University

02/13/2012

A virtual memorial for Arne Collen: celebrate his life with us here

The Saybrook community is saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Arne Collen.

Saybrook's community, united in scholarship and practice, is spread across the world -- and so Arne's friends and colleagues likewise stretch around the globe, mourning the loss of such a unique man and vital scholar.

Appreciating the difficulties of gathering such a dispersed community together on short notice for a memorial service, his family has asked that a virtual memorial -- a living document testifying to his life, passion, and legacy -- be held online.

We invite you to be part of it: if you have a fond recollection or favorite story about Arne, or just want to say "thank you" or "goodbye," please share it with his community of loved ones in the comments section below.

Arne has been a member of our faculty since 1978 and most recently served as Director of Research. He has deeply touched the lives of so many of our students and colleagues over the years. Willson Williams, co-Chair of the PHS faculty, knew Arne well. “Arne was one of the most gentle and kind people I have ever known. He had a gentle soul. He was thoughtful and caring and thought of others before himself. He had a generous and kind spirit.”

As for his scholarly work, Arne said, “My professional identity is captured in the phrase ‘research methodologist’ and my specialty is research methodologies for human inquiry. Rather rare and unusual; albeit, it is my reality and primary passion that has sustained me over the course of my professional career.”

An accomplished artist, in the past few years Arne passions have centered on the arts – photography, lithograph, print-making, making short films, and creating three-dimensional art from found objects. He delighted in his art projects, and took joy in creating “something from nothing”; his ecological consciousness infused all of his artwork. His home in Santa Fe was filled with massive collages of found paper that inspired the spirit. Evidence of his prolific talent made his home in Santa Fe an artistic haven.

Arne passed away last week, surrounded by his family, including his two children Kristin and John. He delighted in his family and had a special spot in his heart for his little granddaughter Jenna.

Our hearts go out to his loved ones at this terribly sad time.

His son John is working on finishing an arts-based website that Arne had started that will chronicle his life’s journey for the past 40 years. Arne called the website “A reservoir of humanness to share with those who care.” When this site is finished and ready to view, we will share that information with you.

If you wish to send a card or letter of sympathy to his family, please send it directly to Saybrook and we will make sure that it is passed on to them.

Please share your recollections of Arne with us below.

