, or community. I work in innovation, collaboration, emergence, and coherence with the whole. I accompany collective projects in becoming aware of themselves and their evolutionary environment, in all the complexity, beauty, confusion, transformation, and pleasure that this demands throughout this co-creation process.
Systemic Chakras
Even though I love navigating in the world of mystical business, most of the methodologies and tools I use in my practice come from academic, scientific, and professional backgrounds.
So when I say that I see the organization's chakras, it means that when I interact with an organization, I create a map in my consciousness that looks something like this:
I try to understand all the different aspects that I consider key to organizational and societal prosperity. There are organizations that excel in the lower triangle but are less effective in the upper one. There's also the opposite.
Organizations that truly succeed consistently and resiliently are those that represent a balance and harmony between all these different aspects at the personal, organizational, and collective levels. I make sure to understand the dynamic and evolutionary potential in each of these aspects. I ensure the strategic coherence of the whole.
Evolution in Spiral Dynamics
When I say that I see the project's 'aura' or that I connect with its mental egregores, I often think of Spiral Dynamics.
What is Spiral Dynamics?
Spiral Dynamics is a theory of values and consciousness development that describes the evolution of individuals and societies through different stages. Each stage is characterized by a specific way of perceiving the world and dealing with problems. The early stages include instinctive survival level, tribalism, impulsive power, mythical order, personal accomplishment, and communal sensitivity.
The theory suggests that individuals and cultures evolve through these stages in response to challenges in their environment.
It's a fascinating but quite complex model. However, in my personal experience, I have been observing these dynamics at all levels of organization for years. It's a model that proves very powerful and effective in my own exploration of personal and collective consciousness.
Conscious and Evolving Organizations
One of my greatest inspirations in my career was Frederick Laloux, who wrote a masterpiece on the subject of how this kind of methodology is applied in management practices. He introduces the concepts of 'opal', turquoise, and teal organizations in the world of management. He is transforming the business world with his work.
Teal organizations are characterized by non-hierarchical structures, collective decision-making, mutual trust, and a search for meaning and fulfillment in work. Relationships are based on autonomy, shared responsibility, and a deep understanding of the organization's purpose.
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In my personal practice, I have already attempted to create a first public-private teal innovation network in the country. After 5 years of work, I failed. But, I learned so much. Having had the chance to live professional experiences on the ground by applying theoretical models discussed here with real projects and real people allowed me to experience it not only in my mind but also in my physical and emotional experience. It changes everything.
Because when we live an experience in real life, not just in our mental illusions, our nervous system (which is very energetic and etheric) creates a whole library of sensations, feelings, information, etc. With this kind of understanding of mechanics and dynamics in direct experience and empirical knowledge, supra-sensory and even magical gifts of your nervous system develop effortlessly.
My nervous system is my key business partner
So, in my personal case, using very macro and highly systemic methodologies allows me to create a fairly clear picture of the organization's 'energetic' bodies, its business network, and its community.
I feel them in my nervous system for real. My body speaks to me when I interact with a project. Because I've been playing with these kinds of tools for a long time, it's quite simple and easy for me to create this kind of initial portrait with my clients using the guiding thread of the energy I feel in my own system. It sounds magical, but it's not. It's quite scientific as a process. It's biology and neuroscience working together. It's natural and accessible to everyone.
But, this is just the beginning of the real process. Once we know where we are and where we would like to be, there is a whole forest to cross to get there. And sometimes, this path can be very adventurous. Not everyone has the courage to go all the way. At least, not right away.
Generally, the bigger our dreams and ambitions, the more 'interesting' the path to get there will be.
This path is much more enjoyable and pleasant once we understand the real role and potential of our own nervous system and its functioning as a whole.
Systemic Change Based on Consciousness
Once we dive even deeper into the concepts of systemic innovation and co-creation with the whole, we begin to talk more and more about consciousness-based models.
We talk about meta-modernism. We talk about the reconciliation between individualism and collectivism. We talk about multidimensional complexity and the infinite irony of existence. It's a vast world, but Quebec is not yet very well known to openly practice in this way in the business world. And it's a shame because I believe that this kind of approach can greatly contribute to addressing many of our current social challenges with impressive efficiency and speed.
Some scientific research groups in Europe even call this outright 'Business Mysticism'.
Again, it sounds far-fetched, but it's a very scientific approach to intervening in complex systemic changes, and the results in the field of these applications have been demonstrated several times with impressive impacts.
One of the references that, in my opinion, is a true ever-evolving Handbook regarding consciousness-based systemic change is The Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change (https://jabsc.org/index.php/jabsc).
It is a community of experts in a consciousness-based action research approach for social transformation. It is an emerging cross-sectoral, inter- and transdisciplinary field that brings a first- and second-person perspective to the field of systemic thinking and systems change.
It's impressive what we can find there and how we can be inspired by concrete and creative applications in our organizations, networks, and communities. I really invite you to read the publications in this journal if the subject of consciousness-based social transformation inspires you.
