Board of Administrators
Wilfried Belschner               President                                
Pia Keiding                                       
Evgueny Faidych                                
Vitor Rodrigues                                
Christer Claus                                  
Ovidiu Brazdau 
John Drew              Newsletter Editor     

EUROTAS NEWLETTER 17                       28 October  2003

Dear Friends

1. The Eurotas meeting in  Romania 28 May - 1 June 2003

This was a very special occasion. Not only did the Romanian team make us so very welcome, not only was Sinaia a perfectly lovely venue, but also it was the most special of meetings with a wide range of workshops, networking opportunities and lovely places to visit. It confirmed for many of us the role of EUROTAS in the transpersonal European and global society.

You can read the minutes of our meeting which with a separate email  are being sent to you as are also the outline of the presentations by Beata Bishop and Rumold Mol. They will all also be on the Eurotas. org website as will be this newsletter should you want to draw it to the attention of others. Please copy this newsletters to colleagues who might be interested.

The President of Romania, Mr Ion Iliescu sent the Delegates a delightful and thoughtful message:

"I am pleasantly surprised that Romania is the host of the European Association of Transpersonal Psychology (EUROTAS), organized by The Romanian Association for Transpersonal Psychology. I am convinced that this scientific event with a highly professional impact will affirm the development of this modern science.

The fact that Romania was chosen to be the host of the Congress recognizes implicitly the efforts of Romanian professionals to consolidate what Abraham Maslow named “ the third force, humanistic psychology.”

.
The need now for a new spiritual vision for human existence and development comes from the understanding of the complexity of the world we live in, of the human condition and of the mental and cognitive processes.

We cannot deal with this new complexity using simplifying and mechanical methods, and in the case of healing using only chemical or classical psychoanalytical techniques.

The integral perspective of human being, in all its plurality of dimensions, allows us a radical new approach to the healing process. The theoretical and practical values of this new approach are growing, as humans have to face the growing aggressions of their surrounding environment. Human beings are many times in conflict with this environment without their wishing. The resolution for this conflict is neither simple, nor rapid. 
I think that Transpersonal Psychology can be a very good tool, a mediator of this conflict.


I end here my short message and wish you success in all you efforts in affirming this branch of psychology, for the good of humanity and for a better understanding of human nature".

2.  The London EUROTAS Conference 17-20 August 2004

Citizenship in an Interconnected World – A transpersonal approach

Regents Park, London Tuesday 17- Friday 20 August 2004

You are warmly invited to take part in this central London Conference during the summer of 2004 in the lovely surroundings of Regent’s Park. It is for all those in Europe and elsewhere who are interested in the relation between the inner aspects of their lives and the outward living of them.  It brings together like minded people from many different countries. The emphasis will be on our meeting together and learning from one another. It is not a conference at which you will just sit at the feet of great people and hear their views, although there will be expert lecturers and workshops offered from all over Europe and elsewhere. It will be a time for personal reflection on the contribution we might make in our own special ways to the complexity of the fast changing global, regional and local societies in which we find ourselves living.

Please register your interest and most important let us have your views on the subjects we will cover and the workshops you would like us to offer or which you would like to offer yourself. If you would like to lead a workshop/discussion group please let us knows and we will send you the framework briefing material.

Hope you had a good summer. Please find a moment to reply as soon as you can to our administration centre: karihall@alumedia.com to express your interest in the Conference and to have further details about the programme and registration. If you do not have email access you can contact Sue Lewis at the Centre for Transpersonal Psychology 101 Crawford Street,  London W1 2HP Tel:  44(0)20 7724 9842 Fax:   9843

The Conference Website can be accessed direct on http://www.citizenshipconference.org/ or through the CTP website (www.transpersonalcentre.co.uk) or the Eurotas website

(www.eurotas.org)

Best wishes

The Organisers

On behalf of EUROTAS and the Centre for Transpersonal Psychology

3. Research in EUROTAS

Professionals and academics interested in research should read this. There are about 20 academics at least with contacts in a much wider field who are interested in the development of a EUROTAS research capacity and its relations with others across the world who would like to work with them.

As a result, there will be Research Seminars every afternoon of the EUROTAS London Conference where both subjects and methodology will be discussed in workshops, presentations and networking sessions.

A discussion board is soon to be put on the EUROTAS website to help further these proposals and there will be Research Seminars/Workshops on each of the four afternoons of the London Conference 17-20 August 2004.

