Arnold Mindell

A brief tribute:

The sea, he said, the sea
It’s always there, always here,
And in its midst so am I
even when I am no longer.

Bon voyage, dear soul.

It is difficult to decide what to contribute to Arny's Memorial wall. Perhaps I will write more than this once. Perhaps others will too as memories arise.
So, today I reflect on the privilege of getting to attend every one of Arnys' Oregon seminars and classes since 1998. This great good fortune arose from my request for workstudy options at the first seminar I attended in 1998. The organizers offered me the job of transcribing Arny and Amy's teaching at the seminars and, if I wanted to, Arny's teaching in his Portland classes. I was asked if I typed, I shyly answered "yes!" and immediately ran to the library and found a Teach Yourself Touch Typing manual.
I loved working with and for Arny for those 25 years. Loved typing every word that came out of his brilliant mouth, every thought that descended from his genius brain in those seminars and classes.
Sometimes a prior class might go missing from his inbox and he would write to ask me to re-send what I had filed away. When I did that, he would write to thank me, sounding as if I had written the class and he was so grateful for it! "Thank you Susan, the work you do is fantastic!" It always made me smile as I replied, "The work *you* do is fantastic!!",
I recently put one of my recordings on, listening to Arny welcoming the class, his heartful updates on local happenings, his pleasure in the class, his delight in sharing what he was bringing into form. We were all so lucky, getting to attend, and then later getting to read the books that emerged from his classes and seminars.
Blessed and grateful, to Arny, to Amy, to the Tao that brought paths shared and learning into form.

I said these things at Arny's Celebration of Life in Yachats. Here with some pics to illustrate.

Arny & the Whales

Before Arny MIndell died, he said that when he was no longer here in his bodily form, we could connect with him by looking at and communicating with the sea. I went with my family to Australia this summer. We lived for a week with my friend, Heike, on her boat, sailing far from Consensus Reality, in a bay filled with humpback whales. The whales again and again connected me to Arny.

They were so related, coming to us, circling our boat, stopping and lifting their heads high to look at us. This was my also experience with Arny in classes and workshops. So alive, present, engaged, engaging.

Sometimes the whales would thunderously smack their tails on the water or breach high in the air and crash down, showing their power, exuberance and joy. This reminded me of when Arny used to do boxing or karate moves when he danced at parties, or that great picture of him conducting the splash of a wave.

And then suddenly the whales would dive deep down and disappear. This reminded me of the meditation seminars we used to do in Männendorf on the Lake of Zürich in the 1980s. There was no teaching. We all worked on ourselves in our own ways. Drawing, moving, writing, crying. Someone stirring her tea for hours. As I remember it, Arny spent the whole time upside down, his knees over his head, his back supported by the leather box he used to sit on. I have no idea what was happening on the inside. But he didn’t seem to move for hours. He seemed to be deep down. In total stillness.

This posture was also a metaphor for another way I experienced him. When I thought I understood myself or someone else or Processwork, he again and again turned everything on its head, opening my eyes and heart to a new way.

I had the honor and incredible pleasure of slipping into the water sometimes with the whales. Sometimes they came right next to me. On our last day there, one whale came right under me and turned on its back. Its white belly facing my belly. Its heart facing my heart. I cannot express the feeling of awe, gratitude, love, and connection I felt. It is similar to the awe, gratitude, love, and connection I felt in my therapy sessions with Arny. Every session started with him sharing about himself and his life. Sometimes it was prompted by a question from me; other times he would just share freely. I felt so honored and lucky that he showed me his heart, his soft belly. I imagine this came from his experiences with Franz Ricklin. He said that his other therapists, like Barbara Hannah or Marie-Louise von Franz, taught him how to work with himself; but Ricklin showed how to work on himself by modeling it.

I often asked Arny how he could do so much, continuously developing Processwork, working with clients, teaching, traveling, writing, responding to every email immediately. He said that one of his feet was always in the world. The other foot was always inside himself. Although I don’t do a tiny fraction of what Arny did every day, I try to integrate this teaching every day.

