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ACTUAL
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NALM as Spiritual Stream
Hans Supenkaemper translation by Peggy Elliott
Can „New learning“direct the anthroposophical movement towards addressing contemporary needs and challenges and enable alternative solutions? The Anthroposophical Society faces a serious problem as the number of members is in steady decline. Older members pass over the threshold and less new, young members join. This poses a real challenge for the anthroposophical movement. “New Learning“might be able to help by offering a comprehensive study of the underlying causes and the learning potential arising from this.
First of all I would like to say that, as never before in the history of mankind, the natural world is dependant on real ego activity. Therefore I would like to compare “New Learning“to injecting a preparation into the etheric. Allow me to summarise what I mean by this.
New Learning works with life processes. These life processes are breathing, warmth, nutrition, digestion, maintenance, growth and reproduction. Digestion lies at the centre of the seven processes. The learning processes are observation (including ones own threshold of thinking, feeling and willing), connecting, digesting, individualising, practicing, growth of capability, creativity. Here individualisation lies at the centre. The processes of digestion and individualisation don’t really exist in the physical; one only becomes aware of their effects. This is similar to time. In reality past and future meet in the present, but this certainly cannot be illustrated or determined or measured. It is a distinctive moment in life. Its particular quality is that just at this “point” or in this “space” in the present the adversary forces have no access. During the first and last three life processes Ahriman and Lucifer are active and that is as it should be, because without their interaction we would not learn or become free!! But at the exact moment of the present they are powerless, they have no access. These special moments have something of the quality of the grail: “The space is the time!” That means that when a human being endeavours to individualise, a direct link is created to the etheric world. The substances which become active in the etheric through ego-activity are metamorphosed, individualised “matter” of the earthly, material world. It is the resistance of the earthly world. And this is also of soul-spiritual nature. All our inner resistances, bias, blockages, conditioning, imaginations, habits and diseases turn into “spiritual compost”, which through an “inner process of composting” or “New Learning” turns into individualised, fertilised life substance in the etheric: Thus New Learning is the injection of a preparation into life. Without it life will become increasingly impoverished, dark and hardened, and die! New Learning also means karma practicing so that the reality of karma is experienced in daily life in its aspect of cause and its specific call to learn to “experience”. It means to develop an ability for true encounter, to practice altruistic perception, to attempt real independent judgment that leads beyond the cognitive and aesthetic judgment to a moral judgement with the integral consequence of action. To study spiritual research and day and night learning. And this should affect all areas of life. The life processes are the Grail that gives us nourishment on this path. Ego-activity in this sense forms the Grail!
And now about the Anthroposophical Society.
Through Rudolf Hauschka I discovered the important connection between nature and “social issues“ , between working with the rhythm of nature and the endeavour to recognise social needs. “Dealing with the rhythm of nature holds great dangers for man’s individual development and progress when not at the same time rhythmical processes are applied and utilised, which create social and legal conditions for a free, individual, moral initiative of every worker within the area of his responsibility and – what is of equal importance – for an implicitly socially just order linked to the life and work context.“ (Heinz Hartmut Vogel – „Lebensbild eines Forschers“ from RUDOLF HAUSCHKA – Celebrations at the centenary of his Birthday on 6. November 1991) When these endeavours to deal with social issues do not ensue, then the conditions for the manufacture of remedies are under threat. I would like to extend this aspect to the world of the living and the threat it faces through lack of action. If mankind is not capable of creatively drawing individualised learning substance from the Grail of living processes, then life will increasingly withdraw and thus become dark and rigid. This is also valid for the Anthroposophical Movement if it does not take care of social issues in an integral way (New Learning and active karma practice). Then it will destroy its own foundations. I believe that this creative, active working with social issues is not sufficiently practiced. If the Anthroposophical Movement does not act individualised, creatively at every instance, but instead relies on the achievements of the past hundred years, then it will not be able to survive in the form we know it and quite unexpectedly be revived with a different structure. This can already be observed where human beings come up with the most unbelievable, creative new ideas outside of Anthroposophy! As long as Anthroposophy does not recognise the potential of the present as space for creativity and does not individually “incarnate”, then young people shy away from Anthroposophy in order to find their own path. If neither the Anthroposophical Society nor its members recognise this as a necessity, their circle will become hardened and rigid. This is the responsibility of all. It is a mystery of the will, it will be done. But this mystery holds a secret. It is in fact a willing without the will! Learning to live with uncertainty. Old forms are no longer of value. Accepting the other and ones self are ego activities that open up space. My blockages are the potential for the future. To change means to create free space for something new.