The President of EUROTAS, Professor Dr Wilfried Belschner supports warmly the proposal by Ovidiu Brazdau of Romania and the discussions with Olga Louchakova, David Lukoff and others. The aim is to bring together those professionals in EUROTAS interested in research in both transpersonal subjects and methodology through discussions during the year on the internet and then at the London Conference. This development came from the Creative Initiative established by Rumold Mol and others some years ago and the proposal for a discussion board on the EUROTAS website agreed in Portugal and developed in Sinaia.

These excerpts (I hope they represent the views correctly) come from correspondence and are to give those interested an opportunity to join the working group. Please contact Ovidiu Brazdau on   arpt@home.ro if you would like to be involved

Ovidiu Brazdau writes:

Manuel Almendro's suggestion is the way we can continue a very good development of EUROTAS. Separation between professionals and non-professionals will be the key for keeping the fields of interests in a proper way for everyone.

The Romanian Association has this structure - professional membership and regular membership.

A professional membership in EUROTAS must be necessary for joining some EUROTAS sections for example:

- Research –subjects and methodologies

- Transpersonal therapy training

 - Research section -

 - Some ideas on development - (please give your feedback to this)

1. As we are speaking mainly about transpersonal psychology, the most important part will be in the psychology field - not philosophy, medicine, etc.

The mixture of psychologists, doctors, engineers etc is directing the research too broad. Realistically, right now the people really interested in doing real work for EUROTAS are only a few, so maybe we can choose some fields - egg psychology and medicine and do a good job. or maybe only one field?

Research section must have two categories included

- methodology, including diagnostic tools - scales, tests, instruments to be used by the transpersonal psychologists

- practical research projects

ITP has the resources already developed - why not asking some of the ITP professors or researchers to come to Europe and give trainings, workshops on it?

Also the materials developed by ITP - maybe somehow they become available for us. e.g. - can we get from David or Olga the list of research books and materials form ITP? Or a list of their researches?

Some important statistics must be available for the use of the research section

- a list of the transpersonal psychology research methods used in US, Europe and all over the world

- a list / Catalogue of the psychological instruments (tests, inventory) that are or can be used by the transpersonal researchers

- a list of the ongoing research projects in the transpersonal field (including some elementary data - title/organization/methods/duration/subjects-populations etc.)

- a list of previously done research projects

I would like to start gathering this information through web or contacts and making a database to be published in a book - "Transpersonal Psychology Research". Review 1970 - 2003. Maybe someone has done this before, but I do not know this and I cannot find references on this matter.

Another seminal book needed - Transpersonal Psychology Research Methodology.

My proposal is to discuss these things by mail and in one month to make a draft of the development strategy for research section.

The research section at the Conference in London can be a good opportunity to finalize gathering of these data on research, and to have a personal meeting with all the people already who have already joined the research section.

Olga Louchakova writes: I consulted with ITP co-presidents Pat Luce and Bob Schmitt. We can provide methodological support both in research and transpersonal transformative education, either in the form of seminars in your countries, or by inviting you to be visiting scholars at ITP. In exchange, ITP will expect you to give lectures or seminars from your expertise. ITP had visiting scholars in the past, as well as our faculty was teaching abroad. From my experience, these visits have to be planned well in advance. 

Following is the brief description of the research programs at ITP. ITP prepares professional psychologists, MA and PhD level. Students come from different backgrounds (medicine, psychology, education, art, science), which influences their research. Our focus is in helping people to do their Ph.D. research according to the personally significant interests. This involves interdisciplinary relationships with the vast variety of fields of human knowledge, including social, life and physical sciences and humanities.  To get an idea of how broad it is, you may take a look at the list of dissertation topics at ITP over years on our website at http://www.itp.edu/resources/phd_diss.html

To accommodate these interests, we pay special attention to the research design, formulating strategies which will allow us to attain the particular research goals. While psychological tests and scales are used, qualitative methods including phenomenology and hermeneutics are predominant, also frequent are the combinations of the above. For example, one of my students, former medical pharmacologist, is doing the discs on yoga in treatment of cancer: she will combine interviews, focus groups, personal observations, and the medical data such as lab tests etc. Sometimes students develop and assess educational programs, sometimes they even chose to research no human subjects, doing a linguistic or philosophical analysis of the scriptural or historic sources or even movies or artifacts.

 Because of the above, I like very much Ovidiu's suggestion regarding Eurotas being both a professional and public forum. However, I would define transpersonal psychology profession differently from how professional membership is usually defined, i.e. by credentials. First of all, credentials in psychology or medicine in different countries may mean different things. Then, there are people with backgrounds in art or science, who may have years of experience of work with others in transpersonal field, but have no credentials in psychology or medicine.  So, it may be good to work on a definition of transpersonal professional membership

Best wishes

Olga Louchakova, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant professor,

Institute of Transpersonal Psychology

Wilfried Belschner writes

 
Dear Ovidiu,

Thanks for your initiative in the field of research. I agree with you that we need right now this emphasis on gathering the resources that have already been developed for transpersonal research. And I agree with you that we could summarize and present the results of this collaboration soon, for instance in the TRANSPERSONAL RESEARCH NEWSLETTER and afterwards at the London Conference. I would greatly appreciate if you would write a proposal to start this process and project of collecting research tools, research methodologies etc. The board of Eurotas would authorize this project and we could spread this letter for the inquiry by our national organisations.

