Community Builds From the Heart
‹The Heart Around Us. The Importance of the Therapeutic Community› – this theme moved 850 people at the Goetheanum’s annual medical conference during the second week of September.
People from all over the world came together for these six days. In specialist conferences, professionals from across the health sector could exchange ideas. Spiritual deepening was a shared focus during the conference, and a multi-professional meeting rounded out the congress. Thus, the conference corresponded to its theme in its threefold nature and with intellectual work as the primary focus.
Why is the heart the focus? According to Rudolf Steiner, the heart is formed prenatally by streaming forces that flow together in a certain dynamic and must find a place of balance in the emerging human being to use these forces correctly. From this grows the organ as well as the ability to combine extremes, create balance, and react in the most refined perception. It carries the ability to regulate heat and rhythm. It is the seat of the I, the place that people point to when they name themselves. When people connect in community, heart forces are involved. These forces build the bridge from I to You, from inside to outside, from doctor to patient, and from patient to patient. They connect the therapeutic community with each other and are noticeable when the joint care for a person creates something more significant.
Community Building with Machines?
Machines are increasingly important in everyday life, medical work, and treatment. How is the connection from person to person maintained? Observing the explosive speed of these technological developments, does our community development have to adapt to them?
This excerpt comes from an article originally published in the (online exclusive) English Edition of the weekly Newsletter ‹Das Goetheanum›. You can read the full article on the website of 'Das Goetheanum'.
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