Future themes:
“My dear blockage what is it you are telling me what I could really achieve?” “What confuses you, uncle?” “How can I support you in becoming creative?” This is the only way the Anthroposophical Movement can embrace its task. This is the only way the so called “Epoch of light” can begin. The spiritual world urgently awaits our ego activities that enlighten the living world with individualised learning substance and bring juvenile ego warmth. That is the beginning of a new creation. It could also be characterised as a reverse cultus, an Eucharist for the Christ Being:
May we speak your Grace Take What we give to you In the light Of your sacrifice
Our individualised learning substance makes Christ a visible experience in the Etheric. This is not about NALM or NALM e.V., but about life. Coen van Houten has researched the connections and developed practical tools, or moral techniques, on how to travel this path. The importance of this research is that it is being recognised as an urgent need of our time. Of course all counter forces will use whatever means necessary to combat this. Because they know of the space, which they can influence. But at the same time they give us the composted material to prepare “New Preparations”, just in this space:
Creation from nothing!
Confidence in a time of uncertainty
Shirley van Houten
A first encounter….. an intuition…..’This is what I seek’ A second encounter…..inner attitude shifts A deeper encounter..…a new will stirs…..motivation changes
Such can be the effects of new learning. ‘It’s the way you work together’, they say. We have to individualize, to develop a strength out of which to give to the beginning of a social art, to create freely, in the situation, with an objective love force. When this objective-love-force attitude begins to live, we join a spiritual stream and know we are not alone, cannot be alone, our activity is consequential with others. Future building….. This is a way to describe a growing process of a NALM Colleague. We experience that the way of working together creates strength for the individual, and builds a spiritual capital. The NALM Colleagues Network is a way to recognize and participate in ‘the way you work together’. The present time of ‘uncertainty’ is a time to be building up inner forces, inner resources, spiritual capital as individuals and as a Movement, to be able to take small steps in the situation where you are. Is your will motivated – or lamed with uncertainty? Is the uncertainty your own, or from outer forces in the global situation?
Learning on the job - Facilitator development
Shirley van Houten
When is one ‘qualified’ as an educator or facilitator in NALM? Is there a new kind of certification process possible? A search for this began in November 2007 with a meeting of 29 destiny learning facilitators. A central conclusion was that we have to know one another as colleagues. Those who do the work are best able to recognise the professional capacity of others. An honest self assessment is also required. A second conclusion was the need for practise opportunities, for instance as two facilitators with a group process – one experienced, one apprentice. Training courses are important, of course, but still need on the job practise to mature as ‘qualified’ and confident. Development of colleagues is a high priority for NALM. Therefore we offer an opportunity for ‘apprentice’ practise in the new course ‘Karma Practise as Social Necessity’. A special financial arrangement applies. Enquire from coordinator Shirley van Houten for details. If you are a colleague offering courses, please consider including an apprentice person in your workshops. You can contact Jaak Hillen to help you find assistants. For instance, for a recent destiny learning workshop in Hamburg, Hans Supenkaemper took along facilitators from Hohenburg group (Munich) and from Switzerland – so that they had 2 facilitators in each of 4 groups. Another form is to gather a small group and practise together, self training by doing and reflecting for each other. The facilitators meeting in November 2007 was a rich and warm experience, giving confidence that a new quality of colleagues encountering and cooperating together is possible and is maturing in NALM.
The Qualification Process
Jaak Hillen
Since half a year we started a qualification process for NALM colleagues who offer destiny learning. There are different aims we want to reach with this process. These aims are integral to the vision of an Academy for New Learning.