Posted at 04:24 PM in

Share this

share

Don't miss a thing - follow Saybrook on social media

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube

Comments

I am sorry that I only got to know Arne for several years. During those days I saw time after time his love and dedication to Saybrook. In the midst of his illness he kept as connected as he could. Helping students and working with faculty was a passion for him. Thank you, Arne. The good you did will ripple out for years to come. Bob Schmitt, Dean of PHS (Psychology and Humanistic Studies) Posted by Bob Schmitt (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 12:51 PM
Arne was always a pleasure to work with, and while I didn't know him well I always found his work to be at the heart of what makes Saybrook a valuable institution to the 21st century: the world very much needs effective "research methodologies for human inquiry." Arne's contributions are significant, and he will be missed. Posted by Benjamin Wachs (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 12:52 PM
Arne was so encouraging and helpful during my dissertation process. I will never forget his kindness and support. My gratitude for his help during what was a very stressful time is boundless! I will hold his family in my prayers. I am deeply sorry for their loss. Posted by Sandra Eberhardt, PhD (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 12:53 PM
Arne was a mentor and friend to many faculty as well as students. When asked, he was ever willing to share his carefully reasoned and wise views about difficult research questions. He would always greet you with a warm and gentle smile that showed in his eyes as well. Joel Federman, Saybrook faculty Posted by Joel Federman (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 12:53 PM
I got to know Arne as a professor, colleague and friend. He was the first Saybrook faculty member I met when I was considering enrolling as a student. As my professor, he was rigorous and caring. As my colleague, supportive and encouraging. He fully believed in Saybrook's values and legacy. I am grateful for having had him in my life. Posted by Kathia Laszlo (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 12:57 PM
I didn’t always agree with Arne. Sometimes we strongly disagreed. However I always found his positions perceptive and well-thought out. On many more occasions, often when the faculty was stuck discussing something, Arne would come in with something that would make me think: “That was really insightful!” He would introduce a new perspective and get us out of the stuck place. His comments were integrative, bringing us together. I also served on dissertation committees with him and found him to be rigorous but generous, demanding but flexible, and always trying to help the student achieve a better outcome. When we had a problem with one faculty member a number of years ago unexpectedly leaving, Arne really helped out getting some of the faculty member’s students through. He was a good colleague to work with. And most of all I admired his integrity. He will be missed. Posted by Art Bohart (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:38 PM
Arne's criticism was constructive, helpful, and on point. He helped make me a better researcher and writer, so it was easy to accept his feedback. It is a shock to see him leave this world so soon. He was a true professor in the best sense of the word. Posted by Darlene Viggiano, Ph.D. (MFT) (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:39 PM
Arne was an amazing teacher. He helped me find my voice at Saybrook. He was a champion of my research, helping me to form my ideas while giving me gentle guidance. His feedback was immensely encouraging--detailed, thoughtful, and so important to me. He helped me to grow as a scholar, and I acquired a confidence working with him that I had not known before. Truly, my Chair--holding, supporting, even creating a kind of respite that I found in his capacity to be present with me. Once, we skyped when he was in Italy, and I will always remember how amazing we both thought that was...Talking research across the continents... Every so often, I pass by an auto repair place up here in Seattle with a big sign that says "Arne's Collision Repair". Every time I would think of stopping and taking a picture to send to Arne, with a note thanking him for helping to repair me... Yes, I should have... I am in the last stage of my dissertation. I will now be writing, hearing his voice in my mind, continuing to guide me. I'm so deeply saddened, and I will miss him so very much. Posted by Sibel Golden (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:40 PM
We were friends since almost twenty years. Brothers in life. My home was his home. We had several very good collaborations in different areas being the last one Architecture. The common background was our friendship, shared values and ideas on existential issues, such as the experience of my disability. I’ll miss you Arne. Posted by Gianfranco Minati (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:40 PM
Two distinct moments I experienced with Arne are baked in my mind. One was when I entered Saybrook at which point he gallantly criticized the need for respecting an artist's work no matter the type or place, the second was this summer in Oxford. While in Oxford at the the International Human Science Research Conference, he shifted from wise eye, ear and research mind to a man embodying flush awareness for living and having lived as he recounted this personal life journey. His telling was existential in nature (of course) and phenomenological and rooted in his personal narrative stretching way back to a moment in time where his aesthetic, his art essence was remembered. The story he told was one where he experienced nature on a balcony and his consciousness during that re-telling was nothing short of superbly spiritual. He reminded me that the love for life, research and people can and does coalesce in all of us, if of course, we allow such space, place and people to help such an experience along. Thank you Arne, Dennis Rebelo Posted by Dennis Rebelo (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:41 PM
