This post by Caro Hall was previously published in Findhorn Today – Papers prepared for New Synthesis Think Tank Conference October 1987 New York City.

One of the main roles of the Findhorn Foundation today is as a centre of education which performed in two ways; firstly as a place in which new attitudes and lifestyles can be demonstrated, and secondly as a centre for more formal learning and education.

Teaching does not take the traditional form of lectures and assignments but comes through the day to day life of a learning community. The Foundation could be described as having an ecology of education. This has been developed over the years through the intention of each individual and has become an integral part of the organisational culture. People come to the Foundation expecting to learn from their experience and open to new ideas and discoveries.

Carl Rogers postulated that everyone has an innate propensity to grow, and can be helped to do so by the creation of a stimulating and nurturing environment.[1] Drawing on the understandings of many of the great religions, the Findhorn Community takes this a step further, believing that each person is an evolving spiritual being and that his or her growth effects the evolution of the human race as a whole, and hence the planet. One of the prime responsibilities of each person is therefore to further his or her own learning and to develop potential as much as possible. This is not, however, to be undertaken in an egocentric “me first” manner, but as part and parcel with service to a cause higher than the individual. A vision of something greater than the immediate physical realities is vital to provide a sense of purpose and direction, so that growth is not inward turned and narcissistic but part of the individual’s contribution to, and link with, the larger society of which s/he is a part and with the wider spiritual realities.

The main focus of community activity is the work and decision-making necessary for the maintenance and development of the community, which, as well as having over 200 members, has accommodation for 140 guests, and welcomes upwards of 3000 visitors each year. This is therefore the laboratory in which learning takes place. No separation is made between daily life and education. Specific workshops and educational sessions are available for members, and a year- round programme is offered to guests, but the emphasis is always on discovering the implications for change and growth inherent in every situation.

It is as though each individual has an “Inner Teacher”, a part of his or her self which knows the things that s/he needs to learn next in order to grow. Just as a rose has an inherent understanding of how to become a fully grown rose and will do so as well as it can in the environment in which it finds itself, so too, Joe Blow has an inherent, often unconscious, knowledge of exactly what he needs to do to become the best possible Joe Blow. The ability to access and follow this intuition is rarely encouraged to develop and is sometimes even damaged during childhood and adolescence.

Many adults have to relearn the ability to meet each situation new, with a kind of innocence that allows them to be open to all the possibilities it holds, rather than limiting themselves and others with pre-judgements. In a study of highly creative people undertaken by Jean Houston, Margaret Mead described her experience of this attitude as being like having “leaky margins”.[2] Much of our training has taught us to dissect things into their component parts in order to understand them, but this only gives a limited view and we have to relearn how to see the wholes and the web of interconnections.

Contacting the Inner Teacher enables each person to be independent and hence free to be interdependent. Rather than relying on authority figures, teachers or gurus, everyone has the innate ability to find his or her own unique path and develop her own potential. All the various techniques and exercises offered in the Foundation’s guest programmes have the propensity to enable the individuals to deepen their connection with their Inner Teacher, which can also be described as the God within, the centre of spiritual guidance.

Some of the principles which currently inform the educational programmes are:

