cem (pronounced ah-kem) is an international, nonprofit organization that teaches a form of nondirective meditation known as Acem Meditation.
Acem (pronounced ah-kem) is an international, nonprofit organization that teaches a form of nondirective meditation known as Acem Meditation.
Since its inception in 1966, Acem has developed ways of teaching and guiding people in their meditation processes by means of a reflective approach within a scientific medical and psychological framework. The major aim is to assist people in leading richer and more insightful lives through deep relaxation, stress management, increased energy, and personal development.
While meditative processing is the primary tool of the organization, this is supplemented by verbal processing (meditation guidance and communication groups) and bodily processing (classical, meditative yoga).
Acem Meditation is easy to learn, but it requires personal instruction and guidance to ensure a good start. Group discussions will help the beginner to deal with the challenges of applying the basic principles and to establish regular meditation habits. A beginner’s course usually consists of two to four sessions, each providing ample opportunity for personal practice followed by guidance and discussion at group meetings of 5 to 15 participants. After the beginner’s course, one may enroll for various follow-up activities and continue to discuss the meditation practice with a qualified guide.
In Acem, teaching meditation is volunteer work, and it requires a high level of skill and qualification. Many of the instructors and leaders have a level of training in meditation comparable to professional qualifications.
In addition to the cultural quarterly Dyade (in Norwegian), Dyade Press publishes books on nondirective meditation, meditative yoga, and processes of personal change and development.
Psychology of Silence: Perspectives on Acem Meditation Are Holen This classic introduction to Acem’s theory and practice of meditation, written by the founder, is available for the first time in English. It provides an easy-to-read account of the technique and its effects on health and personality. The book also includes chapters on meditative silence and the cultural background of Acem Meditation. This edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, with new chapters that compare different forms of meditation and explore the depths of the meditation process.
Meditative Yoga: Integrating Body, Breath and Mind Are Holen and Torbjørn Hobbel This book teaches classical meditative yoga—calm and simple, different from more forceful versions of yoga practiced today. The book contains almost 150 illustrations. Step by step, they demonstrate more than 60 postures and practices. One section provides yoga programs for various levels—preliminary, beginner, experienced, and advanced. The book also introduces breathing practices and simple meditation techniques.
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Psychology of Silence: Perspectives on Acem Meditation.
Are Holen. Oslo 2016 Inner Strength: The Free Mental Attitude in Acem Meditation.
Are Holen. 2nd ed. Oslo 2007 Inner Strength: The Free Mental Attitude in Acem Meditation (audio CD). Are Holen. Oslo 2007 Acem Meditation: An Introductory Companion.
Are Holen & Halvor Eifring. Oslo 2007 Fighting Stress: Reviews of Meditation Research. Svend Davanger,
Halvor Eifring & Anne Grete Hersoug eds. Oslo 2008 Practical Guide to Acem Retreats.
Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. Oslo 2010 Psycho-biological Effects of Meditation.
Erik Ekker Solberg. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo 2004 Meditative Yoga: Integrating Body, Breath and Mind.
Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. Oslo 2012 Impulse Yoga: The Free Flow of Spontaneous Movement.
Torbjørn Hobbel. Oslo 2016
Fuerza interior: La actitud mental libre en la Meditación Acem.
Are Holen. 2011 Meditación Acem: Guía complementaria.
Are Holen & Halvor Eifring. 2011 Psicología del silencio. Are Holen ed. 2012 Yoga meditativo: Integración de cuerpo, respiración y mente.
Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. 2014 Meditaciones largas: Guía práctica de cursos intensivos Acem.
Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. 2014
Acem Meditation: Entspannung, Stille, Innere Kraft.
Are Holen & Ole Nygaard. 2007
Für Körper und Geist: Vegetarische Grundrezepte.
Sigrun Hobbel. 2010
Gute Langmeditationen: Praksisratschläge für Retreats in
Acem-Meditation. Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. 2013
Acem Meditation: Ein einführendes Begleitbuch.
Are Holen & Halvor Eifring. 2016
Psychologie van de stilte: Een boek over Acem-meditatie.
Are Holen ed. Uitgeverij Passage, Groningen 1992
Stillhetens psykologi: Perspektiver på Acem-meditasjon.
Are Holen ed. Oslo 2017 Bedre hverdag med Acem-meditasjon. Are Holen ed. Oslo 1983 Meditasjon på norsk. Are Holen ed. 2nd ed. Oslo 1989 Stress, arbeid, kjærlighet: Acem-meditasjon i perspektiv.
Are Holen ed. Oslo 1997 God langmeditasjon: Råd og vink ved retretter i Acem Meditation.
Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. Oslo 2008 Yogaboken: Bevegelse og pust.