I was lucky to get to know Arne outside of Saybrook as well as inside. He was a loving and caring man, and a truly high integrity colleague! I didn't matter whether I agreed or disagreed with his positions, I always found them to be thoughtful and full of insight. His service to the school as research director was so fantastic, I can't even begin to imagine replacing him with only a single person. Bon Voyage Arne -- I will miss you! Posted by John Adams (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:41 PM
Thank you Arne for always making time to answer my numerous research questions. Your presence was always welcoming and you made me feel understood. I would have been honored to have you on my committee had I had the chance, but I am forever grateful for the insights you lent me. Posted by Marlena (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:42 PM
Arne and I were pals. When he was living in Santa Fe with Jodi Lang, I stayed at their house, which was full of his paintings. They took me to dinner to a restaurant where one of Arne's paintings hung on the wall. It was a striking painting of a lone coyote. After that I kept calling him "El Coyote," for a while. We also hung out at the RC's. As well, a few years later, my daughter, Lily, who worked in San Francisco as a jazz singer at the time, and I went on several occasions with Arne and Jodi to this fantastic Japanese restaurant on the other side of North Beach. He and I would get into these long conversations about how, in my opinion, there were too many in psychology who were merely "People of the Number," who did not read or write, and not enough of those who were "People of the Book," those who wrote and worked not in the world of data but in the world of ideas. From his own standpoint, however, he saw himself as pretty radical. He once told me about a reunion he went to of 35 of his phD classmates who got together to honor their professor. The professor had shown them all the details of his research in experimental psychology with rats, and at that 25th reunion, 34 of them recounted how, even after more than a quarter of a century had passed, all of them down to the last man (there were no women) were still teaching and experimenting without deviating in anyway from what their Professor has taught them so well. The odd man out was Arne, who was at Saybrook doing systems theory and guiding non-quantitative dissertations. We know that being around Saybrook humanized him considerably over the years, even though he still always referred to ideas as "data." We shall continue our discussions, I suppose, telepathically, but now from Earth out into the Great Beyond. As far as a fully lived life is concerned, we can only say "Well done, O' good and faithful servant to the cause." Posted by Eugene Taylor, PhD (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:42 PM
What a shock to read this news. I’m not sure why I feel so deeply affected, as the tears keep rolling down my face. It just seems such a waste, so sad to lose this man so early, any person whose life is cut short. I did not know Arne well. But as others have already said, he seemed a quietly and thoughtful insightful man. I enjoyed going to his residential conference presentations on writing, and the art of creativity in writing and presentation. He was my instructor for “Advanced Research Course.” (on line) and I remember feeling positivity during that course, and well supported by Arne, being allowed freedom and feeling a significant interest from my ‘prof’., all essential for student growth. What “staying power” to serve Saybrook so faithfully, for so long, and so well. I thank him so much both for that and for my positive connection with him during my course and I send his family my heartfelt compassion at this time of loss. Arne seemed to emanate love and peace, and that is what I wish for you now. Val Kendall (Dissertation stage student) Posted by Val Kendall (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:43 PM
Arne was a kind and gentle soul who graced this world with a steady and calming presence. He was a close collaborator of Bela H. Banathy and a dear friend of Gianfranco Minati. His contributions to the systems community were many, both as a regular participant in the Conversation Events of the International Systems Institute at Asilomar, California, and in Fuschl, Austria, and in the ISSS with GA Swanson. He founded the Human Systems Inquiry SIG which is now carried forward under the capable stewardship of Shankar Sankaran. Arne is fondly remembered and dearly missed. Posted by Alexander Laszlo (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:43 PM
I met Arnie when I came to Saybrook in 1993. Among a faculty sometimes prone to disputes, Arnie remained a solid non-combative pillar of steady dedication to a primary task of helping students and faculty alike, bend the creative and often esoteric ideas of the humanistic psychology tradition and its various tentacles to become respected research. Comfortable with a wide range of methods he was open to helping students find what worked best for their needs. The value of this to students and to Saybrook cannot be overstated. I remember one faculty retreat in which I somehow expected that Arnie's reticent style would make him a weak ping pong player and was surprised to find him really good. After that we took a walk through the wooded area and got to hear some of the aspirations he often kept to himself. Only in recent years did I have opportunity to encourage Arnie with his plans to collaborate with Eurpopean colleagues to bring a presence of the field of environmental design to Saybrook. I still think this would be a wonderful idea. Now when I need to to ask for advice on the "Bonferini correction" on t tests or anything else in methods, I will miss Arnie. Still waters do run deep and Arnie's time with us will leave a lasting imprint. Posted by Marc Pilisuk (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:45 PM
