Arnold Mindell

Dr. Arnold Mindell 1940-2024 Dr. Arnold Mindell, beloved husband, father, author, physicist, and founder of Process oriented Psychology, passed away on June 10th, 2024, at home in Yachats, Oregon. Born on January 1, 1940, in Schenectady, New York, Arny was the first baby born in New York state that year. In 1964 he earned an M.S. from MIT in applied physics and mechanical engineering. His interest in physics led him to study and do research at the ETH technical Institute in Zurich Switzerland in 1964, and in 1972 he received a PhD in psychology from Union Institute. Endlessly passionate about nature and the universe, he realized his studies of the natural world were not enough to understand the nature of people and how to get along with one another. He studied Jungian psychology and became a Jungian analyst at the C.G. Jung Institute in Kuesnacht, Switzerland in 1970. He then developed a new form of psychology called Process Oriented Psychology (or Process Work) and together with his students founded its first school in Zurich in 1982. Today, there are over 20 Process Work schools around the world. He wrote 23 books on the subject. A pioneer in the areas of dream and bodywork, Arny developed his seminal idea if the “Dreambody”, that is, the mirror connection between our body and our dreams. He also developed “Worldwork”, a method for working with small and large group conflict situations and social issues of all kinds, methods for working with people in comatose and near-death states, and much more. He met his wife, Amy, in Zurich and they married in Newport, Oregon in 1988. For decades, Amy and Arny enjoyed traveling and teaching Process Work throughout the world and were resident teachers at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California in the 1990s. In 1991 they moved back to the US from Switzerland and together with colleagues, founded the Process Work Institute school in Portland, Oregon. Amy and Arny have had a home in Yachats since 1986 and have lived there until the present day. Each day, Arny rejoiced at the magnificence of nature and the awesome sea. He was loved as a beautiful partner friend and brilliant teacher by thousands of people all over the world and was known for his joyful spirit, constant passion for research, and deep desire to make the world a better place for all. He will be deeply missed, though, as he often said, we do not only die; we are a spirit and a dream that will always be here. He is survived by his wife, Amy Mindell, children Lara and Robin Mindell, grandchildren Aurelia and Zoey Mindell, and the thousands of friends and students around the world who have had the great fortune to know and learn from him. A celebration of Arny’s life is being planned. See the Process Work Institute website for dates and information https://www.processwork.edu/arnold-mindell-1940-2024/.

Tributes

Arnold Mindell

January 1, 1940 - June 10, 2024