Are Holen & Torbjørn Hobbel. Oslo 2010 Impulsøvelser: Yoga i fri flyt. Torbjørn Hobbel. Oslo 2011 Acem før 2000. Tor Hersoug. Oslo 2000 Oppmerksomhet og erkjennelse i meditasjon (audio CD).
Are Holen. Oslo 2004 Ledighet i meditasjon (audio CD). Are Holen. Oslo 2005 Konsentrasjon i meditasjon (audio CD). Are Holen. Oslo 2001 Avspenning - kroppsmeditasjon (audio CD). Øyvind Ellingsen. Oslo 2005 Verdt å vite om vegetarmat. Vibeke Videm. Oslo 2011 Godt grønt: Kokebok for vegetarmat.
Carl Henrik Grøndahl ed. Oslo 1999 For kropp og sinn: Vegetariske basisoppskrifter.
Sigrun Hobbel ed. Oslo 2000
Kakeboken: Fristelser uten egg. Sigrun Hobbel ed. Oslo 2000
Livsvalg: Acems overgangsstudium - grunnbok.
Ole Gjems-Onstad & Tor Hersoug ed. Oslo 2000
Stillhetens psykologi: En bok om Acem-meditation.
Are Holen ed. 2nd ed. Uppsala 1989
Mer att hämta: En handbok för Acem-mediterande.
Are Holen & Halvor Eifring. 2018. Våga växa: Acem-meditation i perspektiv. Are Holen. Uppsala 2003 Ledighet i meditation (audio CD). Are Holen. Stockholm 2005 Avspänning - kroppsmeditation (audio CD). Øyvind Ellingsen. Stockholm 2005 Välgörande vegetariskt: Kokbok från Acems kursgård Lundsholm.
Eva Danielsson ed. Oslo 2002
Stillhedens psykologi: En bog om Acem-meditation.
Are Holen ed. 2011 Afspænding - kropsmeditation (audio CD). Øyvind Ellingsen. København 2003
享受寧靜（修訂本），賀倫 著. Taipei 2009 靜心瑜珈 — 身體、呼吸與心靈整合，賀倫、霍陀賓 著. Taipei 2015 長時間靜坐操作手冊，賀倫、霍陀賓 著. Taipei 2017 衝動瑜伽 — 身體的自由流動，霍陀賓 著. Taipei 2018 內在的力量 — 雅肯靜坐中輕鬆的心靈態度，賀倫 著. Taipei 2010 靜坐行旅 — 雅肯學習指引，賀倫、艾皓德 著. Taipei 2012 和平海盜說靜坐，阿德、嘉慈、蔡志忠 著. Taipei 2012
享受宁静，贺伦 著. 文化艺术出版社. Beijing 1998
Turid Berg-Nielsen, PhD, is a senior researcher in clinical child psychology at the Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Child Welfare in Oslo and professor of clinical child psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. She is currently the head of Acem Germany.
Svend Davanger, PhD, is professor of anatomy and neuroscience at the University of Oslo. He has published numerous scientific articles on the structure and function of the brain’s synapses, including synaptic plasticity. He has also published studies on the physiology of meditation. He is an Acem Meditation instructor.
Halvor Eifring, PhD, is professor of Chinese at the University of Oslo and has published a number of books on the cultural history of meditation. He currently leads an interdisciplinary research project on mind wandering in science, philosophy, and contemplative traditions. He is general secretary of Acem International.
Øyvind Ellingsen, MD, PhD, is professor of cellular cardiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and consultant physician at the
Department of Cardiology, St. Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim. He has published several scientific articles and book chapters on meditation. He is an Acem Meditation initiator.
Anne Grete Hersoug, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and was until recently senior researcher at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo. Her main research area is the process and outcome of psychotherapy. She is an Acem Meditation instructor.
Are Holen, MD, PhD, is professor emeritus of behavioral medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and has published a number of scientific articles and several books on meditation. He founded
the Acem School of Meditation in 1966 and the Acem School of Yoga in 1968, and is currently chief lecturer and training supervisor in Acem International. His Majesty the King of Norway has appointed Dr. Holen as an Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his service to society and humanity. In 2018, he was appointed honorary doctor of The Open University in England and was awarded the Gandhi Peace Honor in India.
Eirik Jensen, magister artium in philosophy and candidatus juris, is a Norwegian Supreme Court barrister and newly-retired partner in the law firm Kluge Advokatfirma AS. He is an Acem Meditation instructor and co-editor of Acem’s journal Dyade, where he has published numerous articles.
Bjørn Lau, PhD, is a clinical and organizational psychologist, an adjunct professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, as well as a senior researcher and psychologist at Lovisenberg Hospital, Oslo.
Morten Wærsted, MD, PhD, is a senior physician at the Department of Work Psychology and Physiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway. His main research field is musculoskeletal disorders related to biomechanical and psychosocial stressors at work. He is an Acem Meditation instructor.