A few weeks ago I participated in a planetary game in Findhorn, Scotland. As many of you may know, the Findhorn Foundation community is an experiment in conscious living, a learning centre and an ecovillage (see https://www.findhorn.org). The planetary game is a version of the transformation game (see: https://www.findhorn.org/workshops/game/) in which – in this case – over 60 participants play the game, thereby working on both their own personal development and the development of humanity as a whole. The theme this year was: Engaging with the emergent future.

From this game I gained a few insights that I ‘d like to share with you. In the first place about the interesting question of our relationship with what the Findhorn community is identifying as the subtle worlds: the unseen realms, the non-physical reality. Personally I have no direct experience with these worlds, but believe nevertheless that these worlds exist (although I cannot know this for sure). The game reinforced my opinion that we cannot solve the gigantic problems humanity is faced with without cooperation with these worlds. That however requires humility and the willingness to surrender.

A second conclusion is that the time for personal growth on and individual level is up. Personal growth with the exclusive goal of personal spiritual development is a product of the sixties and seventies, and at the time was what we personally and collectively needed. But if we confine our personal work to this now, it is a form of self-indulgence. Nowadays we have to connect our personal work with what is going on in the world and develop a consciousness about what is happening both inside and outside.

And furthermore the game confirmed my idea that it is absolutely necessary to enter our deepest pain (our dark night of the soul), if we want to gain our highest insight and wisdom. Time and again this was beautifully shown in the game: depressions or dark nights led to wonderful experiences and growth towards higher levels of awareness and insight.

My personal angel in the game was the angel of relaxation, reminding  me that we can’t push the river and the grass will not grow faster by pulling on the halms. It takes as long as it takes, which of course doesn’t mean that we can just sit and wait until the planet will heal itself. It will certainly do so, but if then we shall survive remains to be seen. We are damaging nature, that is ourselves, so it is our responsibility to do what we can to confine the consequences.