psychosynthesis and education
In this article, Roberto Assagioli describes how spiritual values can be integrated into teaching without necessarily contradicting the principle of separating religion and education.
Translation Keld Søgård
Introduction
The subject of education is of such fundamental importance and is of vital interest to us all,
covering a very wide spectrum with all its varied aspects, that we find it necessary to study it (even if only in partial considerations). We must also train ourselves in reflective meditation on this subject, and in particular indicate the development possibilities and goals on which we will concentrate our creative forces.
It is difficult to assess the external results of our meditation, especially with regard to the further and long-term results, but we must trust – or better, we must have great faith that such results will occur, since energy follows thought and thoughts directed by the will and animated by the emotions are creative.
Amidst all the world events that are developing rapidly around us and from the pressure and whirlwind of external activities, we must remember that all visible material events have an inner cause originating in the imagination of thought and from the power of will. Keep this clear in your consciousness and live by it.
Hold the acceptance of this and insist on bringing forth the new forms that are to replace the old worn-out forms.
The meaning of education
The first thing we must do in assessing our subject (and this must be done in relation to all subjects)
is to define its true nature and meaning in clear terms, i.e. to make a meaningful specification. It is especially important to do this when it comes to education, so that we may become aware of elementary misunderstandings or confusions which must be eradicated.
Education has often been seen as synonymous with “instruction” and the transmission of knowledge and information. Until recently (and even now!) a majority of schools at various levels have done this more or less openly. Education, in its true sense, is something entirely different, something far more inclusive and in many ways has the exact opposite meaning!
Instruction means to fill in, to supply something that is lacking, to fill a vacuum. The
etymological meaning of the word education means to extract (from the Latin “educere”) to find or extract something that is already within. To shed light on what is hidden. To realize what is potential and develop it. (In Danish to draw formation out of the individual, translator)
It also means removing the circumstances that limit and promote growth in the individual. Of course, education also includes the transmission of ideas, but this should only be considered as the first stage, as a necessary instrument and not as an end in itself!
Both aspects are included in the common understanding of the word “education” and this often creates misunderstandings or confusion about the concepts. It would therefore be valuable to distinguish between them and always specify the exact meaning by, for example, distinguishing between the words “informative education” and “formative education”.
The education crisis
The distinction between the two considerations helps us to understand the “crisis” that exists in the educational system today.
The notion of “imparting knowledge from the outside”, maintained in an authoritarian school system with a controlling teacher who ensures the learning of programs, is in direct contradiction to the trends that are rapidly developing today.
The above contrast has produced a revolution against traditional educational methods.
New methods which shift the focus from the teacher to the student have been developed and put into use.
Psychoanalysis, with its emphasis on the harmfulness of repression and criticism, has also contributed significantly to this radical change. As a result, great changes have taken place; children and young people are now treated with greater understanding and are given better opportunities to develop freely. However, the revolution in education has gone too far (as revolutions almost always do) and in some cases has backfired. The elimination of all discipline,
all rules, all help from the teacher has been very damaging, sometimes downright disastrous, both in the family and in the school. Anarchy, confusion, lack of self-discipline and violent
behavior have been some of the effects. The “reformers” have been most surprised by the fact that freedom without limits has proven to be unnatural and they have had to admit that even children do not want it and often ask for precise rules, limits and guidance, a certain discipline and most of all “role models” and living examples. This fact should not be so surprising and it turns out that even adults often find it difficult to live with freedom and even though they fight for it, do not really want it. They are willing to give freedom away and run away from it. This paradox helps us to understand the new situation and is well described in Erich From`s book “Escape from freedom”. Other books describe the same phenomenon.
The bad results of the excessive use of the new educational methods have created a counter-movement, but this has not solved the problems.
All attempts to return to the “good old days” are doomed to failure. Both in terms of the fact that they were not good and because of the changes in the psyche of the new generation and in the social conditions around them. In the meantime, the rapidly increasing number of new students, the tumultuous development of “mass education” and compulsory schooling (which is both admirable and necessary) have resulted in a shortage of competent teachers and schools. All this explains the reason for the growing educational crisis, where the new and the old are side by side, but often in sharp opposition to each other. The most enlightened teachers have recently formulated the necessity of finding a “middle way” as a solution to the problems and have launched experiments that work towards this. This is a constructive and promising development. But to achieve a completely satisfactory method, it is important to be aware of the trends that are current and that increasingly show the direction for the future.
What has been presented here so far emphasizes the necessity of establishing and developing a new educational strategy to meet the demands of the future. But let us first look at the shortcomings and errors that are most serious in contemporary education. First of all, the excessive emphasis on school education/upbringing is a problem and, as a consequence, the lack of attention to family education/upbringing, which gives rise to many inadequacies. Here lies the basis for the already mentioned confusion between “instruction” and true education and it is connected with the very difficult task of providing a completely satisfactory upbringing/education in the family. This is aggravated by contemporary social conditions, which often deprive children of the attention they need. This is especially true for the father, who often has to spend his time and resources on providing for the family. But the deep understanding that children cannot do without a satisfactory upbringing in the heart of the family and that the child has a right to receive this should lead all parents to recognize this and seriously try to find solutions that take it into account.