The first reason is that we try to develop a certain level of quality by the people that work in the NALM and so that we, as colleagues of NALM, know who our qualified co-workers are, and we can find each other. This quality we want to radiate in such a way that new clients can have confidence when qualified NALM colleagues offer destiny learning. The destiny learning is a new discipline that is in a beginning phase and that develops fast. And it develops between people. Working alone for too long makes it often one sided. That’s why we see the qualification as a two sided process. Qualified Destiny Learning workers are recognized by their colleagues and commit themselves to developing things further. An important element in the future will be the research from many people. The NALM can not be an instrument to spread pathways developed by one or two persons. The developing will have to find place between co-workers of the NALM. Being qualified can mean that people are willing to contribute out of their experiences to the whole. A research attitude will have to be developed and the NALM has to organize activities where this ‘developing further’ can take place. An ideal opportunity is the cooperation in projects, courses and workshops. Another possibility is to organize research meetings. This might have as a result that different methods in the field, the biography work included, will inspire each other. Colleagues are trained differently and have different experiences. Research has to be open. It cannot be the aim just to protect certain methods but on the contrary to develop new ones out of experience, without losing the quality and spiritual impulse it carries. The qualification process is not meant to stop people from practicing the destiny learning in many different forms as work groups, smaller sessions with known people, experiments between colleagues and real workshops and trainings. We had a first meeting in November 2007 where 30 colleagues met each other. More than 30 others that were not there, expressed their wish to take part in the process. A letter will be sent out to find out their positions in this process. So far we found 29 qualified people all with their specialties, their strengths and their developing. More opportunities are already created for colleagues to practice in existing trainings and projects.
Changing patterns – NALM courses
Shirley van Houten
NALM is being invited by local people or organizations to introduce new learning, or do destiny learning processes, or to do a training course for them in their place. This is a good development – they do the advertising and find the people; we travel as facilitators of NALM. Numbers vary, from 3 or 4 participants for a destiny learning group to 260 as in Vienna for an education congress. Destiny learning or karma work is the strongest most requested theme, and some say is what makes us different from all others in the adult learning field. In autumn 2007 it was clear there would not be a new Adult Educators Course. There were just two applicants at the beginning of September. We did a rapid re-orientation and planned a new course, ‘Karma Practise as Social Necessity’, on 9 long weekends over a year. (The 4 week block form is at present just not possible). The idea met with much enthusiasm. In February it began with just 8 participants. Interesting to note is that all have met NALM previously in a workshop of some kind, and by personal recommendation. This is what works! NALM is building on human networking. When the phone rings or an email enquiry arrives, they ask ‘where and how can this learning impulse be experienced?’ or ‘Do you know someone who could….’ In the following reports you may catch the changing patterns and international flavours. Crucially important is that we have a number of colleagues who can respond to the requests. In the past this has evolved around Coen – and many requests still want ‘the master’ who wrote the books. Coen now opens new doors but takes another colleague along who may take over once the contact and confidence is established. KARMA COLLOQUIUM In December 2007 the vorstand of NALM e.V. met with Hertwig Schiller, now General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Germany. He listened to our story of the NALM impulse. Michael Schmock asked a question about awareness of Karma work in the Anthroposophical Society. The outcome of this meeting is a proposal by Michael Schmock and Hertwig Schiller for a colloquium for autumn 2008, by invitation to a number of people working on karma research in different ways. Four NALM colleagues will be invited. Theme is ‘Karmapraxis als soziale Herausforderung’. Another karma colloquium is expected, to be arranged by the Social Section at the Goetheanum, Switzerland, sometime in the coming year. (This almost happened in autumn 2007 but not enough people could come at that time.)
