Active egolysis is an original method I gradually created during forty years of my psychotherapy practice.
The method is applied in small groups, where clients are opened for a long-term and continual collaboration. This often includes an individual psychotherapy too.
In theory I draw inspiration from my teacher american psychiatrist John Weir Perry, first-hand student of C.G. Jung. John had been treating psychosis without any medication, using only sage jungian-oriented psychotherapy. He applied this approach in his own centre Diabasis in San Francisco during the seventies. I worked with him for four years towards the end of his life. First we met in States and spent hours in debates where he introduced me to the concept of his therapy. Later, we run residence-based, experiential programs for larger groups, when John regularly travelled to Prague.
Another significant figure in my life is Stanislav Grof, the father of transpersonal psychology and the creator of Holotrophic Breathwork, in which I am certified. This method served as the primary inspiration to develop active egolysis. Grof built transpersonal psychology on a solid scientific base to perceive a world in the context of new paradigm. His theoretical contribution overall is invaluable.
In the middle of the eighties I participated in the intensive T 'ai-chi workshop with Chungliang Al Huang, who helped me to open an unlimited, energetical work with the human body and discover the opportunities of continual communication with the movement of stars in the Universe.
I was also greatly influenced by Ram Dass, who similarly as all others mentioned above, appeared in my live czech radio broadcast "The sources of knowledge".
While in Prague, I accompanied Ram Dass at his post-conference workshop for ITC conference and acted as interpeter. It was as something was talking through me, my English was never so good as when he was so closely by my side.
The term egolysis, or dissolution of ego, is usually in relation to the application of psychedelic substances. It precisely describes the state of opened consciousness - personality going beyond space. The link "active" indicates that client can achieve such a state on his own, without needing to use any substances.
The participants are physicaly healthy, they don't suffer from mental deseases. They are required to complete a detailed health questionnaire before the retreat. The work is mostly preventitive.
During the time of my psychotherapy practice I have developed a multidisciplinary team, where I always cooperate with a doctor who is familiar with the method. He ensures the overall health and safety from a professional medical perspective.
It is not easy and autotelic to achieve egolytic state, because this simply isn't just an adventure or fascinating experience. It is the highest spiritual state, in which the individual consciousness blends with the universal one, Wisdom, Love, God. Unfortunately some of these words can irritate some people who went through unpleasant experiences being pushed to venerate them. The words are infinitesimal, they cannot embrace the infinite space.
The man's basal hope is immensely reinforced, when he merges with universal consciousness. It gives rise to optimism and hope for good ends. It is the result of deep insight into essence of existence which brings inexpressible happiness.
If such a thing happens beyond the control of human mind, there is a great hope that this experience will lead towards permanent positive changes in behaviour, feelings and overall life experience. The person will become more generous, courageous, patient, kinder, resilient. These are values that then manifest as visible part of ones natural behaviour without the need to express them verbally.
It is very difficult to cross the boundaries of rational control. Many people are convinced that their spiritual life takes place only on the level of mind in the form of prayers, mantra chants and affirmations. It is understandable that we have a need to express such a experience verbally, however impossible to grasp it in words. Anyone, who is blessed with this experience has an open heart and therefore great need to share it with others. However, there are no pictures, methaphors or symbols that can perfectly fit its description when words are applied.
The discussion with someone who is still imprisoned in a realm of thinking will create the wall of misunderstandings built from fear and distrust. Even alike situation is accepted with compasion and no disdain. The pride is incompatible with authentic spiritual state.
On the other hand, sharing with someone who experienced similar journey is a joy. The feeling of closeness and sympathy appears immediately. It is a state that cannot be pretended.
All of us can spontaneously find ourselves in the sacred space few times throughout life, the feeling is familiar to everyone. The positive effect is dependent on the further integration.
What are the usual milestones on the way towards the desired destination?
At first, we must face our own fears. The fear is the biggest enemy of the entire hapiness. We can't live in freedom, in love and in truth. We become disabled physically and psychologically, closed and literally spasmodic.
Therefore, active egolysis assists us to open on all levels.