The crucial importance of the first years of life for the development of personality has been carefully described by psychoanalysts and is acknowledged by many parents and teachers. Blocks to positive personality development are not only caused by traumatic experiences, as described through psychoanalytic work, but also if the child is not influenced by indispensable values such as love, understanding, upbringing, guidance and a sense of security.
New initiatives in education
1. Dynamic teaching and a positive outlook on life
The close connection between these two trends allows us to address them simultaneously. Both are the driving force and evident in the “active methods” of the new education. They include:
a) Direct contact with nature and with living beings: the earth, water, plants, animals and similar activities, such as raising and caring for animals.
b) Special materials for educational purposes (Frobel, Montessory, Decroly, etc.) or tools and machines for general use.
c) Cooperation on family duties and housework
d) Preparation of major projects (for example, a school building was designed and built out of tree trunks by a group of teachers and students in a mountainous area in the United States. The work required the use of many intelligences and disciplines, as well as many manual functions.)
e) Group activities of various kinds and training in autonomous schools and communities, etc. All this can be described as: Learning by doing – education through active training.
These methods represent real progress in education and we foresee that these methods will be improved and spread more and more as time goes on.
They are in line with other trends in development that deal with greater synthesis and coherence, mental development and can even be developed to an even greater extent.
Dynamic teaching also has another effect. A change is now appearing in education and will challenge the traditional, unrealistic static model. It will be replaced by the view that life is a continuous process of maturation and development. The goal of a theoretical “normality” that has been accepted up to today and its “conformist” results will be replaced by a much greater degree of creativity, and education will be seen as a lifelong, limitless process.
That is, the education of a young person does not end with the end of school, high school or
even university, but must continue as a kind of self-study for the rest of his life.
The active educational methods that are more vividly developed in dynamic teaching also mean that in addition to the aforementioned benefits, there will be an even greater benefit, namely the development of the will and the proper use of it.
The recognition that the will is of utmost importance and the most direct expression of the self in the personality and that its power is wonderful, but can also be abused and is the cause of many wrong developments, will mean that the will will have a more central place in education.
We find in the above one of the greatest contrasts between the old methods of education and the new. In an old-fashioned authoritarian education system the will of the pupil was suppressed by the teacher and the pupil had to be obedient to himself. Obedience was of crucial importance. It is unnecessary to emphasize the negative results of this and it is made impossible today, since no pupil among the youth of today would accept it!
The pupils will seek guidance and cooperation (and teachers must be prepared to give them this with competence) and they can be persuaded to change their attitude, but many rightly reject blind obedience.
The training of the will requires a clear understanding of what the will is and of its different stages.
1) The invocation of the will
2) Its proper use
3) Its wise and effective use through various techniques
Special attention will be given to the development of the “will to do good” and the “will to serve”
Mental development
This does not simply mean a quantitative increase in mental activity, but refers to different ways of using the mind, which is a qualitative improvement.
Until recently, this was only a privilege for a few philosophers and scientists, but now that it has begun to become more widely available, it is important that it is a comprehensive knowledge that is increasingly absorbed and used within education.
The many activities of the mind can be briefly described as follows:
1) The first function of the mind is to synthesize sensory impressions so that the individual can have an intelligent experience of the so-called external world. In this regard, the mind can be considered a kind of 6th sense, a rational sense that coordinates and interprets the impressions from the 5th other senses.
2) The second function is to gather information and reap the fruits of humanity’s experiences and absorb the cultural heritage of the past. This goal is achieved through studies and this kind of knowledge was the goal of education in the past.
3) The third and higher form of mental activity is that which processes the previous impressions, coordinates them, draws conclusions and applies them; this is called thinking or reflecting.
4) The fourth function of the mind is to be receptive to intuition; to understand and interpret it with accuracy and to formulate it precisely.
5) The fifth function is to be creative. The dynamic and creative energy that comes from the power of thought and which has recently been rediscovered is becoming more and more known and widespread, but is mostly used for personal purposes. (Achieving success and wealth, etc.)
One of the purposes of the new age teaching is to train the individual in techniques that will direct this powerful energy towards constructive purposes and to serve humanity.
The cooperation between the mind and the other psychological senses, impulses, emotions and imagination is far from satisfactory and creates serious problems for teaching.
For the majority of humanity, the mind is subordinate to impulses and emotions, and is used to justify them and to achieve their goals. In these cases, one can say that the mind serves desire.