NALM International
NALM ITALY - Fabio Fantuzzi
In the year 2005, thanks to a meeting organized by the national association of Waldorf Schools where he was the guest speaker, more than 100 people in Italy had the occasion to know Coenraad Van Houten, who gained a very strong interest. After that beginning interest grew, mainly outside Waldorf Schools, and a group of people interested in adult learning decided to continue to invite Coen and other NALM people for new workshops. Many of these people were interested for professional reasons, working as consultants, trainers and coaches. Meeting after meeting the group has grown, some of the participants have taken part in training events in Engen, and some of them have started to integrate NALM ideas and discoveries in their professional activities. The group includes now nearly 25 people, 15 of which are regularly attending the meetings. Only a minority of them had a previous relation with anthroposophy. On the occasion of the last workshop that took place in Montegrotto in February with Coen and Shirley van Houten and Michael Melchior, a meeting of the Italian NALM group has been held. Here you find the state-of-the-art of the Italian process: • study, research, experimentation, sharing and dissemination about New Adult Learning are the aims of the group • until some specific need is encountered, the group continues to operate in an informal way, without a legal body • the group will meet at least 4 times a year • under promotion of the group, the first book of Coen (“Awakening the will”) will be reprinted in Italian edition, with an important publisher that guarantees a wide distribution in the booksellers; on the book there will be a reference to the web site www.nalmitalia.it • with the same publisher there is the agreement to proceed with the publication of the Italian edition of other Coen’s books • a web site www.nalmitalia.it will be created, with a link to www.nalm.net and some reference (telephone and email) to get in touch with someone of the group • there is a group that is working to organize in Italy a complete training on New Adult Learning • in Italy there’s a particular impulse to develop NALM ideas in the field of organization development; some of the members of the group joined the first meeting held in Engen for NALM Consultancy Services (March 3-4 2008) It will be exploring the possibility to start a process whose aim is to create a group of consultants working together in the economic world applying and developing the ideas of new adult learning.
NALM SWITZERLAND - Kristin Krauer
translation by Fabienne Haldimann
NALM Switzerland - that means a small core group of women who have gone through the adult educators training in Engen in different years or are for years familiar with the research questions from Coen’s karma and learning paths. All of them are living and working with these questions in daily life. It’s now four years that this core group is regularily meeting for further training, exchange and for practising reasons. Destiny learning, loops and the encounter conversation have been practised, new artistic and observation exercises have been developed. Weekend seminars have been held with Jaak Hillen on artistic processes, with Olaf Keser-Wagner on “Dynamic judgement building” and with Coen and Shirley van Houten on threshold phenomena. In the threshold seminar the circle of participants has been opened for interested people and those who have done a course of destiny learning before. Also the following seminars will be open in this way: In April there will be offered another seminar on the theme of “Dynamic judgement building” in connection with the learning processes (26.4./27.4. in Arlesheim), and in autumn another “artistic process seminar” with Jaak Hillen. Further destiny learning courses in Biel, Luzern, Basel and eventually Langenthal are planned for this year. The course facilitators will be changing, but there will always be at least two experienced people. Until now this loose, but in the meantime still strongly connected group has not found a legal (outer) form. This question is still being explored. With much interest we are following and accompanying the development of NALM international. Our small group hasn`t been growing much but the work between the group members has developed into a trustful direction and each one’s engagement in her professional responsibility has brought new research questions and tasks for the movement of NALM Switzerland: • Destiny learning as an artistic process • Destiny learning 1 as an evening course over several weeks • How does a movement NALM-CH look like: effects and tasks given by the folk spirits • Destiny learning with teenagers; threshold phenomena and the future • New learning and management questions in long-existing firms/organisations
FROM SOUTH WEST ENGLAND - Val Collett
I hold weekend workshops every two or three weeks throughout the year, either in my home in Totnes or in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. There are 4 or 5 people in each workshop. This year and last year the growing interest has been in the Biography Workshops (NOT Biog. Counselling). I offer Biography I and II, the first being to look at one’s unfolding life as a whole, the second being to look at the various significant people who have helped make us who we are. There is no transformation element in these Biography Workshops, it is just looking at what is actually there. Participants also become accustomed to the rhythm of each day and night, of attentive listening, of some observation exercises and so on, so that if they choose to start on the Destiny Learning series they are somewhat prepared for the manner in which we work. I offer 4 or 5 dates through the year for Destiny Learning I, but have only participants for 3. I like to run 3 DL1’s before offering DL11, 111 and 1V, so that out of 15 participants there are likely to be five to move through the rest of the workshops. I am currently taking three groups through the whole series of Destiny workshops. For some participants there is a gap of one or more years between workshops as for people with young families it is really difficult to find a clear