Yesterday was the World Day of Psychosynthesis and more than 150 people interested in Roberto Assagioli’s vision of psychosynthesis celebrated in an event hosted by two Swedish groups, Psykosyntesföreningen and Psykosyntesförbundet along with the European Psychosynthesis Association (EPA).

The day is meant to establish a spiritual connection between everyone who is generating and working with psychosynthesis concepts and techniques. Each of us is encouraged to take time during the day to reflect on how psychosynthesis is a living, evolving idea that can be successfully applied through many formats and in various contexts.

This day was inspired by a note that Assagioli wrote. What is special about this particular note is that it is dated, something relatively rare to find on his thousands of archived notes. A copy of the Assagioli’s original note appears below along with its transcription.

---

     ψς

It is urgent to establish
Spiritual “Airways”
between nations,
institutions, movements,
and across the continents –

Let us give to this work
comparatively
at least as much energy,
determination, desire, time
efforts as those which are
given to establish airplane
communications through-
out the world.

20-IX-37 (September 20, 1937)

---

The Airways in September 1937

To put Assagioli’s note into a historical context, the 1930s was a time of great expansion in the field of aviation – mostly for military purposes. Amelia Earhart was still flying around the world up until July 1937 when she and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. Italian, German, Russian, and Japanese air forces were just starting to experiment with “carpet bombing” of civilians, with most of these attacks in support of Franco during the Spanish Civil War. In May the German Hindenberg dirigible caught fire and exploded. Records of speed and altitude flown were continuously being broken. Helicopters were coming into existence, and, for the first time, transatlantic flights offered sleeper births to their passengers.

The Airways in September 2021

Assagioli’s use of “airplane communications” as metaphor for “Spiritual Airways” was indeed apt for his time. Perhaps today, in its place, he would use the metaphor of “space communications.” Our communication during the meeting yesterday was obviously over internet space. Just this week four space tourists ended their trailblazing three-day trip into space. And more than ever before, many of us are connecting to family, friends, school and work associates via the internet.

Connecting to Spiritual Airways

On many levels, internet and space travel are miraculous accomplishments. But what about “Spiritual Airways”? As Assagioli suggests, shouldn’t we also be putting as “much energy, determination, desire, time, and efforts” into developing our ability to tune into them? How do we connect to the Spiritual Airways? And how to we connect to each other over them?

We begin by listening.

Obsculta, the Latin word for listen, is the first word of guidance written by St. Benedict, the 6^th century mystic and Father of western monasticism. His Rules for Monks is still used today to direct the lives in Benedictine communities. St. Benedict immediately qualifies what kind of listening we need to do.

“Obsculta et inclina aurem cordis tui – Listen by inclining the ear of your heart.”

What could he possibly mean? Our hearts have ears? If that is true, then how do they work?

St. Benedict’s poetic language is asking us to listen, not just with our ears, but with our hearts to all that comes our way – through the “spiritual airways”. While we might hear the words with our actual ears, with our hearts we can deeply reflect, discern, and take action if necessary.

How can we start to listen with the ear of our heart? Obviously, there is a need for silence, not only outside but also within. Assagioli encourages us to patiently practice being silent for a short period every day. Conscious reflection, meditation, prayer, and contemplation not only calm our continuous inner din, but also inspire and renew us. Time spent in silence is also the necessary preparation for external action. As Assaglioli wrote,

“Talking tends to disperse the energies needed and accumulated for action.”

So to begin … do you meditate, pray, sit in silence, keep a journal, reflect daily on your thoughts, feelings, actions? Do you know and meet the Divine every day in your life through Beauty, Nature, and Love?

Perhaps Psychosynthesis World Day is a good day to start tuning into our Spiritual Airways and start to listen – to our hearts and each other’s.

A simple meditation for the World Day of Psychosynthesis and Prayer for Peace

You might like to try this meditation for radiating prayers along the spiritual airways, sending them either close to home or out into the world.

1. Joyfully concentrate on what prayer you wish to radiate outwards. Identify with your prayer – its quality or idea, feeling and energy. The more you embody the prayer, the more it can radiate spontaneously. In this way you can combine both spontaneous and purposeful, directed prayer.
2. After this preparation, express a word or a phrase that best identifies your prayer. Imagine the prayer being fulfilled by visualizing the person, nation, animal, etc. you are sending the prayer to.
3. To actually radiate the prayer, visualize a channel or beam of light projected towards the recipient(s). You can also send beams of light in all directions. Be sure to send Love with the Light. Love is a great linking and unifying energy.