Sooner or later, the unsatisfactory and disastrous cooperation will provoke a crisis, which will cause either slow or rapid changes.
The mind awakens in the individual to an understanding of the true nature and relationship of the mind to and effects on impulses and emotions. He/she becomes aware of the distortions of reality and illusions caused by this and the erroneous judgments and actions created because of this.
It is likely that two results will emerge from this realization.
The first, which we call “good,” leads to the development of objectivity and to the intellectual
spirit that characterizes science.
One of the recent advances is the development and refinement of scientific methods in accordance with new scientific knowledge.
The second result is not desirable. It is an underestimation of the emotions, senses, and imagination, which leads to a mental pride, one-sidedness, and repression that characterizes the “arrogant intellectual” type.
Education must have two goals in relation to the mind. To develop and promote its active use and to establish its proper proportions and develop constructive cooperation with the other aspects of man.
The most important is the harmonious connection between intelligence and love, leading towards loving understanding and the development of wisdom.
Extroversion (extroversion)
It is not surprising that this tendency, favored above all other characteristics of our time, is prevalent in an exaggerated manner and has taken extreme expression in many cases.
The intensity with which personal success, prosperity, high social status are pursued is exaggerated. The excessive emphasis placed on acquiring material things and creating extreme noise of every kind, the unnecessary mania for efficiency and speed, all these facts produce stress and serious imbalance and are one of the reasons for the psychological, physical and nervous imbalances of our time. Likewise, it creates social conflicts and contributes to a moral and spiritual decline. This can be considered one of the most serious problems of our time.
It is especially in this field that education must constitute a constructive and equalizing work. All available means must be used to educate young people for a simple life, one that is in harmony with the rhythm of nature and life and with their own harmonious alternation between activity and rest. The discovery and appreciation of inner reality will be developed with a corresponding insistence. In this way, young people can be helped to conquer and develop the inner psychological and spiritual world by teaching them to use useful methods and training them in their use.
The first step (a relatively easy one) is to teach the inner structure of humans so that they can learn to know themselves, first as humans, then as unique individuals with special qualities and gifts. This teaching can be done by adding two essential points to today’s teaching.
1) Psychology, the science that studies man in his entirety, should take its natural place in all teaching in all forms of school and education. Teaching can begin in the earliest years, adapted to the age level.
The common interest that everyone has in himself makes him/her receptive to the opportunity to get to know himself better. The obvious usefulness of these techniques to eliminate conflicts and frustration within themselves and between each other will make students receptive and accepting of a teaching and training in the use of psychological tools.
2) No less attractive and interesting for young people is the opportunity to learn methods that enable them to utilize their psychological capacities in a creative way and to discover and develop their own latent gifts.
Many of these techniques can be taught and practiced in schools. Among the most important are those that deal with the different stages and types of meditation; concentration, visualization, reflective meditation, etc.
Union and synthesis
There is often a sharp conflict between tendencies such as unification and synthesis and those created by individualism, separatism and aggressiveness. The situation is complicated by the fact that certain character traits, especially the positive (active or dynamic) attitude, favor individual assertiveness. This helps to understand some of the contrasts that exist in this present period of transition and confusion. Two opposing tendencies collide in many ways within the individual.
Assertiveness versus conformism as the answer to how to achieve appreciation and success in the world.
Even the so-called “anti-social” types form groups. (youth gangs, criminal organizations) Various groups form in every nation and nations group themselves, but these groups are often separatist and in conflict with each other. All these groupings contribute to the present state of mutual agitation and lack of a sense of security and to the many conflicts in every area. Despite this, the ideal of synthesis in a united world is so strong that it has inspired many activities aimed at creating peace, interpersonal understanding and international cooperation.
In relation to this world situation, education must take a decisive role and carry out three major tasks:
1) Eliminate, or at least reduce, separatism, the combative and aggressive impulses, and everything that strengthens and increases them.
2) Activate and support tendencies towards synthesis among young people, in the family, at school and in society.
3) Maintain awareness of and counteract erroneous manifestations of individualism.
Psychosynthesis in education
The above-mentioned trends and especially the signs of the times of unification and synthesis favor psychosynthesis in education. It has two aspects and areas of action.
1) Individual synthesis (intrapersonal psychosynthesis)
2) Synthesis between different people (interpersonal psychosynthesis) and synthesis between different groups (group or social psychosynthesis)
A) Individual Psychosynthesis combines two main principles and goals.
1) The integration of the personality, which is:
a) Development of all the psychological functions of the person in well-balanced proportions (senses, emotions, thoughts, imagination, intuition, will, etc.). This requires a training and activation of underdeveloped functions and control of overdeveloped functions. It should be noted that control does not mean suppression, but simply wise mastery and use.
b) The coordination and organization of these functions into harmonious activity. Special attention must be given to the revival of existing qualities and energies from the superconscious realm and the proper use of them by the self.