Dr. Ruth Richards Dear friends--I worked with Arne for over 16 years at Saybrook, a lovely gentle, person, very caring, very kind, smart, rigorous, and ethical, to be sure, and always concerned that we all do our best for each other (a concern that was all for the best reasons). He was also, way back, faculty co-chair (as was I), and I think perhaps, further back, even a Saybrook Dean. Arne was always concerned with the benefit of Saybrook as a whole (surely not with narrow personal agendas). He was never afraid to speak up if he felt an issue needed attention or someone wasn't getting their due. He was trustworthy, caring, and careful. As you all know, Arne loved research, and he wrote his own introductory research course, among others (I used to teach it). But some people may not also be aware that Arne also was a painter, and lover of art, with an open creative mind and sensitive aesthetic eye. He wrote the advanced research course, Art-Based Inquiry, for Saybrook, to bring together the special realms of art and research. Arne also did some amazing RC seminars where people actually did that aesthetic inquiry onsite and shared results with all of Saybrook—I remember stopping by the seminar room and seeing what people had created. Looking forward, Arne had been eager to work on masters and doctoral committees with our new creativity programs. I'm remembering, as well, how Arne not only loved his sojourns to Italy, his work with colleague Gianfranco Minati, his systems theory and summer research offerings, but at one time Arne also took Saybrook students to these remarkable Italian gatherings. How incredibly sad that we have lost Arne. And so suddenly, for those of us who weren’t aware of the details. In retrospect, it is moving that Arne attended a mid-January 2012 faculty meeting by phone (though surely very ill) with his usual commitment and concern for Saybrook. May those of us who believe something "continues" send energies, prayers, and best wishes, for the benefit of Arne, his family and friends, and for all beings. Ruth Posted by Dr. Ruth Richards (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:45 PM
Arne helped me through my one and only statistics course when I was a student in 1980, and it has been a source of some satisfaction that I ended up being a colleague of his at Saybrook since 1993. To his family: it was a shock that he passed, but a pleasant surprise that he was also an artist, and I hope his creations (both artistic and academic) leave you with memories of his impact on so many of us. Posted by Linda Riebel (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:46 PM
Arne was a colleague who was also a friend. From my first year at Saybrook in 1998 he encouraged my interest in teaching research and developing a creativity curriculum. He was very excited about his painting career and showed me some of his work in Santa Fe. We also talked a great deal about his interest in creating an environmental design curriculum. It is touching to read these tributes and realize that many of us will miss Arne. Posted by Steven Pritzker (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:46 PM
Arne was a kind soul who made an effort to always be available to me and others. He was a patient listener wanting to know the details of the life events that had impacted me. He helped me through some very difficult times, was always encouraging -- no matter what my challenges were. He was sure and definitive about not giving up and always pushing ahead. I will miss his smile, his caring yet firm ways. Thank you for leaving behind your essence, your thoughts, your caring presence, the memories of being with you. I'll miss you Arne. Posted by Jo A. Stoddard (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:47 PM
I was sad and shocked to hear of Arne's passing, disappointed that I would never have the opportunity to know and work with this person. At my first RC, totally on overwhelm and wondering what to do with myself, I wandered out into the hotel lobby where all the faculty conferences were going on and there sat Arne, totally radiant with life and presence just emanating out of him. I sat near him because it just felt so good to be so close to someone that--shall I say, "transpersonal?" It was clear to me that here was an individual with Being. Arne, wishing you well on your journey, and, though I never got to know you, grateful for the obvious influence you have been on so many people who are going to be a part of my life now. Posted by Juanita Ratner (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:47 PM
Thank you Arne for reaching out to and helping me last fall, when I was attempting to get professors to help me with essays and the responses were nihl. You listened to me and persisted when I lost a lot of hope in the school and felt like an outcast. I have prayed for your soul and am hoping that you are now in the Grace of God with your loved ones and His Light shining on you. Although we never shook hands, the memory of your voice remains in my mind and was the start of my journey toward the culmination of my studies. God bless you, man! And I hope to see you soon. Posted by Joseph Jimenez (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:48 PM