The combination of spontaneous experiential communication with music, yoga and T 'ai-Chi can free us from physical and energetical blocks. In addition, the intensive and relaxed physical closeness through close physical contact /for example hugging/ with others is also fundamental part of the active egolysis.
This specific work with music in active egolysis is not a dance. In this technique, we use our hands and open arms as never-ending and soft, while our feet are firmly connected to Earth. The music flows through us, while eyes are blindfolded. We let the music to lead us, there is no choreography and we don't try to create one. The whole body is smoothly flowing and vibrating with the energy of music coming from all over the world.
The physical opening is tightly connected to release, specifically swallowed and forbidden emotions. Tears and laughter become very natural and authentic way of cleanse without any hidden intention. Anger as well as fear can safely manifest without limitations, thus the complete purification can occur. Such as liberation is natural when working with music. Hysteria and affectation, also pretended emotions are easily recognised by experienced therapists. There is no space for fake behaviour in the therapy overall.
The relaxation part comes after the dynamic part, where we lie on the mat with the closed eyes and opened relaxed arms (savasana), while the music and the actual experience still vibrates within. The mind is fully present and at the same time silent in all experiential parts of this method. We also practice such as stillness of mind in Vipassana meditation.
The individual work with personal story share the same principle. The participants as well as therapists share their detailed stories in a group, while the relationship is maintained equal and mutual. The sharing occurs uniquely by listening through your heart, immersed in someone else story with empathy. Such a process offers the opportunity to discover resemblance in your own journey within a new context. The goal is to live an open life, without fear. Once we reveal the hidden burden, the change can happen and we are free to live in truth.
The role of the therapist is very untraditional one.
It offers boundless human participation; the process is dynamic, fulfilled with psycho-dramatic moments, authentic emotions and feelings.
Due to the experience with the method, the therapist can clearly identify the full context of the client's personal journey without using allegory in the therapy.
Such a practice often brings unexpected and unusual links, destructive forces that weaken the person are uncovered. The client is offered variety of inspiration for difficult life moments.
Dignity, courage, kindness, thoughfullness and humility are the main ethical values in the therapy. The therapist is not interested in the position of guru, he doesn't say what clients usually want to hear. Quite opposite, he says what they don't want to hear.
The process of inner cultivation is fundamental for the client's overall growth. It can be started through the moments – when their personal boundaries are shaken by the therapist, even for the price of being labelled as the enemy.
Paradoxically, these somehow stressful moments help the client to face stress in daily life situations more easily. We don't forcibly search for past traumas in a in a hope to explain our present failures.
In fact, the past is only used to understand the context of our current journey.
Our apprenticeship is a long-standing and long-lasting process, at least twelve years in the form of intensive personal experience and co-therapy. Therefore we don't run any certification program to prevent any false motivation of clients, p.e. peacockery.
The question: „What presently occupies my mind and heart“? is the most significant tool in order to map out the client's present.
Everyone is heading somewhere, therefore our clients are encouraged to create meaningful, rich in quality personal projects for the near and distant future.
Should the client participate as the silent onlooker, critic or professional supervisor, it is evident he has a difficulty to actually grasp the method. Therefore he cannot take the full advantage of it. It is impossible to participate in the method as an outsider. Even secretly witholding some important events from our journey can be destructive.
This is because active egolysis leads the client towards absolute authenticity, it touches the very core of humanity. Emotional release is easily possible only in absolute truth. Otherwise we find ourselves in closed loop. Concealing information attracts attention, however the client's story will seem to lake logic without any possible solution.
Active egolysis is not ego-centric, but exo-centric. Another fundamental questions in this method are: „What am I good for in this world? And „What can I offer to this world?“
But, in an old paradigm we used to ask completely opposite question and that was: „What is good for me in this world and what should I get from this world?“
However, we consider the spiritual path to be the path of service. Therefore the outcome is not embedded in the achievement of ones personal pleasure. Instead, the emphasis is laid on the energy we radiate out.
The simple and often used sentence: „ It was a pleasure meeting you“ suddenly gains the whole new importance.
Levels of residetial retreats
1. Already the first level program called Passionata offers participants the opportunity for profound work and achievement of active egolysis.
