a cem newsletter 20062

7/27/2019 A Cem Newsletter 20062

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Acem meditAtion

Continued on page 7

From India to Norway to meditate

Kai Mahmood, 21 years old, came to Norway or his holidayor two reasons. He wanted to participate in three weeks odeepening retreats in Acem Meditation, and to undergo parto the leadership training to become an Acem instructor in In-dia. Why? Isnt his homeland, India, the cradle o meditation?

I had tried, in vain, to find a meth-od to improve my concentrationand attention span in my studies,

but did not come across anythingthat seemed appropriate or prom-ising. In a Google search two yearsago, I found Acem Meditation onthe Internet, and decided to learnthe technique, which I saw was

based on a modern, scientific, non-religious approach, and also en-courages existential reflection.

At the time, Kaif was preoccupiedwith reading and searching knowl-edge about meditation and spiritu-ality. He tried different methods,and while some people might find

it strange to learn a Western formof meditation in India, Kaif doesnot see it that way.

Increased attention span

Living in a multicultural and mul-ti-religious society, with a Muslimbackground, I dont question theorigin of the technique. It is thequality of the meditation that mat-ters. At the information meeting, Ibecame aware of the psychologicalaspects of Acem Meditation, andmy interest in this area was evoked.After having acquired some expe-rience with different meditationtechniques, I chose to continuewith Acem Meditation on a regularbasis, because it made me concen-trate better, and my attention spanwas increased. Besides, it doesntleave a feeling of being indoctri-nated about spiritual experience or

romantic ideas about higher self-states. Furthermore, increasing mypsychological understanding hasbecome more important to me, andI think this method stimulates selfreflection and enhances insight.

Inside

The Indian Himalayas

Crossroads o Meditation

Acem Taiwan 20 Years

40 Years o Inspired Work

The Kind o Spirit to Support

Acem Meditation Retreats

Kai sailing the Oslo jord

Check acem.com for meditation events

InternatIonal newsletter no. 2 2006

9ACEM


2/8 Acem Meditation Newsletter /06

The Indian Himalayas

Acem Travels 2007Friday 28 September - Sunday 14 October

Meditative silence Mystical mountains Traditional lifestylesTrekking in rhododendron forests Remote villages

Meditation retreat

The tour starts with one week ofmeditation at an Acem Meditationretreat in Rishikesh, at the banksof the Ganges in the foothills of theHimalayas.

Into the mountains

After the retreat, we will travel bycars into the mountains until wereach Gangotri (3048 meters alti-tude), where the goddess Ganga is

said to have come down to Earth asthe river Ganges.

We will visit remote mountain vil-lages, rarely seen by outsiders,where the local people still have atraditional way of life.

We will walk on mountain paths inrhododendron forests with viewsof some of the highest peaks in theworld.

Shopping in Delhi

Before returning home, there willbe ample time for sightseeing andshopping in Delhi. Very good buysare available, including qualityclothes, glasses, silver, art and silk.

The guide

The tour organiser and guide is

Acem initiator Torbjrn Hobbel,who is the founder of Acem Indiaand has an intimate knowledge ofIndian culture. For 25 years he hastravelled in Uttaranchal, the areaswe will visit.

English is the main language of theretreat. Group activities will also beconducted in Scandinavian languag-

es. Acem meditators from all overthe world are invited to participate.

For more details:Please contact Acem Internationalor visit Acems web site acem.com.

Torbjrn Hobbelin the middle o Ganges at Gangotri


3/8Acem Meditation Newsletter 2/06

In the tales o our olklore,the hero comes to a numbero crossroads where he mustchoose a path wisely. Like-wise it is in our meditation.Here are some o the cross-roads we ace.

First crossroad

Accept everything or reject what is

undesirable?

Naturally we would prefer pleasantmeditations: a spontaneous activ-ity that we can deal with, withouttoo much trouble, distraction, rest-lessness and bodily discomfort. Ifwe do not get what we want, we canchoose to stop meditating. Or wecan get an extra good grip on themeditation sound in order to limitthe influx of the spontaneous. Thisis a choice that does not change

anything.

The other approach is to accept eve-rything that appears, including thatwhich is disturbing, undesired, un-known or incomprehensible. Meet-

ing this part of the spontaneousactivity with a meditation soundthat we repeat with a free mental

attitude is to create change.