weekend that suits them all. In Totnes my participants are mainly from the large anthroposophically-inclined community locally, and from the large ‘alternative’ community locally. Almost none of them show interest in further training towards holding Workshops. (Exceptions are Vivian Thorborg, a Eurythmist from Denmark, who plans to come to all the workshops here, and is helping me develop the short movement sessions I hold in each workshop. Also a local lady who is on the Biog. counselling course and wanted to experience a Biog. workshop - exchanging ideas with her is very useful to us both. Two other people who showed interest in training dropped out when I said that the best start is to do 2 or 3 series of Destiny Learning workshops, to really understand it.) Twice a year I offer a week-long mornings-only extended observation session (using drawings) , for up to 10 people who have attended Workshops and are very excited about the disciplined observation exercises. I find that this amount of work is all I can manage, health-wise. I advertise the workshops locally, but have made no effort to arrange public talks etc, as I cannot offer more workshops than I do at present. My own interest, and the interest of some participants is more in developing faculties for contemporary and future life than in offering workshops. Anthroposophical schooling, in other words. There is no interest in Spiritual Research or Learning to Learn workshops. The whole issue of training interests me very much but there is almost no requests for it in the course of my NALM work. I hope this gives a picture of the NALM work I do. Malcolm Daniels, Julia Kubler and Karl Heinz Finke work separately (in England), although Malcolm, Julia and myself talk through any issues that arise for us in a very supportive colleagial way.
MY ROMANIAN ADVENTURE - Malcolm Daniels
The following is an extract from an interesting longer article by Malcolm Daniels about his travels to Romania. Malcolm is a long time colleague who had the courage to go to other countries, to Russia and Romania, to introduce new learning there. Full text is available if interested, on NALM website or by request to NALM bureau.
In March 2006 I travelled to Romania where I was scheduled to run a Destiny Learning I seminar in each of two cities, both a long way from the capital, Bucharest. Timisoara was first location, hosted by Dan Botez, 550 km west of Bucharest and near the Hungarian border. Next day I would spend eight hours intensively training eight people in the art and skills of Group Facilitation for Destiny Learning I. I did this by taking three of them fully through all four steps. The same evening we would start the seminar proper. 33 people assembled in the circle and several were evidently turned away. All declared that they were anthroposophists and very familiar with the subject. That evening we worked from 6.00 to 9.30 pm and then over the next four days – (two full days and two evening sessions.) I did all the lecturing, observation and artistic exercises and then supervised the groups by going round from one of the six groups to another with my translator to ensure that the proper methodology and facilitation was being followed. I was very impressed at the standard of the facilitation, particularly by the younger members, considering they had only had one day’s tuition. At the end of the course practically all were ecstatic at what they had experienced and without a single exception were keen and eager to do Destiny Learning II. I informed them about the NALM training and showed them Coen’s book ‘Practising Destiny’. They couldn’t wait to buy copies and evidently 16 complete copies of the book were photocopied and bound. The review was very positive and I quote the Class Reader who said, “I want to express my great joy that I had the possibility to do this special course. I have attended so many courses in my time and have been dismayed that they lacked any depth. There was a clear ‘contour to contour,’ step by step, process here and I am now very curious to discover what the following steps may be.” The organisation of the seminar was first rate in every way. It is one of those rare cities where all the anthroposophists work together harmoniously for the common good. There is no back-biting or mud slinging and no ‘factions’. As a result anthroposophy thrives and this includes the 200 children Waldorf School which is supported by the state. Whilst still in Timisoara I met an 85 year old man who had been imprisoned for nearly two years as he had been caught reading anthroposophy and this was then strictly forbidden. He was released after 20 months captivity. So far so good…... Wednesday, 22nd March saw me up early to catch a 6.00 am modern comfortable train to take me across country to Cluj, Transylvania. That evening Sorin Tigareaou, my host, took me on a conducted tour round the town, now more famous for its banking activities, than for Count Dracula. Although when you think about it there are similarities! Next morning, for the whole day, I had to train four facilitators for the forthcoming Destiny Learning I seminar. I repeated what I had done in Timisoara. Then, same evening (6.00 to 9.30) started the seminar proper. Turnout was poor. There were only seventeen of us in the circle and I told the organiser that with all the effort to get there, to have less than 25 people at such a seminar was not something I would repeat. Because of work commitments for people we concentrated the seminar to that first evening, then a long day on Saturday from 9.00 am to 9.30 pm and then on Sunday from 9.00 to 5.30 pm. All participants were similarly impressed with what they had experienced and, of course, want to do the next stage(s). But by the end I was utterly exhausted. Unfortunately I was still 550 kilometres from Bucharest so next day saw me take an eight-hour slow inter-city train to the capital. I arrived in Bucharest late that evening, stayed there for the last two nights and was able to see elements of this busy city, now becoming very westernised. Workwise the trip was immensely successful and enormous interest has been stimulated. Like Russia the place is full of spirit fire.
