Programme
October 2 - 4 2026 in the Anthroposophical Society, Hošťálkova 392/1d, Prague 6 - Břevnov
You will find below the topics of this year´s conference. The detailed programme will be available soon and posted here. Registered applicants will receive the detailed programme together with other information about the conference by e-mail.
The Rise of Technocratic Control / Markus Osterrieder
Technocracy, based on academic methods and the widespread use of technology, is experiencing a remarkable renaissance. Yet hidden within the hope for progress lies an anti-democratic project that is developing ties to populism, authoritarianism, and extremism. Today, we encounter the technocratic temptation once again in responses to pandemics, the rise of control systems, and in Silicon Valley’s fantasies of omnipotence. Decisions are made not by elected politicians, but by experts and specialists in politics and administration—based on technical knowledge, data, and measurable efficiency. In the book *The Technological Republic*, Palantir co-founder Alexander C. Karp argues that the software industry must therefore rebuild its relationship with the government so that the West can maintain its geopolitical advantage and retain its power over human consciousness.
The Struggle for One’s Own Consciousness: On “Cognitive Warfare” and the Power of “Egregores” / Markus Osterrieder
In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the attempt of controlling the contents of the population’s consciousness must also take into account the impact of thoughts. Since the early modern period, occultism has spoken of the creation of egregores (Greek “egrégoroi,” watchers): any group of people who direct their willpower, thoughts, and actions toward a common goal over an extended period of time create a psychic-emotional field of thought that encompasses the group members; this field is fueled by the energy of the individual group members but is also intended to have an emotionally strengthening effect on them through the synchronization of events. This raises the question for the person whose core consciousness is growing stronger: What does this actually have to do with me? Do I even want this? And if not, why am I letting it happen within me? As Petr Chelčický, the founder of the Bohemian Brethren, wrote in the 15th century from a Christian-Manichaean perspective: “An action carried out under the coercion of authority is very different from an action performed in love and with good will, from which the words of truth arise.”
America – Europe – China: Can World War Be Avoided? / Terry Boardman
It is no accident that in this crucial 21st century, the first truly global century, America and China are facing off against each other, and that between them is the Middle East and also Europe – the “Middle Continent” – whose culture and civilisation were in large part made by impulses that came from the Middle East. Conflict between China and America seems almost inevitable. World wars affect everyone, present and future generations, down to the smallest village. What do China, Europe and America represent? How can Europe help to prevent another war between East and West, a world war between China and America? This talk will throw light on these issues and answer those two questions.
Rosicrucianism, the Enlightenment and the Founding of America – 1776-2026 / Richard Ramsbotham
On July 4th this year the United States of America celebrated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many people have described this as one of the most important historical documents of all time. It has even been described as a document that arose through a genuinely Rosicrucian impulse. What is the truth of this? What was the relationship of the “founding fathers” of the USA to Enlightenment, rationalist thought and religion? What was their relationship to Freemasonry? The lecture will also look at the influence of Francis Bacon (and his work The New Atlantis) on the origins of the USA, which many people wrongly see as pointing to a Rosicrucian origin. The lecture will conclude by looking at what a genuine Rosicrucian metamorphosis of the impulses behind the Declaration of Independence might involve.
Whither the Anthroposophical Movement 100 Years after Rudolf Steiner’s Death? Finding a path between Scylla and Charybdis. / Richard Ramsbotham
100 years after Steiner’s death what direction (or directions) is the anthroposophical movement taking – and what are the dangers that threaten it. The modern forms of Scylla and Charybdis might be seen as that of clairvoyant mysticism, on the one hand, and the adherence to and absorption into the mainstream conventional world, on the other. What are the phenomena and symptoms relating to this? How may we find a path between these two extremes? What might be needed for a renewed relationship to anthroposophy, capable of making an essential contribution – at least through in-depth understanding – to the intensifying world-challenges we are now facing? (Richard will also refer in the lecture to his recent book: Who Was Rudolf Steiner? An Untold Story. [SteinerBooks 2026])
Mystery fairytales for our time / Anežka Janátová
Images from fairy tales approach me. They hold the secrets of ancient mystery truths. They offer us an image of diagnosis, but also show us the way of healing. For example, the fairy tale about Otesanek warns of the danger of falling into materialism when a person stops distinguishing good from bad. The story tells us about an elderly couple who do not have children. They do not go for artificial insemination, nor do they adopt a child from an orphanage. The Grandpa finds a little piece of wood that looks like a boy in the forest. The Grandma is delighted, dresses the boy and starts feeding him. They name him Otesanek. He seems to be well but he always wants to eat more and more. He has his own saying: "I've eaten; I want more." In the middle of the 19th century, humanity began to fall into materialism, and wise people collected fairy tales as medicine for the human soul.
Raphael's Art and the Complete Misunderstanding of Education / Anežka Janátová
The impulses that could have transformed education for a deeper understanding and practice of human qualities and values is being attacked from all sides - teachers, parents and ultimately children. The word 'inclusion' has become a very problematic, even hostile word. We shall take a look at Raphael's painting - The Transfiguration on the Mount (Tabor). In it, Raphael placed before our eyes a possibility of how we can grasp the future. On the mountain, in the spiritual world, above our heads, a mystery is happening. Under the mountain, in the lower part of the painting, people are gathered, gesturing excitedly around a boy who is about twelve years old. While experiencing an epileptic seizure, the boy is pointing with his raised hand to the mystery in the world above, because he is able to see it.