Thank you, dearest Arny, for everything!! ❤️🙏🏼❤️

I would like to share this memorial speech I gave online at celebration of Arny’s life and spirit on August 22nd.
Love to all, Midori

＊＊＊

I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Dr. Arnold Mindell's family and his global community of processwork.

I was a student at the Process Work Institute in Portland, Oregon. Now, I am teaching processwork in Japan.

When I first encountered processwork, I was fascinated by the ideas which had a very compassionate attitude towards any human being. I hoped that processwork would become commonly practiced because I thought it could help the world to be a better and kinder place.

In 2012, at the gathering in Zurich to celebrate 30 years of Process Work, Arny, you first walked slowly to one corner of the room without saying anything, then named the predecessors or ancestors who had had a major influence on processwork, such as Lao Tzu and Jung and some others, and thanked them very deeply. To me, your act of honoring the lineage of processwork was very touching and has left a deep impression on my mind and heart. I realized the great stream of intelligence we were sharing together and your sincere gratitude to it.

Now my heart is filled with the same kind of gratitude that you showed to Lao Tzu and Jung and others. Moreover, I am so grateful that I have met you, learned from you and connected with your deep love and playful spirit.

Arny, it was a mystery to me why your words would magically go deep into my heart and the timing was always perfect. Your feedback like “you can do it. I am with you!” was the most powerful encouragement and edge work for me.

I will very much miss your embodied spirit. At the same time, I feel you flying freely and with us even here and now. Thank you very much, Arny… travel well.

And Amy, I love you so much!!

Thank you.

I had the pleasure of studying Arny's teachings in Australia at the Metavision Institute, and I carry his legacy with me every day in both my personal life and in my natural therapies business. I am forever grateful for Arny's life and teachings, and for his connection to us all via Facebook (especially his many 1 January dream analyses that he helped with over the years)

I only learned of Arny through my conflict resolution studies at Kames Cook University in Queensland,Australia. His work came up in my research, time and time again. I borrowed the book from the library so many times, I decided i needed to buy it, “Sitting in the Fire”.
There are so many concepts that have stayed with me, tank being one of them. It was the first time in my adult life that I considered this concept.
‘The terrorist’ was another concept that I really gelled with and carry with me.
There is so much wisdom encapsulated in this book.
I feel very happy to have come across Amy and Arny’s teachings. It has enriched my life and afforded me the opportunity to teach others.

I attended The Tao of Conflict + Peace with Arny and Amy in Yachats in 2013 after a friend told me about the Process Work Institute. It was one of the first workshops I attended after leaving my work at the VA as a trauma therapist and embarking upon the journey of pursuing my vision and founding the nonprofit Central Oregon Veterans Ranch.

As a nascent foundress eager to gain practical business, leadership, and conflict management skills relevant to establishing a trauma-informed nonprofit and model of care, I eagerly drove from the High Desert of Central Oregon, through winding roads lined with lush old growth forest, out to the stunning seascape of Yachats.

There I encountered powerhouse packed in the petite frame of a man named Arny, and his insightful, compassionate muse and co-collaborator, Amy.

I remember thinking that the same energy moving the Pacific ocean outside our building was the same energy moving this man inside the building.

And I took away a piece of wisdom that resonated with me deeply as a new leader, and which I have quoted liberally ever since:

"The first job of a leader is to create a sense of home."

That was the guiding principle for me with my staff and the veterans we served at Central Oregon Veterans Ranch - a 19-acre working farm and sanctuary for combat veterans - and I have passed it on to many a leader, Board member, manager, and anyone who had ears to hear.

Thank you Arny, for your wisdom, which lives and breathes in us and continues its legacy through us.

In one of the last classes I attended with Arny, he taught us about doing our personal inner dance when faced with tough questions. During a pause in the class Arny did his own inner work. "Why am I still traveling everywhere when I'm 80 years old?" The answer he received, "There is no better place for me to be."