This is in accordance with the broad and inclusive conception of the “spiritual.” The value of the spiritual is needless to explain, but its development and use are necessary for many reasons.
First, to fill the void left by the disappearance of institutional religions and their doctrines. Second, to document the existence of an inner source of inspiration available to all. Last and not least, to provide a valid and scientific interpretation of religious, aesthetic and illuminative experiences.
2) To discover and gain awareness of the inner center of self-identity and the active use of its power, especially through the most important power – the will to achieve inner integration and to create effective outer action.
This center is first experienced as a personal, conscious self, but later it is recognized as a reflection of the higher spiritual Self, always present, even if one is not aware of it, as the apex of the superconscious level.
B. Interpersonal Psychosynthesis
The individual is not isolated, but relates to other individuals, groups, and to all of humanity through many vital connections. This is true, even though these connections may not be conscious or may be denied by egoistic and separatist attitudes. This is of crucial importance and is reinforced by the fact that these relationships are developing so rapidly today.
A characteristic development in our society today is the enormous development in communication
and the subsequent increase in cooperation between individuals and groups. This means greater cooperation, but also more opportunities for conflict. This development with new forms of communication has created a need for a new science, the science of human relations, which is a new special technique.
If it were our intention to write a dissertation on education, the following would be considerably longer, but we have wanted to limit it to just an introduction, where we examine some selected areas within education, some of which are already being used.
Education and upbringing in the family
The need for education and upbringing in the family and its crucial importance for the healthy development of the child have been mentioned before. This is an extremely important factor which all parents as well as future parents should seriously consider. They should prepare themselves seriously to assume the responsibilities and duties which it entails.
The most likely difficulties will be connected with the development which all social groups are undergoing and which in turn is part of the general critical situation which humanity is experiencing.
In the old days the family was close-knit and governed with authority. The positive qualities in this were that there was great love between the family members and a degree of sacrifice which inspired the parents. But this love was often unenlightened, it was possessive and jealous and relations with others were mostly characterised by group egoism and were therefore an expression of separatism. Modern development has brought about changes in this structure and in the unity of the family and has loosened the ties between the family members, sometimes almost dissolving them.
The reasons for this are manifold, both social and psychological. The active and outgoing tendency produces a strong centrifugal force that forces many family members out of the community. The father is often preoccupied with his work and other outside activities, often to a degree that approaches exhaustion. The mother’s involvement in work and outside activities is also increasing, while the children are left to school and institutions and their own group relationships.
It has been said of the home that it is being reduced to a garage! Likewise, relations between the sexes have meant several crises, as a result of women’s liberation from their oppressed roles and their complete burial in their duties as women. All this is positive, but it also has its negative sides when it is exaggerated and it gives rise to new problems.
Equally serious is the generational crisis between young and old. Rebellions and conflicts have not been lacking in recent times. The author Turgenev has described this in his book “Father and Son”, but recent developments have often brought the generations into almost hostile relations.
Apart from all this which is imparted through upbringing (or should be imparted), there is another fundamental problem, independent of time and place. Children are deeply dependent on the psychological influence of the lives of their parents and especially on their attitudes, complexes and unconscious conflicts. Many psychologists and psychoanalysts have pointed out the often harmful and even catastrophic consequences which children suffer from.
A convincing description of this is given by Frances G. Wickes in the chapter “Parental Influence” in the excellent book “The Inner World of Childhood”
Of course, parents cannot be blamed for not being faultless, nor can parents expect this of themselves. But a serious understanding of these facts and the utmost attention to the dangers to which the child is exposed must make all parents take their responsibility seriously and do everything in their power to reduce abuse to a minimum and, if possible, to eliminate it completely.
There is much they can do. Deeper knowledge of the human psyche is today widespread and accessible to everyone through the many books on psychology. It should be a given for future parents to familiarize themselves with the basic knowledge of the development of child psychology, and methods for constructively changing human behavior. There are many good non-technical books, and one can seek professional advice if necessary.
But much more should be done from a long-term perspective. Parenting education should be an essential step in the education of teenagers. Such a development is already underway and we can expect it to become more widespread in the future. At the same time, it is an important requirement that this is emphasized in future educational initiatives.
We will mention only a few of the main points here:
1. Prenatal education
It has been confirmed that the psychological circumstances of the mother during pregnancy have a strong influence on the development of the child. For example, it has been shown that unwanted children often express suicidal tendencies later in life. Therefore, the mother’s psychological attitude and the family atmosphere around her during pregnancy should be as positive as possible.
2) Understanding the child’s true nature
The belief that the child is simply a simple and “transparent” being can lead one to believe that children are easy to understand. In reality, this is far from the case, as the many different and often contradictory theories about children attest. For example, the early pedagogues Roausseau
considered the child to be instinctively “good”, a naturally healthy being who would develop normally and harmoniously if only they were spared the harmful effects of civilization. Other pedagogues such as Montessori have also, less exaggeratedly, pointed out the inherent positive qualities in all children.
