Lisbon 2002

Some thoughts from Prof. Dr. Wilfried Belschner regarding the EUROTAS Annual Delegate Conference

Dear John,

Thank you for your letter dated Nov. 18, 2001. It reminds me that since Munsbach half a year has already passed and that it is time to give you a report about the Research Initiative. Right now I am living on a small island in the North Sea (no cars, no cinema, sometimes you will find a newspaper, but there is an overwhelming richness of wind and light and wide skies) – the University granted me the gift of a research sabbatical from October 2001 till March 2002. And this time is needed for two purposes: first, I am re-writing a book on Integral Health Promotion (a first version was finished in Jan. 1998 and was used in a MA-programme on Health Sciences); second, in January/ February 2002 I will visit Pondicherry and Auroville/ India again after a 10 years break.

Because of the Annual Meeting 2002 in the neighbourhood of Lisboa I would like to make the following suggestion. I participated now for three times in the annual meetings (1999: Dobogökö, 2000: Bad Kissingen, 2001: Munsbach). Each time we formed working groups dealing with important topics (psychotherapy, education, health care system, politics, media, art, research etc.) and the members went home with overwhelming gifts of hospitality and more or less enthusiastic because of the cognitive "fruits". Because of these experiences we had the opportunity to collect for (at least) three years we could structure our meeting in the following mode:

Members out of the working group participants of the passed meetings (or an invited speaker) should dare to make a presentation at the annual meeeting 2002 in which a proposal to each of the different, above mentioned topics is offered. The annual meeting plenum discusses this proposal; this discussion may hopefully prepare a statement that formulates the position of EUROTAS for this topic. These “EUROTAS Position Papers” could become guidelines for national and international purposes and they would give EUROTAS a “face” as an organisation that is specific and unique. And these institutionalized EUROTAS Position Papers (EU-PP) could protect the individual member in her/ his working situation back home.

The programme for Lisboa 2002 could be read as follows:

Day 1 Morning Plenum Session

Step 1 - Speaker A: “My proposal for a transpersonal prospective on … (for instance: education)”

Step 2 - Discussion of the proposal in the Annual Meeting Plenum (1 hour)

Further steps:

Step 3 – A working group discusses the proposal and suggests a (revised) version (1, 2002) during the annual meeting

Step 4 – The Board and the Plenum make decisions about the revised version (1, 2002)

Step 5 – The version (1, 2002) for the topic … (.. education) is published in the EUROTAS Newsletter as an EUROTAS Guideline.

Day 1 Afternoon Plenum Session

Step 1 - Speaker B: “My proposal for a transpersonal prospective on … (for instance: psychotherapy)”

Step 2 - Discussion of the proposal in the Annual Meeting Plenum (1 hour)

Further steps:

Step 3 – A working group discusses the proposal and suggests a (revised) version (1, 2002) during the annual meeting

Step 4 – The Board and the Plenum make decisions about the revised version (1, 2002)

Step 5 – The version (1, 2002) for the topic … (.. psychotherapy) is published in the EUROTAS Newsletter as a EUROTAS Guideline.

Day 2 Morning Plenum Session

Step 1 - Speaker C: “My proposal for a transpersonal prospective on … (for instance: Health Care system)”

Step 2 - Discussion of the proposal in the Annual Meetings Plenum (1 hour)

Further steps:

Step 3 – A working group discusses the proposal and suggests a (revised) version (1, 2002) during the annual meeting

Step 4 – The Board and the Plenum make decisions about the revised version (1, 2002)

Step 5 – The version (1, 2002) for the topic … (.. health care system) is published in the EUROTAS Newsletter as a EUROTAS Guideline.

And so on for the various topics. For the topic “A transpersonal prospective on research” I would agree to offer a proposal.

There are some advantages of such a programme structure. For instance:

- Everybody can get some information on a topic she/ he hasn´t dealt with in detail till now, but she/ he can bring in aspects that are important but that weren´t seen fully right now.

- There is a “result” in advance for the annual meeting as there will be the gifts of the proposals.

- The participants (may) stay curious throughout the meeting "longing" for the next input, the next discussion, …

- EUROTAS will develop as an organisation that can be seen with a unique “face”.

So far a suggestions for the programme of the annual meeting 2002.

A few words to the Research Initiative. You may remember we (Klaus Engel and me) sent a letter to the members in the various Eurotas countries asking for colleagues working in the field of research. Till now very few answers came in, mentioning few persons. This fact can be interpreted twice:

- Few colleagues are dealing with transpersonal aspects in their working situation and are involved in research.

- Only few colleagues are known because of their transpersonal orientation.

To all those colleagues whose addresses we know now we will send a letter soon asking for some information on their professional vita. The draft version of this inquiry formula I have written right now you will find as an attachment. If you may have any comments please let me know. By the means of these informations I hope we could build up a directory and we will get the base for the EUROTAS Research Conference (in 2002, or what is more suitable in 2003).

You are asking for possible members on the board. From a german point of view I would suggest three colleagues:

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dr. Harald Walach, Uniklinikum Freiburg

Dipl.-Psych. Liane Hofmann, Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene, Freiburg

Dipl.-Psych. Wolfgang Fach, same address

These colleagues are part of the “next” generation. They are skilled in the transpersonal field; they are pioneers on the one hand and they are already living in the consciousness of the second generation. The first two mentioned are or have become member in the board of the “German Collegium of Transpersonal Psychology and Psychotheapy” (Walach First Vice President since foundation 1999, Hofmann Second Vice President since 2001).

Dear John, thank you for your lovely postcard – it has been a wonderful surprise!

I have now to spend some time outside, refreshing in wind, sunshine and the smell of sea water.

All the best, connected with our hearts

yours

Wilfried