Those may not be his exact words (correct them if you were there), but the message for me is that this man loved his work and all of us.

Arni leads into the forest deep,
Whispers softly, secrets keep.
Sometimes howls with wolf-like tone,
Then barks "Woof" with voice alone.

In his dream and open space,
Arni walks with steady grace.
Inspiring all with heart so bright,
He worships his own path, with might.

Deep love 🖤🌊🙏

fondest memories ,,,Arny's birthday party and New Year's gathering in the 80-ties, with a bunch of you, friends, students, cross-country skiing in to the valley Avers, Bregalglia. left top, Renata and ..., Arlene, Debbie, Madeleine, xxx, left bottom, Joe, Arny, Amy, Jan, Sonja, Dawn, Reini. Some of you may know those I cannot remember their names.

At Amy's request, I am sharing this memorial speech I gave in Yachats at the celebration of Arny. I was very honored to speak about Arny's tremendous impact on my life and I look forward to reading many more tributes, and continuing to savor his influence on so many of us...

Thank you Amy for asking me to speak. I love you dearly.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to see Arny in his human form about 2 weeks before he passed. And the phrase he kept repeating was LOVE IS EVERYTHING. Of course, at the time I had no idea it would be the last time I saw him.

For me- one of the many powers of Arny - and Arny+Amy- is all the love they have created in the world—so many partnerships, marriages, break-ups, new loves, new partnerships, and for me, the deepest lifelong friendships I could have ever dreamed possible.

Arny- I can’t even imagine who I would be without you—but I also can’t imagine who my friends would be. Where I could have found such a sense of meaning, purpose and belonging. Thank you.

When I went to Zurich in 1981, straight after college, I knew almost nothing about Arny’s work. I did know what other people were saying about him. People I admired like Amy Kaplan from the dance department. She moved with such grace and ease it looked like she was connected to the heavens. But she was also silly and goofy and playful. I knew there was something totally special and unusual about this woman. I was in awe. And then there were those two smart, powerful women I was just getting to know—Julie Diamond and Dawn Menken—both studying education. They were deep and thoughtful and interested in their dreams. Could I possibly be friends with them? And I should say, there was also a boyfriend involved. Me- I was painting and I loved that, but I had no career plans or life plans and I was not at all interested in psychology. I was interested in friendship. And relationship. And love. I was definitely interested in finding a way to be in the world where I could belong, where I didn’t criticize myself so harshly or seek love so ruthlessly.

When I met Arny for my first session, I was 21 years old. I sort of expected he would treat me the same way other men, especially older men had. I arrived at his office on the Lake of Zurich, and he immediately invited me to sit at an outdoor café and drink tea. And I thought… here we go. Apparently, this was quite normal, in the tradition of his own Jungian analyst Franz Riklin. I’m pretty sure I engaged in my usual way of being with men at the time—light-weight flirting, focused on getting the other to like me. If Arny even noticed any of that behavior, he didn’t react. Instead… a few minutes into our first session he told me I was smart- and asked me what I planned to do for my graduate work. He may have even suggested I go straight for a PHD and skip the Masters.

Now- It could be I’m confusing the time line because I can’t imagine anything I said could have led him to believe there was a brain in my head, so this conversation may have come later. But in my memory, in my dreaming, this was the first thing he ever said to me. That I was smart. And that I could go somewhere and do something in this world.

It was completely disorienting. A total shift of my assemblage point (as we said at the time).

And that was it! Arny’s influence and belief in me lead me on a path to study Processwork, get those degrees, and ultimately find a career path and a CALLING. Thank you, Arny. I truly could not have done that without you.

Even more extraordinary… while Arny supported my intelligence and academic pursuits, he also supported my wild and artistic nature. Even back then, he was pretty zany and out-there. He helped me transform a reckless and self-destructive side of myself. I learned to explore far out altered states and other dimensions of reality that didn’t require drugs, or sex, or dangerous acting out. This meant that over time I could stay alive. And I’m not over-stating that. There were many times that I felt my life was saved for having met Arny. (And I know I’m not alone)

So, it was this combination. This magical mix of intellectual rigor and spirit of scientific research, together with an utterly non-conventional approach to life and the deepest reverence for the Mystery and Dreaming.