Second crossroad

Dwell on the spontaneous activitywhen it is exciting and full of im-agery or turn our attention back tothe repetition of the sound?

Good ideas, pleasant images, nicethoughts and supportive feelingsmay well arise in the spontane-ous activity of meditation. Andgood feelings are the solution ofthe times. Excitement and pleas-ant feelings make life worth living.Why take the chance that the enjoy-able feelings may disappear whenI resume repeating the meditationsound?

Surely we need a good world to be

in, but in Acem Meditation having agood feeling means little. What cre-ates changein Acem Meditationas in the rest of lifeis what youactually do. Meditate actively, notas a spectator to the passing show.

If you stand at this crossroad, theright choice is to turn your aware-ness back to the repetition of thesound. From what happens to whatyou do. That is when the really ex-

citing things begin to happen.

Third crossroad

Accept that everything that mani-fests itself in the spontaneous ac-tivity is a part of myself or insist

that surely there are some thingsin my meditation that do not haveanything to do with me?

In modern times, belief in goblins,demons and similar psychic enti-ties outside ourselves has waned.This is a good thing. With the dis-covery of the unconscious, we be-came responsible for what takesplace inside us, including our ag-gressive and depressive impulses.Granted, at times we project such

things onto others, we deny; werepress. But ultimately, everythingthat happens inside us when wemeditate is, precisely, us. No oneelse is present.

Crossroads of MeditationBy Carl Henrik Grndahl

Enchanted Forest.

Oil on canvas bythe most amousNorwegian painter,Edvard Munch, ex-pressing the won-der o enteringthe unknown.



Very well, but is this not the choicewe made beforehand, when we satdown to meditate? We know thatwhat appears inside is us, dont we?

I sit down to meditate. With mybest intentions I would like a bit ofuncomplicated free attitude for awhile. Time passes quickly, sittingthere is peaceful, the world is good.Then things begin to get knotty.Something starts to work againstthe free attitude. Everything be-comes unclear, messy, rough. Itseems like someone is resistingme. Since there is nothing I wish somuch as to meditate in an uncon-strained way, then this somethingmust be from outsidesomethingI surely do not want. Who is it?Well, let us call it the not-me. Andso I see myself as one who is striv-

ing and struggling, the victim ofan injustice brought about by thisoutsider. This not-me is quite con-founding: get rid of it!

So we struggle with and get an-noyed over this confoundedness.We scold ourselves, get angry, ac-cuse or simply despair.

We have then chosen one way atthis crossroad. The wrong one. Weact as if something in the sponta-

neous activity does not belong tous.

Which means that I am really treat-ing myself very poorly. I say to my-self that what is expressing itself inmy meditation in this unacceptableway is so undesirable that I cannoteven entertain the thought that itmay be me. In other words, a partof myself is cast out into the dark-ness and branded destructive.

What does it mean to make theright choice at this crossroad?

A good beginning may be to realisethat what is disturbing me in mymeditation is also me. Let us turnthe alliance for a moment. Lets notremain so uncritical of the one thatscolds and struggles and chasesaway, but also be aware of what it islike to be scolded, struggled againstand chased away. Feel a little sym-pathy for the one we are harrying inourselves. Allow the visitor a littlewarmth and comfort, with all thedisturbance and uneasiness andsabotage that comes with doing so.Meet this part of me with a freerepetition of the sound rather thanrejection, with a form of mature se-curity and warmth. In Acem Medi-tation, conflicts are not resolved

through combat and struggle. If wecannot let go of the idea that whatdisturbs us must be combated andchased away, we change very little.That which is undesirable withinourselves loosens its grip when itis listened to, accepted, met with afree mental attitude.

Fourth crossroad

Keep certain kinds of judgementsoutside the spontaneous activity,or accept that everything that ap-pears in meditation is part of thespontaneous in us.

This crossroad resembles the pre-vious one. Something in our spon-taneous activity appears that wedo not recognise as our self. But incontrast to the previous crossroad,this time we are not struggling witha rejected and quarrelsome child.Rather, the source of our troubles

resembles a strong authority fig-ure that lays down the truth for uswhile we are struggling and are un-able to cope.

