Reaching for "the light" at times can't match being fully present with "the dark" and witnessing to it. Combining subpersonality work with self-identification can avoid the creation of unconscious projection and greater polarity.

A group of 25 beautiful and courageous souls gathered together from Norway, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Italy and the United States to explore "darkness" in its many forms, shades and dimensions, and to meet and acknowledge darkness as an important and natural aspect of our individual and collective human experience. Drawing upon the group guidelines and dialogue process that Tom has been teaching and refining for the past 15-plus years, we began as a circle and became a community almost instantly! The willingness to share and study the deeper elements of our personal experience of darkness became a doorway through which we experienced the power of bearing witness, of not trying to "make it better," and of strengthening our capacity to tolerate the mystery of the Unknown. The paradox was how enriching it was to open to this.

On first impulse, we wanted to define darkness in a concrete way, but soon realized that we would be better served if we could resist the temptation to "grasp" and thus limit our understanding too early in our process. Rather, we opened ourselves more so it might reveal itself. Tom provided a much needed contextual framework for identifying the "spectrum of darkness," ranging from the most "diabolical" to what we might call the "Divine Darkness." Through that process we came to see the tremendous complexity of the topic. However, our understanding grew, and with Tom's guidance we began to delineate the types of darkness that are common during the various stages of our life and define how we might most effectively "work" with the different qualities of darkness during those different stages.

This program in Norway was the third of its kind that Tom together with a group of colleagues has offered on the "Dark Light." I believe not only is the explicit emergence of this particular topic timely, but also our willingness to explore it is an essential ingredient in our spiritual development as a professional community. It is born out of 30 years of our collective experience working with the transpersonal dimension, and more recently out of a collaborative dialogue. But specifically it is also a reflection of Tom's tenacity, dedication, and deep understanding that "to reach our full human spiritual maturity, the darkness must be integrated and befriended." At times we tend to reach for the "light," when what would truly serve is to be fully present with and witness to "the dark," thus avoiding the creation of greater polarity and unconscious projection.

Having participated in all three programs, I will say honestly that I am extremely relieved and enlivened to participate in this conscious welcome and acceptance of the "dark" at the table of our collective exploration. I thank Tom, Mark, Sasha, Catherine, Liv and Mark for holding this unique circle, and all of those who have joined in this conversation for the vision, courage and commitment towards wholeness and integration.

I encourage us all to open to what we do not yet understand.