This book follows the development of Acem School of Meditation through its first 50 years, from a small group of students in Oslo in 1966 to an international non-profit organization teaching Acem Meditation on every continent.
Founded by Are Holen, Acem has developed an understanding of meditation based on modern psychology and neuroscience. This approach includes courses for beginners and experienced meditators, as well as advanced retreats with long meditations for people with normal obligations to family and work.
Through periodicals, seminars, radio and TV stations, and blogs, Acem has sought to act as a countercurrent to dominant trends in culture and society.
Author: Tor Hersoug.
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Attend our October 2, 2021 Webinar on the history and visions of Acem.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
The psychology of meditation
Various levels
Acem School of Yoga
Forging new paths
“Books and buildings”
Year by year 1966-2016
The psychology of meditation
Deepening retreats
The financial basis
The beginning
Volunteer efforts to raise money
Acem’s first property
Acem’s first retreat center
Acute financial need
Renting out venues
Further expansion
Idealistic work
Personal contributions
Epilogue
© Dyade Press 2021
I learned TM in 1974. It was a life-changing experience and I meditated regularly for 6 years. But one day in 1978, on my way home from work, I saw this big poster on a wall, with a big picture of a smiling Maharishi, and the words “Maharishi has formed the global government for the coming age of enlightment”. I was taken by surprise to say the least. It seemed that the TM movement had lost contact with reality. Anyway, two years later I learned Acem meditation and it was a great relief to have a model for understanding my meditation that was in harmony with my actual experience of it. Later I joined a Zen association and became more and more interested in Mindfulness practices, but still to this day I benefit a lot from Acems meditation psychology. Thanks.
Thank you for your comments here, Paul. They are somewhat similar in regard to my experience back in the ’70s. I knew there was something really special about the TM technique but I had no patience with the TM explanations. It was when they started talking about Yogic flying that I knew they had completely lost the plot and I severed all contact but sporadically maintained the practice. It was only in 2018 – too much wasted time on other such ventures – that I found out about Acem and finally went, from Australia, to a retreat. It was wonderful!