I sit in my meditation and feel dis-satisfiedwith my performance,with the spontaneous activity, withmyself, with the world. This is whenthe judge appears. With consid-erable weight and indisputabilitythe judge passes judgement overme: You are incompetent. You are

shirking. You are small, stupid, andcompletely incapable and we ba-sically lack the space or strengthor self-confidence to question thiscategorical judgement. For it statesthe truth. This is the way I am.

With this stinging judgement inour ears, we begin to strive evenmore, or struggle, or give up. Thejudgement makes us act in waysthat cannot create change.

This element of the spontaneousactivity has a name: Metathoughts.And the metathoughts are quitetough guides. They do not pointout the way we are supposed togo. They throw us along, into thestruggle, away from the free men-tal attitude. We do not even un-derstand that we stand at a cross-road. How in the world are we tofree ourselves from their grasp andchoose differently?

Guidance provides good help. Shar-ing the experience with someonewho is not under the influence of the

judge can start the questioning proc-ess: Perhaps this categorical judge-ment is not the truth about me? Itis not external: it is actually my ownjudgement over myself, a part ofmyself that is quite judgementaland does not like me. It not onlyadmonishes me when I feel I havefailed to master the performance ofmy meditation, but it pours its nega-tive judgement upon me whenevermy life does not go smoothly.

Discovering this crossroad is an im-portant step in liberating oneselffrom limiting influences. Choosingthe right way puts the metathoughtback where it belongs: it is a part ofthe spontaneous activity that has aslittle authority or weight to decidewho I am and what I should do asany other whim or chance thoughtthat passes by. The metathoughtsare used to meeting combat and fro-zen attitudes. Upon meeting a freemental attitude, the metathoughtsdissolve.

This is a small piece of what takesplace in the spontaneous activ-ity of the mind. When we practisemeditation, there are many chal-lenges, and exciting and liberatingencounters that await usat thenext crossroad.

(See questions for reflection on thenext page.)

Carl Henrik Grndahl

Carl Henrik Grndahl is ArtisticDirector in Radio Drama, the Nor-wegian Broadcasting Corporation(NRK), and an initiator in Acem.


5/8Acem Meditation Newsletter 2/06

The 20th anniversary of Acem Tai-wan was celebrated at National Tai-wan University in Taipei on April16th. The event not only coincidedwith the 40th anniversary of AcemInternational, but also with the last

day of Acem Travels tour of China,Hong Kong and Taiwan. Among theaudience of 200 people, almost 80came from Europe.

It was an unforgettable East-meets-West experience for every-

one, featuring artists with excel-lent performances of traditionalChinese music, song and dance. Acentral theme was sound, with avariety of creative and deeply mov-ing events. Sound is also a central

element in Acem Meditation, com-monly shared across cultures. Thehighlights from the history of AcemTaiwan and Acem International em-phasised the bonds between medi-tators in the East and the West.

Acem Taiwan 20 YearsSummer

of Meditation

During two months inthe summer o 2006

Acem arranged 12 week-longmeditation retreats.

Alltogether the participantsmeditated 1,000 hours.

Sharing

The first time Kaif participated inone of the annual week-long re-treats in India, he was not used todiscussing his meditation experi-

ence in a guidance group, and felta bit shy about sharing personalmatters with others. The next time,he was more familiar with how theguidance works, and found it easi-er to use the group for his benefit.The discussions during retreatsmay contribute to further self ex-ploration.

Important lie issues

He is excited about what the threeweeks of deepening retreats will belike.

I expect to be dealing with im-portant themes in my life, and todiscover more about my own psy-chology, perhaps going into pastunresolved issues, which, hopeful-

Continued rom page 1Questions or refectionBased on Carl Henrik Grndahlsarticle Crossroads of Medita-tion.

1.

According to your spontaneoussubjective judgement, what is agood meditation? What is a bad

meditation? Why? Is there anydiscrepancy between your spon-taneous subjective judgementand an assessment based on care-ful reflection?

2.

Is it important to get to know un-pleasant parts of yourself, or aresome things better left alone?Why? Try to base your answer onexamples from your own experi-ence.

3.

