EUROTAS History
EUROTAS – The European Transpersonal Association 1984 – 2024
General presentation of EUROTAS
When it has been created, EUROTAS was a meeting of national transpersonal associations of nearly all the European countries and the Russian Federation, one per country. But today, in addition of these national transpersonal associations, there are institutes in transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy, as well as some organisations in relation with the transpersonal vision like scientific societies, etc. from all over Europe and the Russian Federation. Some organizational members are located in Israel, United States and South America.
EUROTAS has a website – eurotas.org, a regular online newsletter and holds a major annual Conference organized each year by a Member Association in a different member country. All interested in the transpersonal are invited to these Conferences from anywhere in the world.
EUROTAS has also a journal: ITJ, Integral Transpersonal Journal directed by Pier Luigi Lattuada since 2010 with 2 issues per year.
The concept of the transpersonal in Europe was first well developed in Russia and Eastern Europe. It received considerable support in early years from dedicated individuals in the United States.
Gradually more Western European nations formed transpersonal associations. The integration of East and West Europe brought further energy to EUROTAS which at present has 31 organisations as members, including 9 accredited institutes from 16 countries in total. The elected President, Vice-presidents and Board of Representatives work through a Permanent Secretariat (located in Riga) to develop aspects of the transpersonal in a wide number of related fields including the validation of the Eurotas Certificate of Transpersonal Psychotherapy.
1. Beginnings
In 1983, at a meeting in Davos (Switzerland), there was discussion of establishing a European Transpersonal Foundation begun by Marie-Francoise Louche, André Patsalides and Steven de Batselier. They had the creative vision and determination to organise a European conference with the theme of the Transpersonal.
Marie-Francoise wanted to organise such a conference to support her personal search for a meaning for life and consciousness. In her own practice, she has been offering breahing therapy for many years. Many Europeans must have had similar thoughts.
Marie Francoise Louche
Although the original aim was to establish a European transpersonal organisation, many Americans and Canadians came to join this European initiative. Indeed some wanted to register and become member of EUROTAS. At a later stage individual membership became possible.In view of this perceived interest, it was decided to bring a team together to organise a conference in Brussels Belgium.
2. 1st European Transpersonal Conference 1984
The first European Transpersonal Conference was held from August 29 to September 2 1984 at the Palais des Congrès, Brussels, Belgium.
The Theme: “The Transparency of the Real.” The Conference proved to be a great success with over 1000 participants from many different European Countries.
Research was organized to address such issues as:
– What is reality?
– How to work with spiritual teachers
– How to start a dialogue and bridge the different scientific disciplines to arrive at a new paradigm
– Is reality transpersonal?
Monique Tiberghien became the first President of EUROTAS in 1984
André Patsalides was professor at Louvain University (Belgium). The reaction of his colleagues was: this is New Age stuff and that’s absolutely not right!
The organisers sought the very best speakers from many different countries.
The Europeans were somewhat conservative. The speakers from Japan, India and America were definitely not. There was a search for possible ways ahead and to develop an appropriate dialogue. Monique Tiberghien was invited to be the first president of EUROTAS.
3. Start of the EUROTAS foundation in 1985 at Gaujac, France
With consent from the newly founded EUROTAS Board, it was decided that English would be the main language at each conference. However, a country would have its own interpreters for the language of the country where the Conference was held.
Start of the EUROTAS foundation in 1985 in Gaujac, South of France.
From the first conference onwards, there was always a basic structure. In the morning (after a nice breakfast) a plenary meeting was held followed in the afternoon by a wide variety of workshops. Each conference produced a booklet with details of those involved and leaders of the workshops.
Every four years a new president was elected. Each one has always added something personal and special. From 2012, the duration of the mandate of president is 6 years.
Subsequently in 1985, Rumold Mol invited people from six different countries to his house in the south of France and as a result the EUROTAS Foundation developed. Rumold was elected Vice President.
4. 2nd EUROTAS Conference, Strasbourg, France
This took place for 4 days in 1990 and was a very well attended event including special presentations in the beautiful Cathedral. It was another important step on the way to developing the Transpersonal in Europe
5. The East-West Foundation
Rumold Mol established with the advice of Monique Tiberghien, the East-West Foundation to help develop the transpersonal in Eastern Europe. He did this from the Netherlands with support from ITANT, the flourishing Dutch transpersonal organisation of which he was President. It had a first class newsletter.