To Arne,
You encouraged me to keep writing poems, so here is one I'd like to think you are saying to us now—

I'M IN EVERYONE

I am the child who yearns to grow,
the peasant with scarce seeds to sow,
the veteran who walks with pain,
the carpenter who carved his cane.
I am the mom who sits at night,
and prays her child will be all right.
I am the dad whose youth is gone,
who takes his son to greet the dawn,
the criminal who seeks God's grace,
the astronaut in outer space,
the traveler trekking in foreign lands,
the pilgrim lost in desert sands,
the miner digging deep for coal,
the chanteuse singing from her soul,
the skier schussing powder snow,
the farmer digging with his hoe,
the dancer vamping on the stage,
the artist painting joy and rage,
those craving peace, those waging war.
I'm all of these and millions more.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die.
I am everywhere beneath the sun,
I'm in everything and everyone.

Tom Greening

Posted by Tom Greening (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:53 PM

Arne was my first cousin. His mother (Bobbie Collen) and my father (Wally Diner) were sister and brother. They, as well as two more sisters (Anne and Perle), all died within a two-week period. Two more sisters (Clara and Trina) died the next year.

My memories of Arne include how I always looked up to him and wished to know him and his three siblings better. We periodically visited them in Walnut Creek from Southern California, and the families met a few times in Los Angeles. but we've seen little of each other since childhood. I remember being thrilled that he once asked me to dance at a family occasion.

There has always been a void in my heart because I so wanted to be closer to my cousins. I learned about his accomplishments and beautiful soul by reading about him online.

He didn't know the adult me; that I've been an editor and a science teacher (biology, chemistry and physical science) and a proud single mother of a wonderful daughter, now 26, who has a BS in biochemistry, molecular biology and legal studies, as well as an MBA, and MS in biotechnology and bioinformatics.

We recently moved to Northern California. I had hoped for a family reunion at some time soon. I had no clue that he was sick. I feel devastated at learning of his passing. Rest in peace, my beloved cousin.

Averi Diner

Posted by Averi Diner (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:54 PM
Thanks to Arne creating the online research course I was able to graduate on time and not have to wait an entire year for the next course. The course was excellent and I enjoyed the student interaction,discussions and feedback from Arne. Thank you Arne Posted by Laura E. Mirian, PhD (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:57 PM

Dear Arne,

I wish I had been with you during your last few weeks. I did send you a number of e-mail messages with my wishes for your well being. I had hoped you would recover and we could have so much more time to discuss our future plans for research courses and your proposed Human Science course on Art, Architecture and the Human Sciences. I was really looking forward to that course.

Thank you for helping me get re-involved with Saybrook after so many years away. We first met when I graduated in Human Science in 1978 and you were hired on the faculty. I wondered why they were hiring an experimental psychologist with a quantitative background. Little did I know that you were likely a Humanistic Hippy in a positivist's clothing. Since I have returned to Saybrook as a faculty member these last several years you helped me enormously in developing my research courses and you supported all of my efforts in taking on more courses and students. Thank you for this.

One of the things I have respected you for the most is your openness to new approaches to qualitative research. You have encouraged the development of a new course in ethnographic research and taken a personal interest in autoethnography, which a number of Saybrook students are now employing for their research. I also respect the design and management of the research sequence which you have directed. Your contributions to Saybrook, our faculty, and our students are immeasurable.

I know that you had many more facets to you than I was able to fully experience. I wish I had been able to see some of your art work, which others have described to me. I am pleased that you have had a very full and rich life and that you achieved that very rare balance between the experimental psychologist I first met and the artist and humanistic psychologist who re-entered my life these last few years. Bless you and your spirit.