The Field – The thing that unites us
In these kinds of environments, we sometimes use slightly strange language. We say that we co-create with the Field. We might think it's magical or a bit science fiction, but it's not that wizardly. For example, the JABSC defines the social field as:
The source conditions that give rise to patterns of thinking, conversation, and organization within systems, thereby producing concrete outcomes. In this way, the social field is the social system seen not only from the outside (the third-person perspective) but also from the inside (the first- and second-person perspectives).
A social field perspective addresses the less visible levels of individual, social, and relational reality creation: dynamics, processes, and particularly the levels of consciousness that underlie and shape the behaviors we perceive more easily. It is a theoretical and practical innovation with significant implications for practice change and a new approach to what is needed to transform social systems.
Thus, consciousness-based systemic change is a process of co-inquiry into the deeper structures of social systems, the source conditions, in order to see, feel, and change them.
Integral Theory
When we start playing with this kind of tools and methodology, we become agents of change at all scales simultaneously. We take responsibility not only for our personal well-being but also for our local and global community. We recognize the innate interconnectedness and deep interdependence woven into the very DNA of our social system.
If we want to have more fun mastering our consciousness and navigating different perspectives in order to create much more coherent and even effective changes, we must learn to listen, accept, and co-create with perspectives that we do not yet understand or that we are too tempted to judge at first. When I talk about this, Ken Wilber comes to mind.
Ken Wilber is an American philosopher and writer known for his work in the fields of spirituality, psychology, and integral philosophy. Integralism, or Ken Wilber's integral theory, is an approach aimed at integrating and synthesizing different perspectives, disciplines, and levels of reality.
Integral theory proposes a holistic understanding of the world, encompassing aspects such as psychology, spirituality, science, culture, and politics. It seeks to transcend the limits of traditional approaches, offering a holistic perspective that encompasses the complexity of reality.
One aspect of this theory is the quadrants. Reality is seen through four interconnected perspectives - individual interior, individual exterior, collective interior, collective exterior.
It's 'them' the problem
One of the things I hear most often in my professional practice is: 'It's not me, it's them.'
And I always have the same question: Who is 'them'?
It has always fascinated me, every person seems to have a space in their consciousness that they simply call 'them'. Often, the 'them' is something we don't understand, don't accept, judge, reject.
For some people, the "them" are their parents, for others their boss or their partner, but there are even more interesting cases.
People from Wall Street and bankers. The government. The system. The oil companies. The asleep and the unconscious. The rich. The elite. The reptilians. The demons. The extraterrestrials. The gods... In short, the list of who 'them' are can be long and very creative.
Even if the answer may differ, the dynamic is almost always the same. There is something in my reality that I put in the box that I call 'them' and this box has a lot of power over me and my life. I create a separation within my consciousness between me and 'them'.
This separation is most often the only obstacle to real co-creation and desirable social transformation.
The 3 Blockages to Reconnection
One of the researchers who describes the different levels of separation beautifully is Otto Scharmer. As part of the Theory U he developed, Otto describes three levels of separation (or division) that can hinder the potential for change and transformation. These levels of separation are psychological and social barriers that impede collaboration, innovation, and development. Here is a brief description of these three levels:
Veil of Judgment: The first level of separation is related to preconceived judgments and opinions we have about others and situations. These judgments can block our ability to see things objectively and to understand different perspectives.
Veil of Assumptions: The second level of separation concerns deeply ingrained and often unconscious assumptions we make about the world and ourselves. These assumptions can be limiting beliefs that restrict our creative thinking and our ability to question the status quo.
Veil of Fear: The third level of separation is associated with fear and anxiety about the future. This fear can prevent open-mindedness, engagement, and willingness to explore new possibilities. It can also lead to defensive reactions rather than creative responses to change.
Scharmer's Theory U proposes a transformation process that aims to overcome these veils of separation by encouraging openness, mindful presence, deep listening, and the emergence of new solutions.
By going through these three levels, individuals and organizations can unleash their creative and collaborative potential to foster positive and meaningful changes.
U Theory
The U theory is a model of personal and organizational transformation. Otto Scharmer proposes that the process of change unfolds in the shape of a U, symbolizing a descent to the bottom of the U that represents deep reflection, mindful presence, and inner connection. This descent phase allows breaking with habitual thinking patterns.
Then, the ascent of the U represents the embodiment of new perspectives and actions based on expanded awareness. The approach emphasizes co-creation, deep listening, and the emergence of innovative solutions, placing consciousness at the heart of systemic change, whether at the individual or organizational level.
This model inspires me a lot in my professional practice. It's one of the tools in my process that offers several advantages and, above all, is consistent with my personal vision of systemic innovation taking into account the human and the system as a interconnected whole.
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There are still so many things, tools, processes that I would like to share. And, I will continue to do so. Because it excites me, because it impassions me, because I believe in it.
I am always in research and experimentation to find the simplest and most direct ways to co-create a system, a society, and a community that we all deeply desire and that we all know, deep down in our hearts, is still possible.
