Acem Netherlands 25 years:
First Acem branch outside Scandinavia

Acem Meditation soon caught on when it was first taught in the Netherlands in 1980. The typical reactions of Dutch meditators may give rise to interesting reflections about the unique culture of that country.

In 1980, three Norwegian Acem instructors, Tom Eide, Hilde Eide and Inger Myklebust, taught Acem Meditation in the Netherlands for the first time. The courses generated considerable interest. Beginners' courses were followed by study groups, long meditations and guidance, as well as weekend retreats and summer retreats. Within a few years, five Dutchmen had completed their leadership training in Acem and contributed to establishing a local newsletter, Acem Nieuws. In this way, Acem Netherlands became the first permanent branch of Acem outside Scandinavia.

Down to earth

"Acem's neutral approach to meditation was important," observes Willem Oud Ammerveld, who learnt Acem Meditation in the early 1980s and then trained as an instructor. He has been the leader of Acem Netherlands since 1988. "Dutch culture has been heavily influenced by Calvinism," he explains. "On the one hand, we Dutch are deeply suspicious of anything that smacks of superstition, and on the other hand, we have a very positive attitude towards self-improvement. Acem's cooperation with the Volksuniversiteit (the national college of further education) gives it credibility and respect. So does its promotion of meditation 'without gurus or mysticism'"

Acem started its activities in the university city of Groningen, soon spread to Leeuwarden in Friesland and, in 1992, to Amsterdam. In these cities, a small number of instructors have consistently held a large number of courses, both for beginners and for established meditators. In 1990, Acem Netherlands opened its own house in Groningen. Two years later, the first book on Acem Meditation in Dutch, Psychologie van de Stilte (Psychology of Silence), appeared. In 1994, Acem Netherlands arranged the first international summer retreat of Acem Meditation outside Scandinavia.

Freedom and discipline

"Dutch culture is split," says Willem. "On the one hand, it is liberal and tolerant, sometimes exceedingly so, giving rise to the country's reputation as a free haven of drugs and prostitution. On the other hand, Calvinist moralism has much deeper roots. It instils in many people an excessively strong sense of discipline. This split is often reflected in meditation. Many Dutch meditators find it liberating to be able to let thoughts come and go during meditation, as an antidote to the strict rigour of their everyday lives. Nevertheless, they often tend to stick too rigidly to the meditation sound, dutifully repeating it even when this happens at the expense of a free mental attitude. I remember how shocked we were when we visited a retreat in Norway and discovered that some participants went out in the woods to pick mushrooms instead of following the retreat programme. It may sound paradoxical, but in the Netherlands, we usually hate to be told what to do, but at the same time tend to do what we are told. The free mental attitude of Acem Meditation breaks with this habitual way of thinking."

One of the many charming aspects of Dutch culture is its strong penchant for 'gezelligheid', an untranslatable word referring to the cosiness of being together. This feeling is often said to originate in the sense of community that was needed to build the dykes and keep the water at bay. Such a sense of togetherness is a distinctive feature of all Acem activities in the Netherlands. This year, as they celebrate their 25th anniversary, Acem Netherlands plans to arrange an international weekend retreat in collaboration with Acem International. For outsiders, this might be a perfect opportunity to savour a bit of Dutch 'gezelligheid'.

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More on Acem Netherlands at www.acem.nl

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Acem International Weekend Retreat

Friday 11 November - Sunday 13 November, 2005
The ABK-huis, near Eerbeek (between Zutphen and Appeldoorn)
Netherlands

Led by Initiator Sigrun Hobbel

Course language: English

For further information, contact Acem Netherlands at info@acem.nl.