Posted by Robert McAndrews (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:58 PM
Arne and I had many wonderful experiences together. Our two trips to Moscow for humanistic/existential conferences were memorable. Our group met in the countryside in a rustic resort formerly used to reward Soviet workers. Arne was popular with the cooks and the kitchen staff, giving non-verbal compliments on the plentiful helpings of food. It was not exactly gournet quality but there was lots of it. He was also popular with the professors, psychologists, and students for whom these conferences were the proverbial breath of fresh air, exposing them to new ideas and concepts. Arne was very patient when his translator had difficulty with a concept or am example. Back in the USA, the tragic news reached me just as I was about to leave for the annual meeting of the Grateful Dead Scholars, a group of academicians who conduct research on the Grateful Dead rock band--and their followers, the "Deadheads." Because this group is composed of musicologists, psychologists, sociologists, creative writers and composers (and more), I introduced Arne's concept of "transdisciplinary" inquiry. Everyone must share a common data base to communicate; therefore, "Dead Studies" is more than multidisciplinary, cross-disciplinary, or interdisciplinary. I had given interested members of the group copies of Arne's book "Systemics," written with his Italian colleague. He also answered letters from group members, and they were shocked to hear of his passing. One never knows who will pick up on an idea whose time has come. On another note, I will never forget Arne's sense of humor -- and how outrageous he was when he gave a mini-lecture on research methods at an early RC sporting a fake bard and a thick Slavic accent, impersonating a methodologist who was so enraptured by his topic that he went over the top. Arne never wnet over the top, but he was AT the top in everything he did. Posted by Stanley Krippner (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:58 PM
Arne and I go way back to my first days at the old HPI (Humanistic Psychology Institute)in 1980. He was my adviser at the school, and later, friend and colleague--he championed me to write a course on Rollo May, which I appreciatively completed. Below is my tribute to Arne that will go in the summer issue of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology: "I cannot end this issue without noting a profound loss to our JHP and humanistic psychology community at large—the passing this month (February 2012) of JHP Board member and longtime Saybrook University faculty member, Arne Collen. My recollections of Arne go back some 32 years when he served as my adviser, as a fledgling graduate student at the Humanistic Psychology Institute (now Saybrook University). He was and remained a quietly powerful supporter for me and countless others at Saybrook as well as a champion bridgebuilder between those who engaged in experimental and nonexperimental modes of inquiry. I so often counted on Arne for his expertise in these areas throughout my student years and right on up to my role as JHP editor. He will forever find a place in my heart." Posted by Kirk Schneider (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 02:59 PM
Arne has always been a part of the fabric of saybrook. We both entered about 30 years ago and were involved in the many transformations and challenges we faced over the years. I have seen Arne grow and learn, and encountered his many personas, and to me he is the embodiment of a life long learner. He was also always open and willing to stand up and take on administrative roles as he was needed. I can't imagine saybrook without him Dennis Posted by Dennis Jaffe (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:00 PM
Arne was my friend, a soft-spoken soul who was anchored in knowing that we are, after all, spiritual beings. He was a fellow artist with whom I went hiking and photographing the land and sky in New Mexico. We also shared a love of the visual arts, gallery hopping—oh yes, and Italy, its land, buildings, food and, of course, its people. I am so happy he got to go there one more time before his health’s rapid decline, and did so in the company of his beloved brother and sister-in-law. Arne’s thoughtfulness and integrity were exemplary. He was my friend, and I miss him deeply. Posted by Richard Lange (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:01 PM
We will miss Arne very much. He had become such a dear friend since his visit to the Politecnico di Milano in 2006, when he gave a lecture at our PhD course and proposed to work together in what later became the ADAHS Project. He came to Italy for a residential seminar with us last September, he gave a splendid lecture and, as usual, he was keen and mentoring and witty, and so nice to be with . We will keep a dear remembrance of him forever. Carlotta Fontana and Valerio Di Battista Politecnico di Milano Posted by Carlotta Fontana (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:01 PM
In deepest sympathy, Arne, a wonderful director of research, was very hands-on and helped me in particular find my dissertation study subject. His help was immeasurable and his guidance, as always, spot on. Dr. Gail M. Gross Posted by Dr. Gail Gross (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:01 PM
Arne was a gentle soul and will always be in the heart of Saybrook. I send my prayers to his family and loved ones. Blessings. Posted by Cindy Schrader (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:02 PM

I learned of Arne's death at the Association of Transpersonal Psychology Conference this weekend where I presented my Saybrook research. I loved reading the various aspects of Saybrook and personal family interactions with and appreciations of him after I returned home in the wee hours this morning.