Freud and other psychoanalysts had a completely opposite view, who through descriptions of the powerful instincts, conflicts and complexes in children have gone so far as to describe the child as “a being who is in many ways perverse”
There are many books and magazines of varying quality that deal with the development of the child from different angles. Unfortunately, some of these ignore the depth and height of human nature, despite the fact that these are also present in children and adults. In one of these books, which is good in some areas, the three talented researchers do not even mention the unconscious, the imagination, creativity, the will and spiritual experiences.
Two books of high quality I would like to highlight for you: “Inner World of Childhood” by Frances Wickes and “The Recreation of the Individual” by Dr. Hinkle (New York 1923), where the chapter “The Child” in particular is especially constructive.
3) Individual psychological differences
These are extremely important and should be given full attention. There are 3 different types:
1. Psycho-sexual differences
These are greater than commonly recognized and can be observed from early childhood.
2. Different psychological types (both of these aspects are well described in Dr. Hinkel’s book)
3. The psycho-spiritual constitution
The special and unique qualities of every human being and their path in life.
4) The influence of future characteristics
Today’s children and youth are different from adults today, as the influences that today’s children are exposed to are significantly different from those that today’s adults grew up under. This fact should be taken seriously.
Many of the “new” active educational methods now used in the best progressive schools must be supported and appropriately used by adults both before and after school age, along with school-based educational methods.
The special and essential elements of a family upbringing are:
a) Love
It seems natural to love your children, but loving your children in the right way is something that is extremely difficult. We must free ourselves from the widespread illusion that it is enough to love and face the fact that there are many kinds of love. Some are harmful and even destructive. Possessive love, jealous love, anxious love have had and continue to have disastrous consequences.
The main duty of parents is therefore to develop and learn the difficult art of loving in a certain way.
b) Indirect training
There is a paradox in family upbringing that parents should be aware of. The most effective upbringing and influence is not through direct and instructive upbringing, but through the “psychological atmosphere” that permeates the home. Children learn by observing the “living example” of adults. This has often been emphasized and requires no explanation. But it is necessary to point out that the acceptance of this principle would create a revolution if this fact were practiced in such a way that attention was shifted from how children behave to how adults behave! This is the logical consequence of the fact that the inner attitude and behavior of parents create the “psychological atmosphere” and make them “examples” or “role models” that inevitably condition children.
Indirect education and upbringing asks parents to:
Avoid all forms of irritation, depression, fear and other negative thoughts and feelings around the children. All bitter arguments between parents should be eliminated.
Avoid “projecting” your own negative and aggressive feelings onto the children.
These things are difficult demands on parents, but all attempts to carry them out are true love, a love that rests in the right motive and strength.
Another result of these attempts at emotional control and self-discipline is the great beneficial effect on oneself! The paradox, seen from this point of view, is that children force parents to educate themselves!
It may be added that if the atmosphere in the home is characterized by a certain love, then the relations between family members will be regulated by understanding, patience, laughter and orderly activities. One thing that parents must understand is that so-called “rudeness” in children is often the product of unreasonable and unnatural conditions, which are especially widespread in large cities. Children are deprived of direct contact with nature and lack the freedom to move and get physical exercise, which is necessary for healthy development. All these needs are increasingly recognized and a new urban planning and lifestyle will develop to satisfy these needs. Parents who wish to break through to their children’s inner lives have an even more difficult task in terms of understanding, but they must seek help within the expanding psychological field and the developments that must be expected in the future.
Situations often arise where it is necessary to exercise patience and to meet the children’s spontaneous outbursts with attention and without interrupting them with criticism. Their questions also require precise and understandable answers, since they constitute opportunities to offer guidance to the child’s specific and immediate needs.
Cheerfulness needs no elaboration other than that it does not mean entertainment and uncontrolled gaiety. It is a combination of harmony and good humor, qualities that this time lacks, but we must expect an increase in these qualities if there is any truth in the fact that joy will be the fundamental tone of the future.
The value of “ordered activities” is clear if we recognize that in order to train children to be independent, they must participate in activities that give them responsibility and develop them. It is important to participate in necessary daily activities and it has a valuable developmental
significance. Duties in the family make children feel valuable and train them in harmonious cooperation. These contributions on the part of the child should be appreciated and rewarded.
These activities offer the wise parent countless opportunities to teach many things. The child’s cooperation should be given due appreciation and even a tangible reward.