Best wishes,

Wilfried

Prof. Dr. Wilfried Belschner

Institut für Psychologie, Abteilung Gesundheits- und Klinische

Ovidiu has agreed to develop a proposal and those interested should contact him soon.

4. News from Poland:Tanna Jacubowicz- Mount:

 EUROTAS  Gathering  in Sinaia                          

Dear Friends, I feel uplifted and grateful. It was wonderful to meet new and old friends with new insights and projects. It was like a rite of passage for me – going up to high mountains, meeting the Babele -old wise woman and coming back. Now I see our Eurotas more like a spacious shelter for us nomads from all over the place, with fire going in the middle of the circle, warming our hearts and cooking new ideas in our alchemical pot. I didn't take enough time to share my ideas, so I do it now. As I mentioned  at the beginning of my presenting the philosophy behind the works of the Polish Transpersonal Forum, the older I get, the more radical I become. My passion is to really grasp the Zeitgeist and  be a vehicle of a new consciousness, fostering social and cultural transformation. As far as I can see, the Spirit of Times is manifested by two big clashing forces- old and new world orders. Old order of a fragmented world is based on the concept of separation of self and others: borders, constant battle for spheres of influence and control over territories and human minds. A New order of unitive consciousness perceiving the world as one organism is emerging out of turbulence  and confusion.

I offer a few points for discussion: HOMO HOLOS – THE CITIZEN OF AN INTERRELATED WORLD. Motto: Flowing with the Spirit of Times into the Mainstream of Humanity to moisten the souls of sentient beings along the river. We are in an evolution from Homo Tribus identifying only with his territory, culture and religion and driven by fear of the "other", to Homo Holos embracing the whole of human, earth and cosmic community. How to become the vehicle of unitive consciousness? How to contribute to the process of healing, transformation and reconciliation of the world? I see the ways to go on a personal and global level. Through inner transformation to unitive awareness and transcendence - embracing all of it. We start from ourselves and learn with others.

The Polish Transpersonal Forum:  Our programme includes:

1.Transpersonal Training Programme- "The Bridge"
Counsellor training for those  who will work with people with existential crises. We offer theoretical and practical introduction to various schools of humanistic and transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy. Trainees complete also therapeutic training "Thresholds of Life" - the circle of three workshops covering childhood, adolescence and adulthood. They take part in transpersonal workshops led by therapists from abroad.

2. Thresholds of Life for clients

3. Circle of Woman- "La Loba- wild and wise woman within". A Workshop based on shamanic practices to heal all relations and reclaim our power, wisdom, love, body and soul.

4. Trainings for managers: based of a method of Stephen Covey: creative team building, styles of leadership, communication and so on.

5. In cooperation with the International Peacemaker Community: Creating Nonviolent Culture - "Dance around the Tree of Life" educational programme based on rituals drawn from various cultures and spiritual traditions. The goal is to help especially young people to fill the spiritual gap by getting in touch with  the inner being and transform energies of violence and destruction into energies of healing and creation.

6. In cooperation with the Polish media: articles and radio programmes conveying the transpersonal approach to life.

Love, Tanna Jakubowicz-Mount

5. The Romanian Transpersonal Psychology Association (ARPT)

From Ovidiu Brazdau

Hello!
A brief note about the activities of  the Romanian Association for Transpersonal Psychology

1. Professional Training in Animatherapy and Transpersonal Psychotherapy - coordinator: Bernadette Blin-Lery 25 psychologists are included in the training program. In 2003 there were the first 3 experiential workshops (January, May and October)

2. The National Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology Conference
From 25-26 October, ARPT will organize the first National Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology Conference in Bucharest. The Conference will have the participation of the major professors in the academic field of psychology.
Sections:
1. Personality development and growth psychology
2. Psychology of Consciousness
3. Mental Health, Psychotherapy and Counseling
4. Intuition, Creativity, various
5. Psychology of Religion, Spirituality 
6. Interdisciplinary Researches, Education

You are all invited and we welcome guests from other countries.

