Emergent Knowledge (EK)
Emergent Knowledge (EK) creates the conditions in which new, generative information emerges from within. It uses iterative questions to invite the system to spontaneously restructure its understanding of a problem, providing a more holistic and encompassing model of the world.
In this process, the facilitator acts as a catalyst, not a controller—supporting you to retrieve the information you need in a journey of self-discovery that leads naturally to self-reorganization. This theory, originally pioneered by David Grove, emphasises that the solutions to our most unique problems must arise from the same uniqueness: our own inner intelligence.
The Inner Architecture
To truly understand EK, one must look beyond the protocols and into the core philosophy—the mechanics of Cosmologies, Defining Moments, and the "Information for Change."
Deepen your understanding →"The emergence of knowledge via spatial and other transformations are thought experiments that take an issue or context and subject it to a series of observational perspectives, the purpose of which is to construct a metaphorical identity of the knowledge and its relational knowledge set, structural support and provenance." — David Grove
The Origins of Emergent Knowledge
David Grove began his journey in the late 1980s with Clean Language, a method that taught facilitators to ask non-assumptive, influence-free questions. This allowed clients to access their own subjective experience and metaphors with minimal external interference.
Later, inspired by the scientific principles of emergence, Grove expanded his work into spatial iteration. He hypothesized that by networking "adjacent information spaces" together, new knowledge would spontaneously emerge from the system itself—much like intelligence emerges from a neural network—without the facilitator needing to interpret or guide the specific content.
The Power of Six
A distinctive feature of EK is its reliance on the number six. Grove observed that six items or spaces are often the optimal number required for a network to achieve self-organization. This "Six-ness" is consistent across many natural systems and personal experiences—often we are separated from a state-changing insight by just six degrees of iteration.
In the EK process, questions are often asked in sets of six, or the client is invited to explore six different spatial perspectives. Each of these six data points networks with the others, creating a rich web of information from which a new, higher-level understanding can emerge.
The Seven Elements of EK
At the core of Emergent Knowledge lie seven interconnected elements, each serving as a cornerstone for its application. These elements—Facilitation, Iteration, Reinterpretation, Representation, Navigation, Algorithms, and Present Time—form a holistic system designed to guide individuals through transformative journeys.
Minimal intervention and non-invasive questions to honour the client's system.
Asking questions repeatedly, often in sets of six, to allow depth to emerge.
The spontaneous action of perceiving something in a new or different manner.
Translating internal metaphors into physical or spatial forms.
Relating each representation or space to the others in the system.
Defined sets of questions that enable surgical inspection of a condition.
The exploration always occurs in the now, where change is manifest.
The Process of Emergence
To navigate the journey from an old worldview to a new perspective, David Grove developed specific iterative drivers, most notably his "Six Friends" sequence.
Evolving this further, Matthew Hudson codified the RESCUER Model—a 7-stage framework that maps the natural expansion of awareness as a system deconstructs and spontaneously reorganizes.
Access the Complete Protocols
The detailed step-by-step guides for the "Six Friends" and RESCUER frameworks, along with advanced facilitation algorithms, are available exclusively in the Member Portal.
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