Reshaping encounters

The Alumni Study Weekend took place entirely online for the first time in the beginning of 2021. Former students from the Goetheanum Course and a team of inspiring teachers met for three consecutive days to read and share their insights on passages from the Leading Thoughts and the Michael Letters.

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It was also a moment to catch up with old friends and meet other fellow Alumni from different study years, who are now living in different parts of the world.

Although this was not the ideal circumstance for such a study - as it could never match the same quality of in-person gatherings - it was truly impressive to see how well the participants held a proper space for concentration and meeting.

The online Alumni gathering made us set aside time to study and be together despite our busy schedules. It was refreshing and somewhat nostalgic. For people living overseas, it is important to have the option of distance learning and it is comforting to have this possibility to keep in touch with our dear colleagues and mentors. In spite of all limitations and fatigue caused by excessive screen time, these online encounters can still be very productive and fruitful - within proper conditions, when the material needs are met.

A similar experience took place at the International Students Conference led by the Youth Section at the Goetheanum held online this year, where I was glad to witness the deep reflections young people were having triggered by the online lectures and open spaces for debate. For many of them living in different continents, the online conference was the first opportunity to be part of a Goetheanum event. After some hesitation about online interaction, I finally started to give in, and in the process, I realized that it can certainly give way to meaningful experiences.

The internet has been reshaping our interactions more than ever. Though online meetings cannot be a substitute for eye-to-eye experience, virtual space is not a sterile zone. Exploring the virtual possibilities of encounters raises a reflection about our ability to be flexible in an ever-changing world that asks us for an aptitude to reshape our minds from time to time. It can bring the possibility to establish bonds between people and restore a part of human connection - particularly at a time when many people are dealing with grief, isolation and loss. It also asks us to recalculate the route in a wise and harmonious way in the face of exterior transformations that take place non-stop. These new paths can transform old habits and bring beautiful surprises, especially in a world that is in constant transformation and in consonance with our own process of becoming

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