3. The Romanian Dreamwork Center

This a project developed with support from Strephon Kaplan Wiliams, the famous dreamwork researcher. 19 psychologists are included in the professional training in dreamwork psychology. Two trainings took place this year, and the third one is scheduled on 28-30 November 2003.

Romanian Dreamwork Center will also organize the Spiritual Romania Dream Tour from August 21 to 29, 2004  Don't miss it! . More details at http://www.explorarea-visurilor.ro (english version available)

4. Publishing activities
Transpersonal Psychology Journal - twice a year / last number appeared in May, 2003
Transpersonal Psychology Bulletin  - available online in Romanian / monthly / www.arpt.ro
Multidimensional Consciousness - a book by Ion Manzat and Ovidiu Brazdau, reviewing all the consciousness research and presenting some personal researches in the field
Transpersonal Psychology page  - twice a month in the "National" newspaper (one of the most important newspaper in Romania)
ARPT was glad to host the EUROTAS Annual Delegate Conference in My, 2003. The most important reaction of the Conference in the Romanian society came from Mr. Ion Iliescu, the president of Romania, who wrote to participants (1 see above )

SPIRITUAL ROMANIA DREAM TOUR - 21st - 29th of August, 2004
Hello,

This is a personal letter from Strephon Kaplan-Williams, Dream Psychologist and writer, and Ovidiu Brazdau, Romanian Transpersonal Psychologist.

We are together the organizers of our first Spiritual Romania Dream Tour. We have put our hearts and time into this project and invite you to participate for what can be one of the spiritual experiences of your life whose effects can last years.

This is a unique adventure into one of the still very much alive and devotional religious cultures of the world, based on a separate and very ancient branch of Christianity, The Romanian Orthodox Church.

We promise you, you will have unique entry into some of Romania's most sacred spots and experiences, as well as meet with priests and village elders of special merit and religious devotion. Details are  at http://www.explorarea-visurilor.ro (English version available)

6. ARIADNE’S BROKEN THREAD  by Beata Bishop

The interrelated world which we want to serve is not interrelated within itself. The two great principles on which the Universe rests, the masculine Yang and the feminine Yin, are badly out of balance, and their imbalance endangers our very survival. Yang is about power, will, action, authority, purpose, leadership; it works through intellect, LOGOS. It’s objective, extravert, creative, and can be overpowering, rigid, tyrannical, competitive. Yin is about feeling, relating, intuition, instinct, non-rational perception, respect for life, EROS. It’s introvert, subjective, passive, cooperative, powerful, enduring, and can be chaotic, over-emotional, manipulative, possessive.

You can read the summary of Beata’s fascinating talk which she gave at Sinaia  attached to this newsletter or on the website: eurotas.org

7. From Russian with Love 

(i) From Gennady Brevde

The Moldova Transpersonal Association

Dear Colleagues & Friends!

Only today I've  returned  from  Chishinev where we were busy  arranging many things connected with the newborn Moldova Transpersonal Association. More news later

Love,

Gennady.

ii) From Evgueny and Andrei

Dear John,

I have just returned from the Caucasus where I have participated in a short expedition to the highlands. This time we have been exploring the canyons near Fisht mountain. There were fantastic dolmens over there! I have never seen this type before. The main chamber is hollowed out of the unbroken rock with the cover placed above! And the whole complex of dolmens including ones of traditional shape. It seems that this temple complex resembles Chidambaram and every dolmen is dedicated to the individual spirit or deity. It does not seem to be a burial place though there are some stone barrows. I have seen the same in Kartuzi, the later burial places. We have found this amazing place at height 1000 meters above sea level. And there are no tourists because this place is very hard to reach.

Much love,

Evgueni

Russian Transpersonal Association News

In the beginning of June based in Sochi (Black Sea coast) branch of the Russian Transpersonal Foundation we have conducted a workshop on using ancient psycho technologies in psychotherapy and transpersonal psychology. After that we have organized an expedition in the Caucasus mountains where some old megaliths were explored: dolmens and stone circles (ozenkhoars).

It is well-advertised and very popular now in Russia to use ancient megaliths for healing purposes. However such a “healing” is carried out often by not competent healers and can lead to deplorable consequences. One of the goals of the expedition was studying the influence of these ancient devices on the psyche and the body. The other goal was to investigate their efficiency for transpersonal psychotherapy.

The most interesting megaliths are difficult to access and are situated 2000-3000 meters above sea level. They are from 3000 to 6000 years old and situated in zones with perceptible energy anomalies. These zones have a clear positive biogenic effect where it is usually to see the dramatic plant growth, improvement of the human state of health, recovery from the illness and mental disorders. Also we have noticed the zones with very negative influence on health and mind. We call them the zones of nigredo using the alchemical terminology of Carl Jung.