1. Creating a “safe” environment. In order to enable adults to open up to new experiences two different approaches are possible; either to push them to the edge of their experienced limits, or to approach softly, enabling them to feel secure and valued as an individual. The Findhorn Community currently favours the latter approach, believing that opening up to the Inner Teacher, the “still small voice”, can happen best in a loving, non-directive atmosphere. This does not preclude appropriate confrontation; the Inner Teacher often speaks through other people and one of the challenges of community life is learning to live closely with others and understanding the effect that one’s own behaviour has on them.Several different techniques are used to create this atmosphere of safety; the encouragement to
   talk about one’s own experience without being judged; cooperative games to allow a non-verbal safety to develop; a gentle slow start to a workshop followed by gradual build-up, rather than the “short, sharp, shock “; clear parameters and guidelines; but above all it is the presence, style and example of the group leaders that influences the learning of the group and all its members.
2. Leadership: Foundation members who lead guest groups are perceived as enablers rather than as teachers. They may well have a great deal of knowledge and expertise, but so too do the participants. The role of the leaders or “focalisers” is, therefore, to pull out the knowledge and experience of the group members including themselves, and to put this into a larger context, in which the participants can regain their sense of hope, vision and direction. Whilst they have specific responsibilities within the group the focalisers are themselves group members and should expect to learn as much, if not more, than the other participants. Much of the culture of a new group, particularly in a new setting where the social norms are as yet unknown, is modelled on the perceived behaviour and attitudes of the leaders, so group focalisers are, for example, expected not just to talk about openness but to model this themselves. Unless their words and actions fit. there will never be enough security within the group for the participants to open up to hitherto undiscovered parts of themselves.
3. The Group: All formal learning in the Findhorn community takes place within a group setting. The interaction of the group can greatly speed and enhance the learning of the individual. It is as though we can see ourselves mirrored in each other, if we care to look. One person’s shared experience can touch off a train of new insights for another person. Just as in a skean of geese, individuals take turns at flying in front so those behind get the benefit of the slipstream, so in a human group one individual’s change can move everyone forward. Considerable attention is therefore paid, not just to the growth and well being of the group members but to the group itself. Conceptualising the group as a living organism gives a useful framework in which to assess its needs and development. Just as an individual needs to have a point of focus, so the focalisers must provide this for the group and be aware of how it “feels”, offering skills and techniques to help the whole group move on. For example, if it feels dispersed, the focalisers may introduce a time of silence and centering, or a game which will bring the focus back; there may be a heaviness in the group which is being ignored by the participants but can be opened up verbally by the focalisers. This process is continued by the focalisers outside group sessions, not just in discussion but also through the use of meditation and creative visualisation.During their participation in Foundation groups, many people experience for the first time being part of something greater than themselves and the inspiration and fulfilment that can come from this.
4. Experience and Integration: It is well-known that we learn best through experience but integration is also vital if this learning is to be fully internalised and applied to other situations. A considerable amount of time in every programme is therefore allocated to “personal sharing”; the opportunity for each person to express what s/he is experiencing in a non-judgemental atmosphere without feedback or dialogue unless this is requested.All Findhorn Foundation educational programmes involve the whole person as much as possible. Recent research indicates that there are at least seven different types of intelligence and that we retain best that which we experience with our minds, our bodies and all of our senses.[3] A typical workshop morning might start with a game, a dance or a period of shared silence (or a combination of these) in order to bring the group together and provide a point of focus and connection. This might be followed by a time of personal sharing which serves several functions; it increases individual learning since describing one’s experience is an effective way to discover more about it; it increases group learning; it enables the focalisers to monitor both individual and group process; and it ensures that there are no personal concerns which would prevent group members from being totally involved in the rest of the session. Any issues or concerns raised during this time might be dealt with immediately or a time agreed when they could be discussed and resolved.Information or material might then be presented, using visual aids wherever possible, and this would usually be followed by an exercise to enable group members to examine its relevance to themselves and make it personally meaningful. An alternative approach is to offer an exercise and then draw together the experience and responses of the group into a coherent whole before discussion and perhaps a further step for integration. Some time is always allowed for feedback so that each person has an opportunity to express his or her personal experience and hear other peoples. Thus each session takes into account the ongoing experience of group members and provides a setting for learning through experience and integration.

   Guests are usually invited to work alongside community members as part of their programme and this is often as effective and vital a learning experience as that of the formal sessions. Each work department takes some time both formally and informally to share each person’s current experience. The emphasis here is not just to offload emotion but to help a reflective process which focuses on the questions of why am I experiencing this at this time? what can I learn from this? The Inner Teacher always provides ideal opportunities for learning and as the individual starts to listen to this part of herself, supported by the people around her, the speed of learning increases.

   Thus the everyday working life of the community creates ideal conditions for people to grow and change towards their maximum potential. When the growing pains are particularly bad this can cause a conflict with efficient work, and when the work load is particularly heavy it can interfere with effective growth. However, as Jung suggests,[4] the creative tension resulting from the intense interaction of outer and inner itself provides a valuable stimulus towards change and maturation.

   Combined with the intensity of daily interaction with other people all intending to grow as fast as possible, this makes the educational ecology of the Findhorn Foundation a veritable hothouse.

Caro Hall
Director of Education at the Findhorn Foundation

[1] Rogers, Carl “Client-Centred Therapy” Boston; Houghton, Mifflin 1951
[2] Dickinson, Dee “Educational Trends – A Global Perspective” ed. Caroline Hall Findhorn Foundation 1986
[3] Dickinson, Dee “New Horizons In Learning” One Earth Vol. 6 Issue 6
[4] Jung, Carl “Dreams” London, ARK Paperbacks 1986