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.  2^nd 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. 

Rumold Mol – one of the first contributors and supporters of the EUROTAS movement

With help from the Government of the Netherlands, it was possible for many teachers to visit Russia and Eastern Europe to support the development of transpersonal activities in a number of countries.

6. The Soul of Europe. 3rd EUROTAS Conference, 1994

Ian Gordon Brown became President in 1993, and at the 3rd Conference in London in 1994, he invited Associations to talk about “The Soul of Europe” in their respective countries. 

Ian Gordon Brown became President in 1993

 

Tanna Jakubowicz-Mount, a future Vice- President of EUROTAS told the story of her mother coming especially to Warsaw from 6 hours train away to bring Tanna’s special hat for the Soul of Europe London presentation. Her mother left it in the train! But the idea of the Soul of Europe was born. It was so humoristic and moving.  John Drew, a future President remembered also the story and developed an evening now established around The Soul of Europe which has lasted to this day (except we stopped this event in 2022 ??? so what should we write?). There are amusing stories, dances and singing by participants around what it means to be European in an transpersonal way in different countries.

7.  5^th EUROTAS Conference Romania 2003 and the letter from President Ion Iliescu

During the EUROTAS conference in Romania a letter arrived from the President of Romania telling us that he was proud that the EUROTAS Transpersonal organisation had chosen to hold a meeting in his country. This was recognition indeed of the work to which so many had contributed over twenty years. 

Prof. John Drew, President of EUROTAS 1999 – 2005 (CHECK DATES) 

At each conference we always have a special day set aside to see the country we were in and enjoy the beauty of it all. 

Over the years, the theme of the conferences slowly developed more in the direction of psychology. It has been a great pleasure to experience the continuity of EUROTAS over time. 

8.  EUROTAS Conferences

Conferences

1)  1984 Brussels, Belgium

2)  1990 Strasbourg, France

3)  1994 London, UK

4)  1999 Hungary

5)  2000 Bad Kissingen, Germany

6)  2000 Assisi, Italy

In 2000 in Assisi, there was a co-organised conference by EUROTAS and ETPA.  The European Transpersonal Psychology Association is the other association which has been created by Laura Boggio-Gillot (Italy) and Marc-Alain Descamps (France) after the break within EUROTAS.

These meetings were very much supported by relevant national associations, by many members of EUROTAS and with special support from Beata Bishop, Rumold Mol, Ank Gulik, Vladimir Maykov, Monique Tiberghien and John Drew  – among others. EUROTAS Annual Conferences were then continued and numbered:

7)  2001 Luxembourg

8)  2002 Portugal

9)   2003 Sinaïa, Romania

10)   2004 London, UK 

11)   2005 Moscow, Russian Federation

12)   2006 Loire Valley, France 

13)   2007 Freiburg, Germany

14) 2008 Barcelona, Spain

15) 2009 Milan, Italy

16) 2010 Gwatt,Switzerland

17) 2011 Varna, Bulgaria

18) 2012 Jūrmala, Latvia

19) 2013 Chişinău, Moldava 

20) 2014 Crete, Greece (in cooperation with ITA)

21) 2015 Milano, Italy

22) 2016 Constanza (Romania)

23) 2017 Prague (in cooperation with Czech organisations) International Conference

24) 2018 Saint Petersburg

25) 2019 Paris (France)

26) 2021 Tallin, Estonia

27) 2022 Montpellier, France

28) 2023, Tuscany, Italy

29) 2024, Oxford, UK

9. EUROTAS Presidents and Vice- Presidents

Presidents:

Monique Tiberghien

Marc Luyckx

Ian Gordon-Brown

Laura Boggio Gilot

John Drew

Wilfried Belschner

Vitor Rodrigues

Ingo Jahrsetz

Bernadette Blin

Pier Luigi Lattuada

Vice Presidents:

Rumold Mol

Elisabeth Philipov

Ian Gordon Brown

Laura Boggio Gilot

Bernadette Blin

Pier Luigi Lattuada

Jure Biechonski

Magda Solé

10. New Phase in EUROTAS 

From 2003, there was an evolution in EUROTAS with a strong focus on transpersonal psychotherapy. 

The European Society for Transpersonal Psychotherapy (ESTP) has been created as well as a procedure to certify transpersonal psychotherapists with high-qualified criteria and later a procedure to accreditate transpersonal institutes.

In 2024 EUROTAS has 137 certified transpersonal psychotherapists and 9 accredited institutes in different European countries and one in Israel. These numbers have to be updated

Today, the focus is not only on transpersonal psychotherapy and 5 more departments have been created:

– EUREKA (EUROTAS Department of Indigenous Knowledge and Anthropology)

– EDTR (Division of Transpersonal Research)

– EDTAT (Division of Transpersonal Art Therapy)

– EDTE (The Department of Transpersonal Education)

– DTCSC (Department of Transpersonal Coaching and Social Change)

Apart from the annual conferences, since 2014, EUROTAS is present in symposiums which are organized by different national associations in various countries.

2014) California (with Sofia University)

2017) Barcelona (with Barcelona Institute of Transpersonal Psychology)

2018) Veracruz (Mexico) with Transpersonal Catalan Associationa and Barcelona Institute of Transpersonal Psychology)

2019) Bucharest (with Romanian Transpersonal Association)

2023) Rotterdam (with Birthing an Ancient Future)

2024) Paris (with CESHUM)

 

EUROTAS is working on opening and contributing to the challenges our world is facing today with multiple actions by creating links and cooperation with other international organisations.

 

11. GLOBAL TRANSPERSONAL NETWORK TODAY

 

This text has been written in collaboration with John Drew, Ank Van Gulik, Monqiue Tiberghien and Bernadette Blin.