Similar anomalies are easily observed by dowsing tools. Also it is very effective to use the computer-based virtual scanner developed by Evgueni Faydysh and Alexey Ivanov. Moreover, in the megaliths areas we have noticed the strong hallucinogenic effect.

Most of the Caucasian dolmens are built of huge thoroughly fitted stone flags. The gaps between the flags are even smaller than edge of the knife. The dolmen shape resembles the hat with a flat roof. One of the walls on the ground level has a hole with the diameter of the human head.

During the expedition we have examined the megaliths near Aibga mountain. Recently archaeologists have discovered two unknown dolmens there. One of them has a shape of a hat typical for Caucasus. The other looks like dolmens of Ireland and France. It is built from crude stone flags with large gaps between them. It was at this megalith  we  detected the most powerful biogenic effect.

Also we have discovered the strong biogenic effect near the peak of the Aibga mountain, in the valley where there is a stone circle (ozenkhoar). It was possible to observe this effect even without use of the detecting devices: the whole valley is overgrown with very rare black tulips growing up among the banks of melting snow.

Fractal mandalas

Our Foundation continues the research of fractal mandalas as an instrument for transpersonal psychotherapy.

Fractal mandalas represent effective instruments of correction of the psycho-emotional and psycho-energetic state of a person. They represent a synthesis of ancient Indian and Tibetan mandalas, magical science with fractal ornaments. Designed with the aid of a computer, such fractal sets are the result of dynamic chaos — a source of endless variety and diversity of natural forms discovered by modern physics. Images of dynamic chaos have amazing harmony and endless diversity of forms that have the ability to help a person concentrate in meditation for a long time. These particularities of fractals are used in constructing the Fractal mandalas (E. Faydysh, 1995).

These ancient mandalas have been traditionally used for correction of psycho-emotional relations, value systems organisation and stereotypical behaviour, as well as psycho-energetic of humans (chakras and acupuncture channels). With their basis in the science from Kunta Yoga, one of the most ancient mystical traditions in India, the Fractal ornaments have been selected with the help of special computer programs. The effectiveness of the developed mandalas have been tested by contemporary methods of electro encephalogram and psychological tests, as well as being evaluated by experts in the practice of meditation in esoteric traditions in India and Tibet.

These mandalas are effective both when meditating on them and when displayed in the room as an element of design acting through the unconscious (subsensory) perception.

Now the article “Twelve Fractal Mandalas” is available in English on our web site Shalagram: http://www.shalagram.nm.ru/kunta/fractalmandalseng.htm. In shamanic direction we have maid one more step forward and published in English the article “The Land of Shamans. The Land and the Spirits in Siberian Shamanism”. It is available on the following address:
http://www.shalagram.nm.ru/shamanism/knowledge/thelandofshamanseng.htm.

Very soon the whole site Shalagram will be available in English so stay tuned.

http://www.shalagram.nm.ru/

http://www.techno-feng-shui.nm.ru/

Andrei and his pilgrimage to  Serahphim of Viritisa

Dear John

As usual we are sitting together and thinking about you and our Romanian experiences, especially in Bucharest when we came to another step in our brother like love and understanding.

As an additional part to our Foundation report to  the Eurotas  newsletter we can add some of Andrei’s spititual experience he gained  6 days ago:

I visited the grave/relics of Seraphim of Viritsa in Leningrad (St .Petersburg region). He was the saint of the second part of the xx century. Great healer, prophet in general. A really  holy person. But the main accent is that he was a person who prayed  for the victory of Russia over  fascism. He had been praying standing on the rock for 1000 days.  As Serahim of Sarov in the XIX century.

The grace was unbelievably strong. Andrei had a deep experience in feeling the divine energy of the place.

Much love

Evgeni and Andrei

8. News from ITANT and Rumold Mol

Dear John

“Hope all is well with EUROTAS since our wonderful days in Sinaia. There really was a lot of fun around it. Here is my presentation and I will start working on more concrete proposals.

Dear friends

Many of you I have come to know over several years of our Council Meetings and all the others I want to come to know soon.

I am very grateful to the Romanian team who prepared this meeting and brought us here to this exquisite place.

I am more than grateful for the enthusiasm with which John has encouraged all members - especially through the newsletters - to remain one big community and to feel together as a living body of mutual supportive members. I do have the strong feeling that EUROTAS will contribute a lot to the future of our Continent.

"Citizenship in an Interconnected World -

A transpersonal approach"

Is it pure by synchronicity that this title was chosen?

I too was filled with the idea of the importance of the transpersonal paradigm being the future of the world. The fact that this title was chosen here and now indicates that EUROTAS wants to go for its task in the world.”