Teaching differentiation
A misconception related to the concept of democracy creates unfavorable conditions in the field of education and therefore must be identified and eliminated. It has its origin in a mistaken concept of “equality” that underlies the democratic ideal. The true equality that democracy should foster is to offer equal opportunities to all regardless of gender, race, religion, social and economic conditions and not the obviously wrong idea that everyone should be the same. Equal opportunities for all constitute the very essence of social justice and are based on a true understanding that people are different. This recognition of difference is undeniable and obvious to any impartial observer and an important part of psychology (differential psychology) is aimed at investigating it scientifically.
There are two main differences:
1. Different types and psychological orientation.
2. Different psychological and spiritual development levels and “gifts”
These differences seem to be increasing at present, but mental development and the active dynamic attitude will only appear in an advanced minority.
Education must take these differences into account to a large extent, as they offer a basis for democratic guidance and ensure that each individual receives education with methods and levels that correspond to the person’s development.
We will only deal here with the second type of differences (psychological-spiritual), since it creates significant difficulties. First, it is not easy to define and describe the level of development of a child or teenager, and secondly, it is not easy to provide the precise educational offer for the gifted and highly developed. Special classes for “prodigies” often meet with resistance from parents or the surrounding society, authorities and politicians, who perceive it as undemocratic. On the other hand, it should be recognized by everyone that it is in everyone’s interest that these people are offered a qualified education, since (due to their unique qualities) they will become the future leaders of humanity in science, politics, economics, education, art, etc., and therefore will be leaders in the creation of the new culture and civilization.
Education at school
The major changes currently manifesting themselves in all areas of life are also affecting the education system, which is subject to great criticism and significant discussions. The complexity of the issue extends from the general basic principles and goals of education to technical and organizational problems to buildings and financial resources.
We will limit ourselves to some of the basic problems. One of the main problems is how to resolve the conflict between mental development and the active dynamic attitude (which provokes individualistic self-development and anti-social attitudes) on the one hand and the tendency towards association which, when exaggerated, creates conformity and forced standardization. The aim of the wise school system should be to find a harmonious balance between these contrasts and to make constructive use of its higher aspects.
The growing mental development and active dynamic attitude require the use of the best methods of the “new educational methods” to encourage and guide the independent initiative of the active student.
At the same time, the tendency towards greater association can be instrumental in strengthening more independent group projects where there is joint cooperation. Much more can be done, as has been demonstrated by the successful experiments of several educational institutions in the field of general education.
There have been attempts where the school is organized as a self-governing miniature society with a mayor, judges, shops, etc., with the teacher as the guide. “Scool City Pestalozzy” in Florence is one such example. The value of such experiments is great and educates students to be independent, social beings who train their will and develop their understanding of freedom and democracy.
Another important factor is to develop a friendly and cheerful atmosphere in the classroom and to use humor as much as possible. What is learned should touch the unconscious and thereby create a strong impression that can be quickly evoked. All boring and uninteresting facts will be rejected by the unconscious and will not be remembered, while what is learned in a cheerful and exciting way will be remembered.
Another innovation of great importance is the introduction of the subject of psychology for young teenagers and older students. The science of man will and should become one of the main sciences of the future. The inner conflicts, uncertainty and confusion of puberty, resulting from the reawakened biological and psychological energies, will sharpen the interest in the knowledge of oneself. Therefore, the teaching of human psychology will come to the fore if it is presented without being academic and dry, but rather in the humanistic way.
The active methods are especially suitable for teaching the various psychological functions.
Exercises in observation, visualization, meditation, mental concentration and creative work can easily be carried out in the classroom. They constitute a good preparation for spiritual education.
Spiritual development
The first thing we must understand is the correct understanding of the term spiritual development, especially in its broader and more inclusive meaning. In addition to the inherent importance and value of education, an education based on spiritual values offers a valuable synthesis between the emphasis on humanistic pedagogy and professional/technical pedagogy (behavioristic, etc.). The criticism of the latter, the purely professional education, is that it is too focused on ready knowledge and on material development for use in business, while the criticism of the humanistic views is that it is too preoccupied with past ideas and methods rather than results.
There is a great deal of truth in both views, and therefore it is important to do two things: First, to separate the existential and eternal values - human and spiritual love, kindness, true beauty and wisdom – from their historical origins and from the traditional ways in which they have previously been presented. These are not just values from another time, but eternal values that require a new and more contemporary presentation. This will appeal to the mentality of young people, as this is already understood and embedded in their minds. At the same time, it must be understood that technical/professional knowledge is not an end in itself and should not be given its own intrinsic value, but must be seen as a means to ends that transcend it, as a means to humanitarian and spiritual goals.
In this way, they are not opposites, but humanistic and technical knowledge must be integrated into a fruitful educational synthesis for the development of the whole person.
Spiritual development has two main aspects. The first concerns the meaning of life, evolutionary development and its goals. This is far more comprehensive and far-reaching than is usually assumed. A number of recent scientists have pointed out that evolution does not simply stop at the present human development, but is indeed seeking new and higher goals.