Arny was—is—and will always be, my portal to a meaningful and magical way of seeing the world. Thank you Arny- for being my teacher.

Amy asked if I might post the speech I gave at Arny's celebration in Yachats. I am honored to share it. with love to all, Dawn

Celebration of Arny
August 23, 2024

Oh Arny Arny. You prepared us so well. And it was still a shock. You taught us to value the different dimensions of human experience; we are always with each other. Despite the grief of losing Arny as a physical presence, he is here, we can feel and sense him.

And I know this path of grief is so different for Amy, his life companion, his physical presence is a huge hole. I want to honor you, Amy, as his big love, your purpose to love him and bring out his work and to also now carry his legacy together with us all.

I count my lucky stars that I met him at the age of 20. So young, troubled, depressed, full of the insecurities of youth – but I was also a seeker. Arny spoke to my soul. Arny helped me to love what I felt was unlovable, helped me to see a path that valued my unconventional spirit, that broke out of traditional roles. He helped me to really become the cultural radical and transformer that had always been with me. And I believe I share this with many of you.

Like many people I was first introduced to Arny through his writing. However, it was his earliest writing, an unpublished manuscript that he had written in the 1970s and our professor, Ben Thompson would read to the class. It was titled, “The Deathwalk,” and was Arny’s take on the works of Carlos Castaneda’s seminal books about his apprenticeship with the Yaqui Indian shaman Don Juan Matus. Ben loved Arny and read from that manuscript in each class he taught. And that was what brought me to Zurich in 1979 to meet Arny.

Now, here is a secret – I kinda thought Arny was Don Juan. He was so magical, out of convention, surprising and shocking to my system. At one point in those books, Carlos gets frustrated with Don Juan and he leaves in a huff. Don Juan says to him, “you will be back, your body likes me.” After some months in Zurich, I did not leave in a huff, but had to complete my college education – but I also knew my body and psyche were inexplicably pulled to Arny and that I would return.

That magical and mystical quality of Arny captured me in my youth. Last month I was with a group of people sharing about Arny. I remembered the house in Tschierv in the Swiss mountains where we had many seminars. An old house, we all lived together with big gang showers in the basement. One of the mysteries is that we never saw Arny naked going in and out of those showers. And believe me – we did look! But there was a mist that seemed to follow him in and out of those showers. To my young mind, that aura of mystery, the part of Arny that refused to succumb to the consensus reality limitations of human experience, was captivating. Seminars were adventures into another reality. A 5-day seminar with 20 people and Arny worked with everyone in the middle. So moving to really see each other deeply; we were modelling a world of possibility, where bellowing queens, rising kundalini snakes, Jesus beaming with love, starbursts, and profound battles for life, colored and created our world.

And as Arny was developing PW there was a learning spirit that compelled us. We talked about processes during mid-day runs and in the evening at the Hotel Sternen where we peppered Arny with our questions and brainstormed about PW theory together. But it was Amy, who really studied this magical quality of Arny. What was it that he did? We were all trying to figure that out. Amy immersed herself in this quest and then taught a class on the magic of PW. I believe I even still have my notes from that class! From her class and study, her book Metaskills was born. Amy dear, I want to thank you for loving Arny how you have and how you have helped to bring his wisdom and work to us all. You have been able to articulate and bring across that magical and mystical quality of Arny and his work.

Arny loved my growth. He loved everyone’s growth. That was part of his sparkle. He loved the parts we most discarded, not only that which was hurt but he loved the potential mystery and transformation in the human spirit. He loved the wild, irrational, silly, spontaneous and the unconventional surprises that dipping into the dreaming world revealed.

