Acem is a voluntary non-profit organisation established in Oslo, Norway in 1966. Since its inception, Acem has been active in developing the psychological understanding of meditation processes based on modern Western thought and life-style. Today, Acem Meditation is taught in a number of countries on all continents.
Acem is currently active in Scandinavia, Great Britain, the
Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, USA,
Canada, India, China, and Taiwan. For other countries, please contact Acem's main office in Oslo.
Acem is not a system of beliefs. Its aim is to help people cope with stress and to grow psychologically.
In Acem, teaching meditation and leading group activities, which requires high levels of skill and qualification, is voluntary work. Many of the instructors and leaders have a level of training in meditation comparable to professional qualifications. The basic training for becoming an assistant instructor or instructor usually takes 1-2 years, followed by a period of frequent guidance and supervision.
Acem's initiators have the primary responsibility for developing the psychology of meditation. They are qualified to give individual and enhanced meditation sounds.
Upon completion of the beginner's course, you may attend the first follow-up course M1 (in some countries known as the second level), in order to increase your theoretical and practical understanding of Acem Meditation, encourage regular meditation habits, and enhance the benefits of your practice.
The course consists of five sessions, each focusing on a topic of central importance to effective meditation:
How do you perceive the meditation sound during meditation? What is the ideal frequency of the sound? Why should it be non-associative?
What is the difference between active, spontaneous, and unconscious concentration? How do they affect the quality of meditation? How do they reflect inner tensions and limitations?
How can you establish a free mental attitude, and how is it experienced? How do expectations influence your mental attitude in meditation?
How can you judge the quality of your meditation? How does meditation reflect self-images? How can you deal with metathoughts?
What are typical reasons for irregular meditation practice? How does actualisation affect your habits? How can you stay motivated?
Each session starts with 30 minutes of group meditation.
Acem retreats give you a respite from the stresses of everyday life and more energy to cope with challenges at home and at work. And you begin a process of change that may help you make fuller use of your potential.
Long meditations provide relaxation and stimulate personal development. Guidance improves the quality of your practice, and seminars increase your understanding of the process. Most retreats also offer ample time for strolls in the woods, refreshing yoga sessions, and interaction with other meditators.
Regular Acem retreats are suitable for everyone who has learned Acem Meditation. They usually last one weekend or a whole week. Every summer, international weeklong retreats take place in beautiful natural surroundings in Scandinavia.
Deepening retreats are for Acem meditators who already have some experience with week-long retreats and who want to practise meditations of more than six hours daily.
For all retreats, the book Practical Guide to Acem Retreats provides useful advice and recommendations.
Full-time students who intend to participate in a week-long retreat may apply for a student scholarship.
Acem's training in interpersonal communication has been developed since 1970 by medical doctors and psychologists with an interest in Acem Meditation and personal development. It is a one-week course held at Halvorsbøle in Norway every spring.
Each communication group has 6-9 participants and 1-2 leaders, and meets for two daily sessions throughout the course. The open and reflective atmosphere provides an opportunity to explore the way you interact with others. The focus is sometimes on group interaction, at other times on individual issues and personality.
The course stimulates insight, empathy, and sensitivity, and enhances social skills, ability to handle conflicts, as well as leadership qualities.
Full-time students who intend to participate in Acem's training in interpersonal communication may apply for a student scholarship.
Since the beginning in 1966, hundreds of volunteers have spent some of their spare time working for Acem. Together they have built an international organisation aimed at developing methods for personal growth.
Moderator training is the gateway to participation in this work. The basic training consists of a weekend seminar that covers the contents of the M1 course and principles of group dynamics. After the seminar, the candidate acts as teaching assistant at an M1 course and, in the following semester, attends another weekend seminar devoted to the sharing and discussion of experiences.
A moderator usually organises M1 groups twice a year and helps participants in their meditation process, in addition to practical and other tasks.
Moderator training is complete in and of itself, but may also function as the first step towards further training to become an assistant instructor in Acem. This training is more involved, and takes at least 1-2 years. An assistant instructor has a wider range of teaching assignments, as well as practical and administrative tasks. It is also possible to apply for further training, to become a full instructor, with a more independent responsibility for teaching and organisation.
This is the oldest yoga school in Norway, founded in 1968, before the first major yoga wave reached the West. In contrast to the yoga gymnastics taught at health studios and training centres, the school teaches a classical and meditative yoga emphasising the integration of body, breath and mind.
Halvorsbøle is an hour's drive from Oslo. The centre stands on a hill with a panoramic view of the Randsfjord lake and nearby hamlets. The surroundings are stunningly beautiful and epitomise the deep peace and quiet of Scandinavia.
In the past, the site served as a venue for the Norwegian government's annual budget talks, as well as for the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO in 1993.
Retreat participants are usually accommodated in single rooms with private bathrooms and a direct view of the lake. The Halvorsbøle cuisine is lactovegetarian, well suited for long meditations. Shared transport from Oslo Airport Gardermoen or Oslo city centre can be arranged.
Lundsholm lies on a small peninsula by Mangen lake, 25 km from the town of Arvika, far from the hustle and bustle of modern city life.
The retreat centre is built around an old country house dating back to 1850. A new building in traditional style and a number of charming cottages all have single rooms with private bathrooms, while the other buildings have basic but convenient single rooms with shared bathroom. The new building has a beautiful hall for meetings and meditation.
Lundsholm offers abundant opportunities for walking, cycling, swimming and rowing, as well as skiing and sometimes skating in the winter. The area is sparsely populated, with beautiful forests and the small, red roadside houses typical of rural Sweden. The silence is broken only by birdsong and the occasional loon call.
Place orders to [email protected]
Acem's quarterly journal of psychology, meditation, culture and society, published in Norwegian.
Acem publishes a number of newsletters and magazines for Acem meditators in different countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, India, Taiwan).
(born 1945 in Norway) founded Acem in 1966, when he was a student. Today, he is the head of Acem International. He is a cherished lecturer, and the author of several articles and books on Acem Meditation. He is married and the father of two children. Both a professional psychologist and a physician, Dr. Holen specializes in psychiatry and psychotherapy and is a consultant in the field. He is a full-time tenured Professor of Behavioural Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and also holds a position as Adjunct Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of North Dakota. His areas of research are traumatic stress, medical education and group processes. He is an internationally renowned stress researcher and an expert in the study of people in crisis after accidents and disasters.
(born 1960 in Norway) is the general secretary of Acem International. He learned Acem Meditation in 1976, became an instructor in 1979 and an initiator in 2001. He has written several articles on Acem Meditation and related topics. He also started Acem in Taiwan and China. Dr. Eifring is Professor of Chinese at the University of Oslo, Norway. He has published books and articles on Chinese language and literature and is currently leading an international research project on the cultural history of meditation. He is married and lives in Oslo, Norway.
Acem International, Postboks 2559 Solli, NO-0202 Oslo, Norway. Tel (+47) 23118700. E-mail: [email protected]. Internet: acem.com