The meaning and purpose of life, and the wonderful potential that humanity has achieved, can be presented in the school in an age-appropriate manner.
The second aspect of spiritual development will be to use the increasing tendency towards unification and synthesis to develop the horizons of the students from narrow egoistic considerations of their own person and nation to cooperation and solidarity with far more groups in society and the world, until all humanity is united.
With such goals in mind, the students should be informed of the evils, the misery and poverty that thrive not only in the Third World but also to a great extent in the big cities. They should be brought into direct contact with these circumstances wherever possible. With the sympathy and care they feel, their empathy will develop and their desire to change these injustices and create the foundation for a new world will be created. There are many ways to do this. Information about the UN and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and other humanitarian initiatives will strengthen these efforts. Other ways are visits to hospitals, slums or other underdeveloped areas.
Methods of spiritual teaching
Spontaneous spiritual experiences are experienced by children far more often than is recognized among adults. Their consciousness is open to all impressions and impulses coming “from above” are not limited by obstacles, as is the case among adults. But these experiences are often fluid and drown in the child’s consciousness in the constant flow of other, often less significant impressions.
Therefore, one of the most important duties of parents is to give these spontaneous experiences attention and appreciate their significance and encourage their manifestation and acceptance.
When parents do not take these experiences seriously and perhaps ridicule them (as often happens), the natural reaction for the child is to suppress them and close the door to these higher experiences and thereby to the higher realities.
The teenager offers adults a new opportunity to help. The young people become aware of physical, mental and emotional impulses and may undergo an idealistic and even “mystical” awakening, which is felt in contrast to other impulses. This can create inner conflicts that can be difficult to handle, especially if they are not recognized for what they are, but are belittled and ignored by the parents. An accepting and understanding attitude on the part of the parents can help the young person through such crises and help with future spiritual flourishing.
Other possibilities arise when the child or young person asks metaphysical questions about the origin of the world, heaven, God, death, etc. If the parents are properly prepared, they will have the very best opportunities to give good answers and support the child’s own search for answers to these questions, which will grow even stronger as mental development is stimulated.
Many active methods can be used to support this development.
1. Support the sense of beauty in young people, especially the aesthetic beauty of the various aspects of nature, such as the sea, the sky, the mountains, flowers, etc.
2. Cultivate the joy of wonder and admiration
3. Present great personalities to the child, personalities who have contributed to a spiritual life in various ways, such as geniuses, religious figures, heroes – not only war heroes – but philosophers, artists, scientists and others who have helped the development of humanity.
4. Ensure that attention is directed to the inner spiritual meanings of religious institutions, symbols, doctrines, etc.
5. A wise presentation and adaptation of the methods for developing a spiritual life for young people’s use, such as concentration, relaxation, meditation. For teenagers, a course in spiritual psychology will promote the understanding of their own inner spiritual nature and stimulate the development of their own higher possibilities.
Meditation in education
A serious deficiency in modern education is the absence of the use of meditation. We therefore try to suggest the use of meditation at different stages of the educational process.
Concentration
Children may at first seem to lack the ability to concentrate. But a more detailed study of their spontaneous behavior shows that if they are seized by something or look at something with wonder, they do so with an astonishing and often sustained concentration. The empathy with which a child looks at insects or clouds is overwhelming and well-known. In modern schools it is noticed how children study the teaching material with intense concentration.
It is clear that children possess an innate ability to concentrate, which can be further developed and used constructively. Since their minds are often more open and free from personal concerns, they often perform better than adults.
Observation
Exercises with careful observation must be practiced, both as a start to meditation and as a general utility in all activities and subjects. A simple exercise is to show the students some different objects, which they are allowed to observe for a short while, and then to describe them accurately with shape, color, number, etc. Kipling has a wonderful description in his short story “Kim” (which contains other psychological points and experiments with spiritual dimensions).
Another similar exercise involves showing the students a picture and then describing it accurately. After a while, the picture is briefly shown again, so that they can include what they did not get in the first place and any mistakes can be changed. This type of exercise should also be done in writing to save time and practice written work.
Another slightly more difficult exercise is self-observation, but young people can do it and are already interested in it. The students must describe thoughts, feelings, impulses and images from their inner world, which spontaneously arise in their unconscious and bring it into the field of enlightened consciousness.
Visualization
Another group of exercises is visualization. The first and simplest is to “see” a number with your eyes closed as if it were written on the blackboard. You start with a single number until the student develops his skills and is able to “see” a number in his mind’s eye. You expand the exercise as you go. Other things that are suitable for visualization are colored geometric shapes (squares, triangles, circles) and three-dimensional shapes (cubes, pyramids) or more complex shapes, human figures and landscapes. These exercises are also useful for the student, as you can immediately check the results yourself. An extended exercise for teenagers is to visualize what you want. See in front of you a model of what you want to become.