And Arny sought out the facilitator in each of us. He wanted a better world for all. I felt him asking us, imploring us: who is here to facilitate this? Where are the facilitators? And when I look around at his rich legacy, I see all of you. The incredible work people are doing all over the world. I know his legacy goes forth in each of us.

The crazy wisdom courage he had to turn the world upside down: the audacity to develop an approach that embraced what was most marginal, disavowed, and troublesome, that which was potentially embedded with meaning and enrichment, where we could dip into a dreaming realm and discover a new perspective.

On my birthday last month I dreamed we were here on the coast. 100s of people. It was night, dark, candles. We all walked in one direction to our death. And I realized in that moment, that death is what unifies us. It is the unity state. Our international community is vast and there are many divisions between us. Arny would say, “that is natural.” And yet, in his death I feel the state of unity, something at the essence of each of us. In death divisions cease, we are together. We have shared a path. In a world so polarized and in a community that is not without challenges, I feel this basic unity. I am forever grateful to have met and learned from the man who has brought me such a profound perspective and I know you are too.

Here are two poems that Arny inspired me to write.

Arny:

My North Star is gone
surfing waves without a board,
the ocean his home.

A bare windowsill,
the frontier between
a world within and beyond;
outside, the windswept grass cries.

In the distance
the waves are unsettled
matching my inner turmoil.
As if apologetic,
cloud banks bleed
across Yachats Ridge.
Hypnotized, I am
lost in memories.

Is it better to ignore the past
and future memories?
We are all sojourners and exiles,
transient pilgrims,
in search for a meaningful
conversation with life.

We are always on the road
even when we lose our way.
The path of dreaming
is always here,
we are going that way
anyway.




Far Horizon:

As I look into the distance
the sky melts with the ocean
one becoming the other.
The hazy gray color mending
what was apart together.

As I dream into the past and future
my friend’s passing becomes blurry.

As I close my eyes
his last sighting comes to mind,
climbing up Horizon Hill,
leaning heavily on his ski pol,
waving left and forth,
weaving the dreaming
of a horizon coming close,
as if he knew
that presence, past and future
would soon become one.

The uphill road
that was always beckoning
now a distant memory.
His trail slowly fading.

The lighthouse beam
that shone so brightly
vanishes from our sights
regardless of our longing.

How can we carry his light forward
when we can barely see
glimmers of his presence
and only feel crumbs
of his love?

Thank you Arny for so much support in how to live life. One of my great pleasures was making a movie with you! You supported me as a leader, helped me understand my life myth, and taught me so many helpful things. And -- watching your relationship with Amy was one of the great models of relationship for me. Thank thank you thank you,
Chris

My most vivid memory of meeting Arnie is from the 2019 Dublin conference. I still tell everyone that the atmosphere was such that the phrase “Santa Claus is among us” best describes it. This means that just from his presence it felt like my deepest dreams could come true. From this feeling there is a belief in miracles, a desire to live, to smile.
The same “suddenly” happened after each online supervision and even during the online meeting with memories.
I remember very well how Arnie greeted the participants, including me, with a “tickle with his finger” from afar. It was as if we were longtime good acquaintances. I felt that he understood me.

Dear Arny, I was extremely excited to meet you during your workshop in Ireland a few years back. You held this meeting with kindness and openness towards every participant. I was amazed by your cheerful spirit and love toward us and Amy ❣️ Being there not only helped me to go deeper into the process work but also gave me a lot of hope seeing you both together so close and supportive for each other despite all the audience. Your connection and mutual respect gave me a the reason to still believe in love that can be pure and deep...
I'm so so grateful that I could meet both you and Amy and experience your inclusive and welcoming space 🌌 You will never be forgotten as you impacted my life by your heart, spirit and mind🙏🙏🙏 Thank you💝🌊🦅

Amy said in the memorial that we would see Arny in the coming days in some manner Next day this walks by me at the airport. I laughed.