Can you recognise elements inyour own meditation that you eas-ily treat as if they were not a partof you? How do you usually treatthem? How could you treat thembetter?

ly, will increase my self knowledge.Maybe it will also be a bit unpleas-urable? If it helps me gain moreinsight, it is worthwhile. Readingphilosophy and psychology doesnot in the same way help me graspthe deeper aspects of my own ex-perience.

Kaif Mahmood



Forty Years of Inspired Work

When Acem was oundedin 1966, there were only ahandul o students. Fortyyears later, Acem Meditationis taught in many countriesaround the world, and Acemhas centres and course ven-ues in several countries in Eu-rope and Asia.

The initiative to establish Acemcame from Are Holen, then a 20-year old student of psychology. Hebecame the leader of the organisa-

tion. Today he is the head of AcemInternational. Dr. Holen is a psychi-atrist, and also the Vice Dean andDean of Education at the Facultyof Medicine at the Norwegian Uni-versity of Science and Technology.Both in his professional work and inAcem, he is known as an inspiringlecturer and a skilful administrator.

Personal experience

One reason why so many peoplehave devoted time and energy towork for Acem is the fact that theorganisation has been more con-cerned with each meditators per-sonal experience than with precon-ceived ideas about philosophy orspirituality. In the long run, usingmeditation to cope with the realchallenges of ones everyday life ismore inspiring than lofty, but toooften empty ideals of cosmic con-sciousness and mystical states ofmind.

In the 1960s and 70s, Acems ap-proach contrasted sharply withmost other meditation groups,which were often centred arounda guru personality with authori-tarian traits and a spiritual or re-ligious message. In the first years,Acem cooperated with one such

organisation, the TranscendentalMeditation (TM) movement, but thedifferences became increasingly

clear, and the cooperation ended in1972.

Based on the experiences of thou-sands of meditators, Acem devel-oped its own user-oriented psychol-ogy of meditation. Much emphasiswas placed on the concept of a freemental attitude, and on how medi-tation reflects our personality. Byhelping us overcome inner tension,Acem Meditation paves the way forimproved quality of life.

In 1995 began a new developmentin Acems approach to meditation.Regular courses and retreats weresupplemented by deepening re-treats of one, two or three weeks.On deepening retreats, the longhours of meditation (more thansix hours every day) enable us to

By Tor Hersoug


7/8Acem Meditation Newsletter 2/06 7

grasp subtle aspects of our exist-ence and to bring about fundamen-tal changes in the ways we relateto ourselves and the world aroundus.

Expansion andinternationalisation

In the first years, Acem was a stu-dent organisation, and its popular-ity on Norwegian campuses was sogreat that at times, demand exceed-ed capacity. After the break withthe TM movement, Acem began toexpand into all layers of Norwe-gian society. Its down-to-earth ap-proach attracted the interest of alarge number of people who mightotherwise never have thought oflearning meditation.

Then, from the second half of the1970s, came the first wave of inter-

nationalisation. When Acem instruc-tors went abroad for work or study,they often spent their spare timeteaching Acem Meditation. This washow Acem started its activities inSweden, Denmark, the Netherlandsand Taiwan. All these countrieshave had regular course activityever since and have long had theirown instructors and, in the case ofDenmark and Sweden, initiators.

The second wave of internationali-

sation started in the second half ofthe 1990s, when a large number ofinstructors began to travel abroadwith the specific aim of establish-ing a new Acem centre. So far, regu-lar activities have been established

in India, the United Kingdom, Ger-many, Spain and South Africa, witha mixture of local initiatives andsupport from Acem International.Courses in Acem Meditation aregiven sporadically in many othercountries.

Economic basis

From the beginning, Acems great-est asset has been the dedicatedwork of its members. Acem hasnever received much support fromthe government, and it is only re-cently that donations have begunto play a role in the funding of theorganisation. Still, while keepingcourse fees low, Acem has beenable to acquire local centres in anumber of countries, as well aslarge retreat centres in both Swe-

den and Norway.

In the 1970s and early 80s, themost important source of incomewas the annual flea market, whichgradually developed into Norwayslargest. This enabled Acem to buyits first house in Oslo in 1976, aswell as retreat centres and officebuildings later. Much voluntary ef-fort in refurbishing and redecorat-ing helped to keep the costs low.