Reflective meditation
The observation and visualization exercises prepare one for further practice in meditation in different ways. The first is reflective meditation and this practice is used in schools without actually being considered a practice. We use it to solve mathematical problems or other problems that require reflective thinking. However, developed further and systematically, it could be used much more widely than is the case today.
The teacher chooses the theme of today’s meditation, something simple such as a stone, a flower or a pencil. The student is asked to observe the object with attention and then reflect on its form, its nature, its qualities, its usefulness and come up with everything that comes to mind about it.
Even here, written exercises are preferable. You can write both during and after the process. All objects can be used for reflective meditation. Teenagers can benefit from meditating on the rules concerning: Right relationships, goodwill and group activities, which are very useful, simple and easy to practice. Young people are able to understand the meaning of the words and can try to implement them in their daily lives. They are closely linked to the necessary development towards unification and synthesis.
The training in reflective meditation is a training in the art of thinking. A way of learning to think independently and originally and should be encouraged and trained both at school and at home.
Reflective meditation can be stimulated and trained by means of questions used in psychology.
It will be necessary to use questions asked by the student himself, as it encourages mental activity and helps the student to solve personal problems and doubts.
Prayer has always been considered the “way of the heart”, but is generally perceived as being an act linked to religion. We will mention prayer here, simply to point out that it falls under the “Law of Spiritual Approach” and that it can be used by everyone, equally in teaching, in groups, for individuals, in the family and at school.
Even in countries where religious prayers are banned in school because there is a sharp separation between religion and education, it may be appropriate to replace prayers with meditation.
Receptive meditation
Education has many opportunities for using receptive meditation. The first stage is silence. This also has the advantage, in addition to the general usefulness, that it is a counterbalance to the external noise around us and the lack of inner silence, resulting from increasing extroversion, dynamic action and mental activity. The situation today is so acute that many young people do not appreciate silence and are even frightened by it! Many young people find silence unbearable. Many therefore contribute to the general noise by constantly playing music at full blast!
Nevertheless, they can be taught to appreciate silence! This is proven in Montessori schools, where “practiced silence” is practiced regularly.
Here is a meaningful testimony from Mrs. E. Herman, from her book “Creative Prayer”
“… A state of harmony and balance must be learned from childhood through the exercise of natural discipline. We must recognize that the training and cultivation of silence is an important part of true education. Children, contrary to what is often thought, have a formidable capacity for silence. If you have any doubts, experience a quiet hour in one of Montessori’s schools. The curtain is drawn, the signal is given, and each child sits with a calm, sunken face. There is complete silence, not sleepiness. It is not called meditation, but yet the same thing happens as during meditation. When the teacher’s voice calls the students one by one, they all come to their senses with excitement. There is something deep in their joyful eyes, something more than ordinary health and peace of mind. A strange beauty, a freshness like dawn, characterizes the children, a vitality and charm radiate from the nature of the children. (Read also M. Montessori “The secret of childhood”) Whatever one thinks of the Montessori school system, one will doubt the wisdom of these morning activities.”
Receptive meditation can be practiced both in school and at home, as a form of group activity. When the family is faced with a problem or conflict, receptive meditation has proven to be a useful tool for finding workable solutions. This method releases the personal element of the conflict and raises the issue to a higher level, from which intuition via the superconscious can flow in. Receptive meditation can be used in classes with teenagers after a short introduction. It can help awaken intuition, inspiration and spiritual self-realization.
The highest goal of meditation is to reach the Self and the teaching of spiritual psychology is a preparation for this. Parents and teachers will find value in the Self-identification exercise (see www.psykosyntese.dk/a-80/) in reaching this goal.
Creative Meditation
Finally, there is the meditation method creative meditation. This “inner action” gives good results and is necessary to balance the excessive and excessive focus on external activities. Teenagers can be taught this in an elementary form, while the more advanced forms can be studied at university or in higher education.
Implementing meditation in everyday life in connection with education can also lead to.
1. The establishment of right human relations in the family between children and adults and among the children themselves. These relations are at present poor in many families for reasons already described. Another and important area is right harmonious and constructive relations between pupils and teachers. The relations between pupils themselves, although generally better, often give rise to conflicts between individuals and groups, therefore training in group cooperation is particularly useful. The higher levels of school should offer instructions for practicing right human relations outside the school and in social life in general.
2. Good will is essential in achieving the right motivation and is especially necessary as a counterbalance to separatism and selfish use of the will. We must give it the greatest attention in the educational system, first of all through considerate and kind behavior towards others, then as the active and dynamic quality of the will itself.
Group activities are the roots of cooperation both in the family and at school. Social engagement offers a wide range of possibilities and must be practiced throughout the years at school.
How to move forward
Here you can receive seven free meditations where you develop different aspects of yourself.
Also read the article Creative expression in teaching.
