Acem Meditation House

The Power of Silence

The hectic pace of modern life may be rewarding. Overcoming professional challenges may give us a sense of achievement. But the wear and tear of daily life can leave us exhausted. You wonder whether this is all there is to life. Something is missing. You feel the need to slow down, reflect on your life and find meaning. You want to stop all that noise in your mind. You need to feel the power of silence. You need to meditate.

Meditation—Relaxation and Beyond

Scientific studies have revealed that Acem Meditation provides deeper relaxation than ordinary rest; on some accounts even quicker benefits than what can be gained from sleep. Such relaxation comes as a natural biological response and works as an antidote against stress. During meditation, muscle tension is released, and breathing becomes slower and more relaxed. Blood pressure tends to go down. The body’s production of stress hormones is reduced, and your mood tends to change in a healthy direction. In some cases, meditation is known to alleviate stress-related aches and pains. But meditation is not just about relaxation. It is a journey which will help you discover your actual self, by slowly unraveling the layers of conditioning and illusions in your mind.

What is Acem?

Acem is an international non-profit organization devoted to establishing an understanding and teaching of meditation in Europe, and other parts of the world. Acem Meditation is based on modern psychology and scientific research. It is free of any particular religion, belief system or political ideology. The activities of the organization seek to address basic existential questions. It is devoted to helping people live better lives through self-realization and personal growth.

Acem was founded in Oslo, Norway by Dr. Are Holen in 1966. He is a psychologist, physician and a world renowned expert in stress psychiatry. He spent in his early years time in studying Sanskrit, and comparing and exploring different meditative techniques. Mr. Torbjorn Hobbel has been guiding Acem since the start in 1996.

The Acem Way

In Acem Meditation, you repeat a meditation sound mentally without effort, while thoughts and impressions are allowed to come and go freely. There is no attempt at emptying the mind. The point is not to control your thoughts, but to produce greater inner freedom. Thoughts and impressions are allowed to come and go freely. In Acem, the focus is on the process of meditation and not on achieving a particular state of mind.

Physical and Mental Relaxation

You just sit comfortably in a chair with eyes closed, practicing a simple mental technique, allowing a deep relaxation to take hold of body and mind. The important thing is you don’t try to relax. Relaxation comes naturally. Stress and worries gradually give way to a calmer frame of mind. Afterwards you feel refreshed, energized and often more creative. The anti-stress effects of Acem Meditation are confirmed by scientific research. Blood pressure and heart rate are reduced, the immune system is strengthened, performance under pressure is enhanced, and brain waves show deep relaxation.

Acem Meditation – A Path to Self-Discovery

Regular practice of Acem Meditation has the potential to fulfill a need within you that transcends the basic needs for food, shelter and intimacy. It inspires deep reflection about the nature of life. The long-term practice helps you to address core questions about the nature of existence. The inner freedom evolved through Acem Meditation may initiate fascinating processes of self-understanding and personal growth. See these testimonials of people who have been practicing Acem for a long time.

To learn Acem Meditation, you must enroll in a beginner’s course. It is easy to learn and practice, but must be learned from accomplished instructors. You cannot learn the method from the Internet, a CD, or a book. Acem encourages meditators to meet and discuss each other’s meditation experiences as group discussions which improve understanding of the technique and enhances the personal process. It may also help you to get back on track if you have got out of the habit. Visit your nearest Acem Center to get started.

The Annual Retreats

In addition to the beginner’s course, there are opportunities for deeper exploration of Acem Meditation. The most fruitful of these are the retreats Acem arranges annually in and in other countries in Europe and Asia. These retreats with their extended periods of silence provide the right ambience to access new dimensions of external and internal existence. See Acem Meditation Retreats in for detailed information.

The method

You don’t try to relax. You just sit comfortably in a chair with eyes closed, practising a simple mental technique, allowing a deep relaxation to take hold of body and mind. In Acem Meditation, you repeat a meditation sound mentally without effort, while thoughts and impressions are allowed to come and go freely. There is no attempt at emptying the mind.

Relaxation and personal growth

Relaxation comes naturally. Knots and ties unravel, stress and worries gradually give way to a calmer frame of mind. Afterwards you feel refreshed, energised and often more creative. In the long run, the inner freedom of Acem Meditation may initiate fascinating processes of self-understanding and personal growth. The primary goal of Acem activities is not intellectual comprehension but rather the embodiment of an understanding reflected in the ways people relate and act in private and work-related life.

Daily time-out

Many meditate one half-hour every morning and evening, or once a day for 45 minutes. Others use the method when they feel the need. Ten minutes is better than nothing. It is best to meditate in a quiet and undisturbed room. Research indicates that the most pronounced health benefits come from relaxation techniques allowing spontaneous thoughts to pass freely.

Evidence-based

The understanding and teaching of meditation is based on first-hand experience and in line with scientific research and psychological perspectives. The Acem method is not based on any particular belief system or ideology.

How to learn

To learn Acem Meditation, you must enrol in a beginner’s course. If you are already an adept practitioner of a type of meditation that uses a sound or a mantra, you will probably find the transition to Acem Meditation easy. Experienced meditators of all kinds who have turned to Acem Meditation have found that it enhances the long-term effects of meditating regularly.