When I served as a student member on the SIRB, I appreciated Arne's attention to and care for the protection of the participants in the research of Saybrook students.

My research at Saybrook was on the experience of individuals who believe they are mentored by someone who is no longer living. Arne, reading what current and former students have said about your assistance in life, it seems as though there's a potential continuing role for you at the school to which you have already devoted so much of yourself. I'm smiling at the possibility.
Phyllis L. Clay, Saybrook Grad.

Posted by Phyllis L. Clay, Ph.D. (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:03 PM
What a shock, to write an email to ask him a question, and in reply, discover that Arne had just died. Quite a reminder that we all die and need to live without putting things off for later! May what continues of him nourish many with his love of learning and beauty. My warm wishes to all in his family. Posted by Kathryn Goldman Schuyler (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:03 PM
The soreness I feel with my own loss at Arne's passing has been massaged by these reflections and memories. I hope you, his family, find some measure of comfort here as well. I have asked myself why the loss I feel is so difficult to quiet. I had known Arne less than a year. We met by email, in a link provided by Willson Williams. In August I became the last person he recommended for a faculty appointment at Saybrook. We were both trained as psychologists, and became artists, not "instead", but in the spirit of both/and, in the integration of how we know the world through both right brain and left, through the grip of darkness, and the touch of first light. Arne's legacy to me is both in the brilliance that nourished his work as research methodologist and trainer, and in the moment when something changes, forever, and we become witnesses to the butterfly lifting from a daisy into an afternoon breeze. I am grateful for the moment, and the grand design. Arne was a patient counselor, a servant of learning, and a humble passenger on the train we do not always know is moving. Thank you for all you gave him, that he could hold so many of us in his journey, and in his rest. -- Carol Barrett Posted by Carol Barrett (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:04 PM
I first met Arne 14 years ago during my first class at Saybrook about Research Methods. Throughout my tenure there our paths crossed numerous times with SIRB approvals, etc. He was an important pillar in the Saybrook community. I'm so sad to learn of his passing. Peace be with you Arne. Thank you for your extraordinary contributions to this world. ~ Ipek Serifsoy Posted by Ipek Serifsoy (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:04 PM
Arne was my friend, lover, and colleague. Together, we shared many experiences: traveling the world, caring for our home and making meals, writing papers and presenting at conferences, visiting friends, and discussing philosophy and ideas. We were an inspiration as well as a challenge for each other. Arne, a talented and steady mentor, encouraged me to research and publish. He was a gentle soul with deep ethical convictions, which came through in his work with students and the art he created. He imprinted my life, and for that I shall always be grateful. My love and prayers to his family and our friends. And to you, Arne, blessing for a peaceful journey. Posted by Jodi Lang (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:05 PM
Arne also taught students at the California School of Professional Psychology in Alameda and SF (Alliant International U.) for many years and often served on dissertation committees. I first met him in 2001 when he was teaching research seminars for us. He always had a very gentle and reassuring way of being present with students that they seemed to appreciate. He touched many of us. Thank you. Posted by Mary Fambrough (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:06 PM
I am shocked and saddened to learn or Arne's death. He was advisor for my master's thesis at California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) in 1975-76. He had a "laid back" ease so characteristic of those years, yet I experienced such warmth and wisdom in his presence. He treated me with kindness and respect and encouraged and guided my research. One comment he made in a peripheral conversation has informed and supported virtually all of my professional choices to this day: in response to my frustration and skepticism at seeing peers identify one "true" orientation to psychological issues, he suggested,"Well, there is nothing wrong with being a generalist". These words, so simply offered, have guided my career, encouraged diverse exploration and learning, and enabled me to find constant pleasure and wonder in my work as a psychologist in private practice. Arne, I thank you. As your words have blessed me all these years, May your Memory be a Blessing. Posted by Susan K. Shavin (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:07 PM
Our love and sympathy to the family of Arne Collen, Arne was a cousin as our mothers were 1st cousins. We met as adults on a few occasions and I was inspired by him. We met a few times in Walnut Creek and once in Santa Fe, where we enjoyed breakfast at Cafe Pasqual's. That was a couple years ago. Once while traveling with his brother Barry, they stopped overnight with us in Phoenix, AZ. The Collen Family is a very special family and I'm happy to be a part of it. We are sad that you, Arne,left us so soon. You will be missed by everyone who knew you. Love, Valerie & Shel, and your extended AZ family. Posted by Valerie & Shel Ettinger (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:07 PM