But, all of this can only be done together. Emergently. Truly co-created. In our inner power. In coherence with our individual and collective consciousness.
Unique to Us.
Systemic Trauma
Finally, I cannot end this text on co-creation with subtle energy without addressing trauma.
All the tools presented above have been part of my reality for many years now. I have seen magic happen thanks to this kind of methodologies. I have witnessed collective healings and radical transformations. I have witnessed the power of coherent co-creation emerging from the collective. I have seen what true authentic collaboration beauty looks like, resulting from our inner power and in service of all life.
However, I have also observed the other side of the coin. I understood why it is so difficult to collaborate and truly co-create. I understood what the real cause of resistance to change is. I understood why we collectively stagnate on things that are yet very simple and logical.
The answer is trauma.
I finally became aware of the presence of suffering in the system itself. It is what drives us to innovate, but it is also what resists change, does not want to be seen, is afraid, sabotages, repeats the same cycle. It is the presence of this collective suffering in our social field that makes us feel like we are repeating the same patterns of development and evolution, already knowing their limits and inefficiencies through our own history.
We repeat the same mistakes because we are unable to truly feel the suffering of our past errors through a multitude of perspectives and move on. So, we repeat them blindly hoping to understand them better this time.
It's ineffective, inconsistent, and even violent, but so understandable as a strategy. At the personal level, we are just beginning to understand what this really means: trauma and how it lives in our system. In many environments, it is still taboo and shameful to ask for help to heal trauma. Our lack of resources and support to help people consciously integrate their traumatic experiences from the past is glaring.
The multitude of mental and even physical illnesses that are directly linked to trauma is staggering. By addressing trauma scientifically and holistically, we solve many inconsistencies and inefficiencies in our personal systems. This is what we call real post-traumatic growth. We heal the root. We don't just put antifungal on the slightly yellow leaves that we don't like too much. We address the real problem in the roots. In the soil. In the foundations.
It's the same thing in the system. Just as at the personal level, we also have the presence of collective trauma in the system. If we want sustainable and consistent change in our personal growth, the heart of the problem must be addressed. The sore spot that hurts the most. That's where we need to bring our consciousness and our courage. That, we already know. We are already doing it too!
Now, we must learn to do it collectively as well, in the system. In our projects, in our society, and our community.
But, access the knowledge and resources is even more problematic at this level of intervention. Often, we have no idea what to do about the complexity and pain of systemic trauma in our current reality. So, we act as if it does not exist. We are often in denial. We ignore and we try to focus our efforts elsewhere than on the real sore spots of the system.
We put antifungal on the projects we don't like and fertilizer on the ones we like. And we think our garden is healthy with such a strategy. But our collective roots continue to rot, and we wonder why everything seems to be collapsing more and more violently in our society today.
Yet, it's logical. We put our energy, our resources, and our time into managing symptoms, side effects, and superficial consequences, and we close our eyes to the real causes of our challenges. The real roots of our existential malaise and pervasive suffering in the system.
If a group of people does not have the courage, the willingness, and the love to begin to openly discuss this kind of elephant in the room with their community, it is pointless to venture down the path of systemic innovation and co-creation. It is pointless to co-create with subtle energies and master our ethereal superpowers if we are not able to understand and feel the complexity of our reality fully at all levels: physical, emotional, and mental.
(For those who wish to delve deeper into the subject of systemic trauma, I invite you to discover The Pocket Project here: https://pocketproject.org/)
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It's a fascinating path of evolution, to be sure. It's simple, but not easy.
But, it's not a path to be traveled unconsciously or alone.
It's no longer a path of evolution, but of co-evolution.
It's no longer the path of the savior and the victim, but of sovereign and responsible co-creation.
It's no longer 'me' or 'them.'
Now, it's Us.
And, this new Us already includes everything.
You. Me. It. Them. Us.
The End
I cannot explain simply and in 2 minutes what I really do in my company. My approach and my work are based on decades of diverse experiences in a multitude of fields with a variety of hats and titles.
My approach is emergent, co-created with subtle energy (and not only), and personalized to the unique reality of each of my clients. I am unique in my ability to navigate the 'energetic' field of our shared reality. I like to analyze this complexity from a more 'business' perspective and understand how consciousness can help us transform our system.
I know I am not alone in working in this field and mastering this kind of tools. I know there are many people in Quebec who know exactly what I'm talking about here, even if sometimes we lack words, tools, strategies, and coherent visions to really talk about it together on the public stage.
We think we are not ready to dialogue about our perceptions and beliefs about the existence of the big elephant in the system, even though each of us already knows that we have no choice but to become aware of the real problem.
The only way we can co-create a system that looks good and feels nice to us is to do it together. In our sovereignty and inner power. Down to our roots. With our hearts and minds. In all simplicity. Authenticity. Transparency. With our courage and vulnerability. In coherence with our reason and our sensitivity.
One step at a time, but always together.
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