You can read Rumold’s presentation attached to this news letter or on the EUROTAS websit

9. News from Portugal

Another very good European Transpersonal Congress. Portugal is closely linked with Brazil as they share the same language. David Fontana was among those present. More news next time.

IV  INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ALUBRAT (Portuguese-Brazilian Transpersonal Association)

Theme : “Ecology of Consciousness - From Inner Harmony to Planetary Reconciliation”

Abstract: A growing number of people is now feeling that along with the extraordinary advancement human beings have obtained in several areas, serious problems have arisen as a consequence of the same advancements. For them the dominating models of knowledge and action are getting no credible answer.

As we are heading towards a planetary civilization and despite several warnings coming from several knowledge areas, the majority of population seems to be taking refuge in consumerism and passive behavior. Meanwhile, social differences are aggravating and with them psychological disturbances are growing in each and every age group. The conflict between man and nature is still growing as fundamental issues remain unsolved. Everything is showing us that it is not enough to know about what is going on: it is as urgent as it is indispensable to understand the psychological mechanisms underlying this mass denial and to find the ways to overcome them.

With this IV International Congress, ALUBRAT is trying to promote reflection aiming at innovative solutions and at a definition of the role each individual can play in the construction of an harmonious way of living in our planet.


Date  : 9 to 12 October 2003.
Where: Cascais
President of Honour of the Congress: Prof. Pierre Weil
President of the Congress : Vera Saldanha, President of ALUBRAT in Brazil.
Scientific  Committee: António Barbosa, Professor of the Fac. of Medicine of Lisbon, Portugal
Carlos Fernandes, Professor of Psychophysiology at Univ. of Minho, Portugal.
David Fontana, Professor of Psychology at the Univ. of Manchester, United Kingdom.
Luís Sobrinho, Cathedratic Professor of Endocrinology at Univ. Nova of  Lisbon, Portugal.
Manuel Almendro, Psychologist and Psychotherapist (transpersonally  oriented), Spain.
Saul  Neves de Jesus, Cathedratic at http://www.explorarea-visurilor.ro (English version available)  Professor and Head  of the Department of Psychology at Univ. of Algarve, Portugal.
Mário Simões, Professor of Psychiatry of the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, Portugal
Pierre Weil, Professor and Principal of Unipaz, Brasília, Brazil.
Vera Saldanha, Md in Transpersonal psychology, Psychologist and Psychotherapist.
Vítor Rodrigues, Professor of Pedagogy at the Nursing School of Evora, Psychologist and Psychotherapist, Portugal.

10. A New Publication

Dear Professor Drew:


We wanted to be sure that you are aware of this new journal, and to invite Eurotas to post a link to our website. The website includes a free copy of the first issue, using the Sample Issue icon; the journal's rationale; editorial guidelines; editorial board member listing and links to their CVs. We welcome submissions of related articles for consideration for publication.

Best regards,


Laura Markos,

PhD  Founding Co-Editor

Journal of Transformative Education

http://www.sagepub.com/jted
journal@isote.org

11. A Special Book by Jorge Ferrer

This book is very special. You will be glad to know that both David Lorimer and Jorge Ferrer will be at the EUROTAS London conference next August. David will talk about “Citzenship and Consciousness”  and Jorge about the practical applications of the analysis in his book -  a concept he calls “ participative spirituality. “

David Lorimer writes:

Dear Friends

I don't often send out emails like this! I have just returned from holiday in Bulgaria where I have been reading Jorge N Ferrer's 'Revisioning Transpersonal Theory'. Some of you may recall seeing the foreword by Richard Tarnas in last December's Network Review (attached for those who can read it on the EUROTAS website).

This book is every bit as important as Rick claims, and is the most significant book I have read for at least five if not ten years! Subtitled 'A Participatory Vision of Human Spirituality', the first part is a deconstruction of existing assumptions in transpersonal psychology connected with the perennial philosophy, while the second advances a new participatory vision. I found my views radically challenged by the book, which is making me completely rethink my understanding of experience as 'inner empiricism', the separation between epistemology and ontology, circular reasoning in perennial philosophy, the subject-object divide presupposed by Cartesianism (and not reflected in transpersonal experience). More specifically, Ken Wilber's approach is challenged on a number of grounds and the transpersonal field is situated within developments connected with the philosophy of mysticism (e.g. the tension between contextualism and universalism).

So prepare for a shake-up if you follow my advice and order the book!! The author teaches at CIIS and, although he wrote the book at the age of only 34, seems to have read everything in the field! There are 30 pages of references and over 30 pages of detailed footnotes.