As he was to countless others, Arny held a unique and irreplaceable place in my life. He was a teacher who imparted deep wisdom and challenged me to grow in ways I never imagined. He was a dear friend, offering support, kindness, and a listening ear whenever it was needed. Arny was also a historic figure whose contributions to the world will be felt for generations to come, and an inspiration who constantly pushed the boundaries of what was possible, showing us all how to live with passion and purpose.

But beyond that, Arny embodied a childlike curiosity and wonder that reminded me to stay open to the mysteries of life, while also being an elder full of profound insights, guiding me through the complexities of existence with patience and care. He was a peer, too - someone who walked beside me on this journey, sharing in the struggles and the triumphs, and always treating me as an equal in our shared pursuit of understanding and growth. His multifaceted presence in my life cannot be overstated, and I will carry the lessons he taught me forever.

Raul and I traveled from Brazil to Colombia on different days. The journey was full of surprises for me. When I arrived, I met a shaman who supported me because I was traveling alone and found myself lost in strange lands. I realized that the path to finding you is a path of overcoming, magic and transformation. Gratitude to Arnold Mindell for your existence, to Amy Mindell for keeping your memory alive, and to the entire community.

I first met Arny at WorldWork London. When I reflect on that experience I can feel my heart starting to pulsate and grow. Arny literally helped grow me a bigger heart - one that had room to acknowledge how my unconscious place in the world as a white British woman was hurting others. I ached to share Arny's lucidity, so much so that a few weeks later I started studying at the Process Work Institute in Portland. My heart's aching now but I can see and feel him here as a clearly as ever.

I was very much influenced by Arny as an emerging mental health professional while a graduate student in educational psychology and later as a doctoral student in counseling psychology. I actively participated in the Process Work Community in Salt Lake City, Utah during the early 2000s. It was during that time that I grew professionally as a result of Arny’s many writings, Randi Levine’s dedicated community teachings and also attending a 2-3 day workshop at the University of Utah with Arny and Randi Levine as co-facilitators… what a wonderful experience!! I’m so grateful for Arny’s work and the opportunity to learn from both Arny and Randi during those formative experiences!!

I have enjoyed many books in my life but in my top three there is without hesitation Arnold's and Amy's book "Sitting in the fire". As a mediator, it was a huge inspiration for me. Still is. Thank you! Dear Arnold grieving your loss and celebrating your rich, very rich and inspiring life! You will stay alive for quite a while :) Love to you Amy!

Only once I attended a webinar of Arny and Amy. The lightness and warmth was a delight. I attended lots of webinars, of many of his students, and I read some of his books. I am so grateful for his work. With it there came an approach that made sense to me: it is applicable on micro and macro level, takes into account intuition and dreams, wipes away norms and even has scientific foundations. It gives ground for me to take all in me serious and understand more of myself and the world around me. With exploring the dreaming in me, it even gives direction. Thank you Arny for all your great, great work!

Jay from India pays tribute to Arnold Mindell:

We lost the roof but not the pillars. Pillars constructed by Arny are his books, films, videos, WorldWork. These are his physical presence, and his individual work with thousands of people is his spiritual presence with them.

Personally I am grateful to Arny and Amy for their sustained psychological & economical support to me and my family for over thirty years.

My grateful memories are of Arny and Amy in the webinars I was able to attend. Living by the sea in the Netherlands, I feel extra connected through the power of the sea ❤️

My fondest memory of Arny is a family one. He and Amy (my sister-in-law and friend) were visiting us in Cincinnati many years ago, when our children were small. Uncle Arny sat down on the floor of our family room to play Legos with two of our young sons. Rather than building a house or a spaceship, or putting the little knights into their castle or the pirates into their boats, as we all did, Arny promptly took apart the tiny Lego people, gathered all the heads into a tall stack, and offered it to one of the boys. Our son, wide-eyed, gazed up at Uncle Arny in wonder, and he never quite looked at his Legos in the same way again. And isn’t that how we all remember Arny? Someone who could be depended upon to see the world in an original and unique light, and who could, with a gesture or a comment, change your outlook forever.