In addition, some of the space wasrented out to others, and rentalincome has helped to establish aneconomic basis for the activitiesof the organisation.

Much has happened since AreHolen and a few other studentscame together to establish Acemforty years ago, but the basic driv-ing force remains the same. The

dedicated members who spendmuch of their spare time workingfor Acem draw their inspirationnot from high-flown ideas and vi-sions, but from a genuine interestin the human condition and in theprocesses brought about by AcemMeditation.

Donations forAcem Taiwan andAcem InternationalI have seen Acem Taiwan beingbuilt from almost nothing into asolid organisation, and this hasmade a great impression on me. At

the beginning, it wasnt at all evi-dent that it was going to succeed,on the contrary, one was oftenleft with the impression of a lot ofwork with little result. But todayAcem Taiwan has its own centreand its own instructors. The workhas borne fruit. This is the kind ofspirit that I would like to support.

Steve Tseng explains why he decid-ed to donate 200,000 Taiwanesedollars ($6200) to Acem in connec-tion with Acem Taiwans 20th an-niversary and Acem Internationals40th anniversary. He is well awarethat Acem Taiwan has receivedmuch help and support from theinternational organisation, andwhile half of the money will go toAcem Taiwan, the other half willgo to Acem International.

Mr Tseng learnt Acem Meditation inTaipei several years ago, and his wife

Chunchen Lin is one of many activemembers who have contributed tomaking Acem Taiwan a mature andstable organisation. Their generosityhas inspired others. Arve and KarenBreen, who have worked for severaldecades to build Acem in Norway andother countries, decided on the spotto donate 20,000 Norwegian kroner($3200) to Acem International.

For Acem, these are significantcontributions in a period with

many important challenges.

Tor Hersoug

Steve Tseng exploringa Norwegian mountain

cave

Tor Hersoug is Director of Eco-nomic Research at The Confedera-tion of Norwegian Enterprise, andan initiator in Acem.


8/8 Acem Meditation Newsletter /06Check acem com for meditation events

is a non-prot organisation whichhelps people develop existentiallyby means o a mindul, refectiveprocess known as Acem Meditation.

9ACEMschool of Meditation

Head oce: Postboks 29 Solli, NO-0202 Oslo, NorwayTel. +47-2118700 Fax +47-228181

Email: [email protected] Web:www.acem.com

Go to www.acem.com/ino/centres.html to locate addresses in other countries.

Contributors: Halvor Eiring (ed.), Torbjrn Hobbel (layout),Folke Gravklev, Eirik Jensen, Anne Grete Hersoug.

Weekend Retreats Autumn 2006

ScandinaviaSee www.acem.no, www.acem.se andwww.acem.dk.

The Netherlands10-12 Nov. 2006 in Eerbeek, near Apeldoorn.

Led by initiator Sigrun Hobbel.Course language: English, with

guidance groups in Dutch.Venue: ABK-huis, a wonderfulplace in beautiful surround-ings, further stimulating theprocesses induced by Acem

Meditation.

Taiwan10-12 Nov. 2006 in Danshui, near Taipei.

Led by initiator Halvor Eifring.Course language: Chinese.Venue: St. Benedict Retreat

Center, on top of a hill inside awonderful garden, within easyreach by metro from Taipei

City.

Spain31 Oct. - 5 Nov. 2006 in Castalla, near Alicante.

Extended weekend retreat ledby initiator Tor Hersoug. Ar-rive when you wish between 31Oct. and 3 Nov.Course language: English, withtranslation into Spanish.Venue: Casa de Espiritualidad

de las Obreras de la Cruz, apeaceful monastery near the picturesque villageof Castalla. An introductory course in AcemMeditation will also be offered. The AlicanteAirport is easy to reach from many Europeanairports, with modest fare prices. Transport tothe retreat will be arranged.

For those who have learnt Acem Meditation, a weekend retreat is an opportunity to practicelong meditations beyond the 3-hour limit. This enhances the meditation process, gives moreenergy or work, studies and personal refection, and oten provides insights with long-termimpact on ones lie. Small guidance groups led by experienced instructors and evening lec-tures exploring the psychology o meditation help to optimise the eect.

Many say they never really understood the potential o meditation beore they tried longermeditations in Acem retreats.

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