Details: Revisioning Transpersonal Theory, by Jorge N Ferrer, SUNY Press 2002, 273 pp., $20.95 p/b ISBN 0 7914 5168 2

Love
David

The review is also available on the EUROTAS website – www. eurotas.org

12. A Message from Germany: Joachim Galuska

Joachim Galuska sends his kind regards and best wishes. He is making very interesting progress at Heligenfeld and you can read about this on: www.heiligenfeld.com

Many of us remember the wonderful Eurotas meeting which we had organised by Joachim and his team. Many of the initiatives from that time have continued and we are very appreciative of Joachim’s support to Eurotas at that critical time.

13. Integra Master Class in Leadership in Germany

Leyland Johnson writes about the INTEGRA INSTITUTE FOR THE

APPLIED INTEGRAL APPROACH LEADERSHIP & CONSULTANCY

“The great news of this coming autumn is that we will now open The INTEGRA MASTER CLASS IN LEADERSHIP 2003 – 2004 – 2005 Next Meeting August, 21st – 24th 2003

WHAT IS THE BOULDER – BAVARIA CONNECTION?

In the coming months we will develop this organization together with the participants in this course and in September 2003 we will present this concept to Ken Wilber who will be visiting with our 7 day Course in Boulder/ Denver Colorado.  Click on: www.integralinstitute.org

WHO IS JOINING THIS ENDEAVOR?

The people who will be joining us in this course are all successful creators in their various careers in a variety of professions. e.g. physicians, psychologists, business leaders, artists, educators, therapists, politicians etc. Together we will become competent and excellent in the essential theories, practices and applications of the Integral Approach as well as the Basics of Gestalt& Spiral Dynamics.

Warmly

Leland Johnson & Auguste Waldschmidt

14. A Letter from Stan Grof

Subject: ITA conference

Dear John,

As you will see from the attached, we are planning the next conference of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA). We have a list of organizations described as "cooperating institutions." This does not entail any financial or legal responsibilities, simply an expression of common interest and cause. These institutions also often help us to spread the word about the conference to their members (not a condition). I would like to explore with you if Eurotas could be listed among them. I would appreciate your answer as soon as possible, since we are now building our website.

With warm regards,

Stan

Dear Stan,

As far as I am concerned there is no issue and EUROTAS could be described as a "cooperating Institution.” I will also put some information about the conference in the next Eurotas Newsletter. However, after five years I have now stepped down as President and Professor Wilfried Belschner is now President. I am therefore copying this to Wilfried and members of the Board and others. If there is an issue, they will get back to me I am sure and then I will get back to you.

As ever

John Drew

Subsequently, Wilfried and the Board agreed to be a cooperating institution. Please read about the Conference on the website which is currently being created at:  ITAconferences.org

This is a conference summary:

Sixteenth International Transpersonal Conference:

Mythic Imagination and Modern Society:

 

The Re-Enchantment of the World

Riviera Resort in Palm Springs, CA,

June 13-18, 2004 (June 12-20 with pre- and post-conferences).

Program Coordinators: Stanislav and Christina Grof

Assistant Program Directors: Cary Sparks and Tav Sparks

Conference Coordinator: Robert Duchmann

We will explore how the new understanding of the nature and function of myth revealed by the work of C. G. Jung, Marie-Louise von Franz, Joseph Campbell, Mircea Eliade, James Hillman, Marion Woodman, and others has revolutionized thinking in many areas of modern life – psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy, biology, anthropology, philosophy, theology, history, economy, and politics.

These pioneers have shown that myths are not fictitious products of human fantasy, but reflections of archetypes, primordial cosmic organizing principles that form and inform the dynamics of the psyche, events and movements in human history, and evolutionary processes in nature.

In view of these findings, it is important that we identify the mythic motifs and forces underlying the current global crisis that threatens survival of the human species. It is equally important to search for a new myth that would inspire peaceful coexistence, tolerance, cooperation, and synergy of various human groups, as well as reverence for life and respect for ecological imperatives.

The Sixteenth International Transpersonal Conference will focus on the importance of myth in human history and modern society. Like previous ITA events, the format of this meeting will combine lectures, experiential sessions, rituals, music, dance, and visual arts. The conference program will include celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joseph Campbell, the greatest mythologist of the twentieth century.

15. Kati writes from Hungary

Dear John,

Thank you for the wonderful plans of the conference. I am sending it around Hungary, and it will soon be on our Hungarian website too.

