The Homo Universalis Project #3 – The Art of Inquiry
The Homo Universalis Project #3 – The Art of Inquiry

Aviv Shahar with Karen Heney and Kyriaki Nikandrou

October 26, 2023

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Throughout history, the great questions have been asked, and great research has been undertaken, always expanding the territory of the known by shining a light into the unknown. Where is that cutting edge today? And can a community of people from all over the world, each carrying their own unique journey of discovery, come together to inquire at the edge of purposeful evolution, through dialogue and interaction? We think it is possible, and we hope that you will choose to be a part of this exploration.

One of the most powerful tools we have in our growth and development is something we probably use every day and never really appreciate its potential to change our lives. It’s the simple act of asking a question; the art of the inquiry.

Our capacity to ponder, to form an inquiry, by itself has the energetic potential to drive us forward and keep searching. Inquiries help us find meaning in a rapidly shape shifting world; they help us make space in a busy and noisy sensory environment.

On a practical level, an inquiry helps us validate and confirm our experience; it opens a new space of exchange among people. A carefully framed inquiry can open new fields of possibility wherever we focus our attention.

It’s also reasonable to think of the capacity to inquire as integral to human development and evolution. An inquiry is the engine of discovery that creates the space to receive and embody greater universal possibility now appearing.

What is it about inquiry that makes it so powerful? What a great question. We delve deeper into the mechanics and meaning of the art of the inquiry in part three of The Homo Universalis Project — special conversations exploring how a big leap in evolution is liberating the human species into a fuller universal possibility.

Aviv Shahar is joined by Portals friends Karen Heney and Kyriaki Nikandrou. Among their ponderings:

  • Asking a question is not just a mental thing or writing words; it's a way of living — how you sense and experience every aspect of your life all the time. It's a form of dialogue with your inner lives.
  • An inquiry — to ask a question — is a uniquely human attribute. The same with searching for and making meaning in our lives; meaning making is a central dimension of being human.
  • A line of inquiry is more potent and valid when the questions connect us with us, our inner lives, while also connecting with the deeper truths of humanity at this time in the evolutionary process.
  • The idea of inquiry from ancient Greece is how questions can be evolving and leading us to special places, new answers, new solutions; it's a freeing mechanism.
  • To avoid a self-eliminating trajectory, we need to see human life as a universal property, which means inquiring into the potential of the whole; we are connected.

In part one, The Homo Universalis Project traces the origins of the universal arising, and in part two, we explore the importance of creating space for the future to find us.

This conversations is part of the continuing Portals discovery into what is emerging on the frontiers of human experience in this time of profound change. Information about upcoming special events can be found on the Events page. Also visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

I see the urgency of discovering a new operating system, a new ethos, a new way of going on, and this needs to start by a different consciousness in the way we perceive, the way we think. I'm glad we are together, and that I'm not working alone in the dark. Together we can maybe shed some light in these territories.
Kyriaki Nikandrou

Karen Heney

Karen Heney

From an early age there has been a compelling search for truths, those realities that didn’t have a fixing or a closed door. The quest for meaning, sometimes quiet, other times reaching and finding pathways, has always accompanied me. The awareness that all life is caused to exist for an inherent purpose, one that allows for the possibility of furtherance and refinement, has prompted both perceptions and questions. These concern the purpose of human life, its integration within greater domains and what I personally may need to discover in order to play my part. Creativity has always been integral, with an endeavour to create visual interpretations of concepts as practical activities. The intention behind a current project is to broaden the paths of relevance and meaning for others to access and explore.
Kyriaki Nikandrou

Kyriaki Nikandrou

When I was a child, staring at the starry night skies, I was filled with awe and wonder, about the mysteries of the Universe, Life, Time, the Human and its place in the Cosmos, trying to connect the dots that link everything with everything… Some years down the line, I still do. I am seeking to be in conversation with others in search for keys, for tools of understanding and application and for the real questions, the ones that become portals to contemplative journeys, leading to uncharted territories that feel like home. I believe we are on a trajectory of multiple and unpredictable changes; it is up to each one of us to rise to the challenge of our times. Now, more than ever before, is the time to be true to ourselves and fulfill our potential.
Aviv Shahar

Aviv Shahar

Aviv serves as the Portals' sherpa. He curates transformational journeys and is a storyteller of the epochal evolution culminating at this time.

Aviv is the Founder of Aviv Consulting, helping leaders unleash strategic innovation, and is the author of Create New Futures: How Leaders Produce Breakthroughs and Transform the World Through Conversation.

Visit: Aviv Consulting