Sequel...My Second Romanian Adventure After much persuasion from my hosts, but with considerable health reservations on my part, I agreed to return to Romania to continue with the work I started there in March 2006. This time I only agreed on the condition that (1) All the work would take place at one centre, Timisoara, hence minimising the need for ongoing travelling, and (2) I would be properly paid for the endeavour! Both conditions were enthusiastically agreed with. It was an exhausting 15 hour journey, but the zealousness of my hosts and all the participants made the visit worthwhile. The first three days was spent training seven people how to adequately facilitate groups for Destiny Learning seminars II and I. When time is at a premium one has to make every minute important. There were 12 participants for the Destiny Learning II so we needed four facilitators each working with a group of three. I visited one group at a time with the translator to ensure that the process was being properly carried out. Because the groups were small and the seven-step looping number 1 had been accomplished within two days, I had a minor rebellion on my hands at the start of day three when they wanted to go on to a ‘more advanced process’. I insisted though that they go through the whole seven-step process again as there is nothing that the double likes better than to escape being worked with. They were glad to have done so in the end as they were able to go much deeper. A brand new Destiny Learning I followed immediately afterwards. We had 13 participants for this seminar and the number could easily have been doubled had it not been that, of necessity, we had to arrange it to take place on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We had three groups of three and one of four. That feedback was positive would be a gross understatement. Comments such as ‘I had been waiting all my life for a seminar such as this’ were widespread. Always, though, as in all the former communist countries, one has to battle with being seen as a kind of ‘Guru figure’. Both workshops were held at the large state supported Waldorf school. They eagerly await further workshops. I felt that it is within my karma to continue with the work there if I possibly can… But on a personal level I realise that I no longer have the stamina needed for trips such as this. Perhaps others can take on the mantle. There is no reason why the work should not grow exponentially in Romania - as it did in Moscow until I felt, after five long visits, the definite need to withdraw. This, of course, ideally paved the way for Coen and Jaak to continue there.
MOSCOW REPORT - Jaak Hillen
Thanks to Malcolm Daniels, who is a wonderful gate opener, we (Coen and me) did a workshop in Moscow on Learning Processes where about 20 people attended. It was last year in January, after the usual troubles to get a visa. During the year 2007 plans were made to continue. Two courses came out of it, ‘transformation processes’ with art techniques and artistic processes for adult learners, teachers and therapists. Again two times four days sessions were held this year in January. For this second trip I went alone. The effect did not diminish. Now the people in Moscow would like two full trainings, one full program on adult learning and one full artistic training for trainers, therapists and psychologists, … for all kinds of people that work with others and that want to use art as an extra medium. I will not be the one to give all these activities there but to help in the organisation of it. This summer we will start the training program on art, together with my wife, May Oostvogels, who is a professional painter. In September we will start the adult learning program together with Sophie Pannitschka. The idea is to work with two times 4 days blocks each session and twice a year with different trainers going there so that the whole will be full of variation and flexibility. For me a training can not be carried alone because it is becoming too one sided and too exhausting for the carrier. Liudmila Gechus and Diana Danielan two wonderful organisers, do the job in Moscow. They were trained by Malcolm, already offer a destiny learning course and will assist in the training. The participants from St. Petersburg that attended the courses were very eager to start in their city too and plan introductions. Enrica Dal Zio has started work there too. Maybe our activities can fertilize each other in the future. Through all this Russian work a new free time activity arose to fill up my small open time spaces, learning Russian, an impossible task but very special.
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