I am working on the transpersonal psychotherapy project which we started at Sinaia and together with some Hungarian colleagues we are summarizing the materials. I hope we will have results soon

Much love

Kati

16. Frank Visser and Ken Wilber

WILBER FRIENDS MAILING LIST

===========================

http://www.worldofkenwilber.com

Amsterdam, October 15 2003

Hi Wilber friend,

Was out in the Portuguese mountains for a few weeks so could not send newsletters, but here's a new one, with much on Integral Art:

Enjoy!

frank

17. Manuel Almendro, his new book  and Rupert Sheldrake

Manuel came to London from Spain to meet with Rupert Sheldrake and the Schumacher College. Both the Sheldrake Website and Schumacher College are well worth looking at.

Manuel writes: “I would like you could send a message to people of EUROTAS.

A publisher has asked by to develop a book about Transpersonal Psychology. It is going to published in Spanish and English. I am going to develop a chapter about theoretical models in transpersonal psychology. I would like to include European transpersonal models.

I will develop a model in relation with my last book Psychology of Chaos.

Any Association interested could please send me a resume of their ideas, characteristics, foundation and address. Not more than 100 words.

Is interesting that European transpersonal movement might prepare a magazine being worked on by the Romanians.

I Wrote to Wilfried because I am thinking in the possibility of creating an organization about professional psychology inside EUROTAS if members are agreeing with it. 

    The objective is:

1º to give to the official Psychology a message coherent and honest from transpersonal and professional psychologists

2º to work in a European way of transpersonal Psychology and Psychotherapy.

3º to publish and give to know this position.

4º to introduce this message into Universities.

 I am in touch with several universities in Spain and South America. I would like to give them coherent ideas from EUROTAS. They are very open to this possible communication.

Sincerely

Manuel Almendro,  President of ATRE.

.

18. Italian Conference

The 1st European Conference of Brief Strategic and Systemic Psychotherapy

   ____________________________________________________

   EUROPEAN WAYS OF BRIEF STRATEGIC AND SISTEMIC THERAPY

       "looking back in the past to see the future"

   ____________________________________________________

       6th - 7th - 8th - 9th November 2003 - Arezzo - Italy

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

it is with immense pleasure that we invite You to participate to the 1st European Conference organized by the Centro di Terapia Strategica (Strategic Therapy Center) - Arezzo, that will be held on 6th-7th-8th-9th November 2003 in Arezzo. The approaches of Brief Strategic and Systemic Therapy have been developed for decades, parallely in Europe and in the United States, leading the field of the psychotherapy to substantial and important evolutions in the last years, especially in Europe. The psychotherapeutic practice, together with the research activity carried out, have helped to formulate new advanced models of treatment for specific pathologies and innovative techniques that have increased the efficacy and the efficiency of the psychotherapeutic therapies and the strategic interventions even in non-clinical contexts.

It is time to stop and ponder, so as to make an analysis of the current state of the Art of the Brief Strategic and Systemic Therapy in Europe to show its winning characteristics and to look for the possible proposals that can render it always better in the future.

It is for this reason that we hope in a numerous participation to this historic Conference on the European Models of the Brief Strategic and Systemic Therapy.

Presentation Conference in this page

http://www.centroditerapiastrategica.org/conf%20uk%202003.htm

Secretary of the Conference

"European Ways of Brief Strategic and Systemic Therapy"

Centro di Terapia Strategica

Arezzo Italia

tel. 0039 0575 350 240

fax 0039 0575 350277

email:ewbsst.conference2003@centroditerapiastrategica.org

www.centroditerapiastrategica.org

19.  A note from Chris Hall about the website

The Eurotas website continues to grow and receive more attention from all corners of the world. The website has been instrumental in linking our organizations with related associations in North and South America and in the Far East.

While the information contained on the website serves as a useful promotional and reference tool for all Eurotas members to spread their messages to the online community, it would be a good time for all members to review their individual sections on the EUROTAS site to ensure a timely and relevant presence is maintained  Please continue to keep your contributions, stories and pictures flowing to  webmaster@Eurotas. org

Over the next few weeks you will see considerable changes to the site as we add a discussion board and a members only section where Eurotas mebers will be able to post non public information. We look forward to your continued participation

Best wishes,

Chris Hall

20. Olga Luchakova, David Lukov, Andrei Gostev, Evgueni Faidych Manuel Almendro, Vladimir Maikov, Beata Bishop

I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Please send me material for it on profdrew@eurotas,org   The above friends of EUROTAS have in common that they were able to meet me and welcome me to their homes to talk about EUROTAS affairs from places as far apart (and close together) as Moscow, California and London.  It is always good to hear of EUROTAS people who travel to meet others. There is much movement around the network.

Please put information about the London Conference 17-20 August 2004 in your association information mail outs. You can always get up to date material from Kari.hall@ alumedia.com

love

as ever

John