New clients participating in Passionata are introduced to the method, they are encouraged to venture into the experiential work blindfolded, they are challenged by their emotional and physical limitations and preconceptions. It is also very difficult to share one's full personal journey wholly. Usually, few last days, or quite possible the very last day of their stay, they are at ease. The method becomes more familiar, because they usually know how to approach it. The last day, the most of them wish they could stay longer.
2. The program that follows after Passionata is called Cesta, or in translation „The Journey“. It is considered to be the second level program. The client is already familiar with the method. The experiential work as well as individual work with personal journey is usually more profound and intense. As I already mentioned before, the fundamental part of the experiental work in active egolysis is spontaneus communication with multicoloured collection of music from all parts of the world blindfolded. Each variation presents the opportunity to resonate with the music deeper, literally to grow into one. In such a state, there is no good and bad music. Every variety offers inspiration and opportunity for genuine, authentic opening. Therefore, it is necessary that clients participate in this program several times until they reach this state.
If we allow ourselves this intimate contact with various musical styles, often including ethnical music, we are blessed with one side effect and that is the loss of xenophobic and rasist inclinations.
3. The program called Shamanyka is a seven days program by invitation only. The main part of this program is a daylong journey with the music beyond the boundaries of mind. The clients that are ready to transition from the program Journey are offered to participate in Shamanyka.
The preparation time for Shamanyka is at least one month prior to the start of the program. It is necessary to adjust to vegetarian diet, undergo several fastings, meditations and practice peacefulness and kindness.
The first two days of the program are considered to be preliminaries in the form similar to the program „The Journey“ - smaller, but profound experiential work with music.
The main part of this program happens on the third day – the daylong journey in fasting. The group has a maximum of eight members. Each client participating in Shamanyka is able to feel the space around him due to the extended previous experience with music. Therefore, he is able to work on his own. The team assists and accompanies the process. The participants are not restricted in the movement. They can stand, move, sit or lie down; these positions are alternated during the whole process, which can last between six to ten hours. During this time, the group is united as one and collaborates on the transpersonal level. The feeling of safety and serenity allows the client spontaneously venture out, peel off the mind. There is no use of hyperventilation. This process shares resemblance with the journey supported by psychedelic substances.
The last three days of the program are designated specifically for integration, processing and adaptation of whole experience, reading the messages coming from the realm higher than ego. The space is also offered to clear up remaining blocks and underlying fears that may have been uncovered during this process.
4. The most intensive program offered is called Anzara (Indian word - the epicentre healing through compassion). The access to this program is only provided to the participants of Shamanyka. The preparation is same, the stay is similar.
Instead of one daylong journey in the centre's meditation hall, each participant spends one full night alone in the nature.
All participants of this program have the opportunity to find their spot during the first days of the program. The centre is located in the national park called Czech Switzerland, this region and its scenery is wild and multicoloured. There are many options to choose from variety of sites that resonate with the feelings of any client.
The nightime nature is full of life. Its energy, sounds and visual perception, the presence of many living creatures becomes the music for this time. The person immerses in to the altered state of consciousness. The aim is to become one with the nature.
Similar to Shamanyka, the next three days are reserved for integration and sensitive interpretation of the lived experience. Noone leaves the program upset, shaken or disconcerted.
The follow up sessions after programs are available for all participants in the form of individual therapies. These sessions are designed to assit with newly emerged situations and feelings from daily life.
It is an honour for us to work with clients that become friends who visit the centre regularly for a long time. Our personal journeys are intertwined, mutually supported and inspired.
The significant part of active egolysis is increased resiliance, courage, and independence. The physical health and personal appearance seems to be glowing. Perceptiveness towards environment, being earth-friendly and think in the direction of deep ecology becomes a necessity.
We believe that the application of active egolysis contributes towards the cultivation of population. We take a stand against the psychopathic orientation of the society, which in these days is self-concerned and self-centred. The path dedicated to the service of others and the path of the meaningful life is the safety measure against irreconcilable conflicts of political powergames, which only lead towards endangered life on the planet Earth.
