In the 1950’s Roberto Assagioli, widely known for his work in developing Psychosynthesis, responded to another major spiritual call – the creation of a global creative meditation training designed to support the ‘Western’ mind in strengthening its meditation practice.
He was a member of a Group working and studying with Alice A. Bailey and arising out of this group work he became inspired to respond to a request made within the Bailey writings, in DINA II (Part XIV pp 231-239). This called students to establish a “united world group given to unanimous and simultaneous meditation upon the work of preparing the world for the new order and for the jurisdiction of the Christ* [and] to establish the knowledge of and the functioning of those laws and principles which will control the coming era, the new civilization and the future world culture …”
This call, responded to by Roberto and supported by Foster Bailey who recruited two co-workers Nancy Magor and Michal Eastcott, was to formulate a group of men and women of goodwill who would be prepared to use their prayer and meditation lives to bring to life the livingness of six core spiritual laws and principles of the soul in everyday life. Relationships imbued with these laws and principles give rise to a considerate and inclusive society – the New Era of human evolution.
Roberto Assagioli and Michal Eastcott in the library of SD House
The initial work focused on developing the papers and materials that became a 10-year programme of meditation, study and service.
It involved regular meetings between Roberto, Nancy and Michal (and others) as between them they formulated this powerful programme that, initially, was undertaken by many senior members of the Arcane School across the world. The first subjective group service began 21st December 1956 and this group were the initiatory group, seeding what would become the central magnet of the now global and widely established practice of Creative Meditation.
In 1961 at a Summer Creative Meditation Event in Tunbridge Wells, Roberto told those present that a 3-year training programme was being written and prepared in bi-monthly papers to support people newer to the Ageless Wisdom teachings and/or the practice of meditation. This reflected the need for an entry level programme to enable the widening of the work and subsequently enable more people to take up service as part of the 10-year programme.
And so, a 3-year Training in Creative Meditation was born and still thrives today.
In the early days the work to build these programmes was carried out within Sundial House in Tunbridge Wells in the UK. Sundial House is a registered charity and throughout the 50’s and 60’s was the location of summer schools attended by many co-workers and presided over by the three co-workers. Sundial House continues, more than 70 years later, to provide training and mentoring support to students and co-workers working with the original 3-year and 10-year materials.
The materials were also shared with the Community of Living Ethics, Umbria and Meditation Mount, Ojai, California. In 1980 Sergio Bartoli visited Michal Eastcott and she organised the sharing of the IGCM papers which were subsequently translated into Italian.
Today, the Community of Living Ethics also offers the 3-year and 10-year training programmes in Italian, and Creative Meditation is one of the core pillars of its group life. Meditation Mount promotes the Laws and Principles through articles, podcasts and online meditation and trainings as well as holding group meditations in person at the Mount in the beautiful landscape of Ojai, California.
In 2010, the three centres of Sundial House, the Community of Living Ethics and Meditation Mount agreed that this triangle of light centres would become the international central magnet for the work started back in the 1950’s and registered as a triangle with the Lucis Trust.
Other centres of Creative Meditation have grown over time worldwide (including Brazil, New Zealand, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Spain) and today offer trainings using the same original materials created by Sundial House in the 1950’s. Additionally, the International Association for Creative Meditation has been formed with representatives from each of these centres, strengthening and amplifying the fire of Creative Meditation.
Assagioli knew that Psychosynthesis and Creative Meditation were complementary paths. Both seek the integration of the personality so that it can become an instrument for the Soul to express Itself. Psychosynthesis focuses on Self-realisation. Creative Meditation embraces the work of self-realisation and Soul expression, expanding its focus to worldwide service, so that through our integrated personalities we can embody these Laws and Principles of the Soul and as a result serve humanity by helping usher in the New Era.
This contemporary history of Creative Meditation serves as an indication of what is achievable in a short period of time when the original impulse is clear and aligned with the Plan, when there is cooperation and effective group work and when the loving will of the established light centres is focused on serving the greater good. As we enter the third millennium through the portal of 2025, Group Creative Meditation will continue to one of our most powerful tools for manifesting the New Era.
Here you will find a document which gives far more detail on this history.
Sundial House, Community of Living Ethics, Meditation Mount