Arne Collen

Arne Collen was a very good friend of my father, Martin Allwood, who passed away in 1999.

Arne originally was my father’s student, but over the years became a friend. Arne and my father supported each other in many ways. Arne visited Marston Hill in Sweden and Martin visited Arne at Walnut Creek. As part of their cooperation, they had joint publication activities. Arne was writing a biography of my father’s professional career.

Through Arne’s visits in Sweden, I (Jens Allwood) also got to know him. We became friends and had many discussions about philosophy, research methodology and other common interests.

Arne used to appear (not always preannounced) in the summer at Marston Hill in Mullsjö, Sweden, where he would then partly work on his various project, but also cheerfully help us with the gardening and maintenance work, we were engaged in.
Arne became a member of the Marston Hill intercultural center for quality of life and together we planned a workshop on biographical writing.

We were hoping for another visit from Arne this summer. But fate would have it otherwise.

We have lost a good friend and collaborator.

Jens Allwood
Elisabeth Ahlsén
Carl-Martin Allwood

Posted by Willson Williams (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:08 PM
I do not remember the courses I took with Dr. Collen's...but, I do remember that he challenged me to be a good researcher and writer during my first years at Saybrook. I am sorry to hear of his passing. May God Bless the family and friends. Posted by Cynthia Landers (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:09 PM
Arne had a profound impact on me as I developed my research skills under his compassionate instruction and mentoring. I will remember his caring and wise counsel every time I sit and grapple with forming the perfect research question or struggle to perfect the design of a project. His print is found throughout my dissertation and in virtually every research report I write. It hurts to know he is no longer with us. Thank you Arne. Posted by Dale Ainsworth, Ph.D. (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:09 PM
I had several classes with Arne while at Saybrook and I enjoyed working with him. His knowledge of research drew me in and caused me to enjoying doing research which lead to knowledge about each given subject. I love him as a teacher and he will be missed. Posted by Margaret F. Dawson, PhD (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:10 PM
I am shocked to hear of the passing of Dr. Collen. I am even more surprised that he had the time to offer constructive criticism during my dissertation submission just last semester; I had no idea he was ill. He was such a thoughtful and caring faculty. We truly have lost a great gem of a teacher and methodologist. May his soul rest in peace and may his family be comforted during this sad time. Posted by Yetty Shobo, Ph.D. (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:10 PM

My dear Arne,

You were a genius, a kind, deep, sly heart, and a man of profound insight and wisdom... Knowing you made me a better scholar, and more importantly, a better person.

My world is diminished knowing you are no longer a part of it. But my memories of our talks will live on.

Your friends,
Doug Beckwith

Posted by Doug Beckwith (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:11 PM
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Arne Collen. My thoughts and prayers to his family. He was my advisor when I started at Saybrook and shepharded me through my statistics and research methods course with such amazing support and guidance. Even though my research endeavors took me in a different direction and I did not directly work with Dr. Collen on my essays or dissertation, he provided suggestions and was an amazing teacher. Saybrook has lost a great teacher with teh passing of Arne Collen. Rest in Peace. Posted by Winifred Schultz-Krohn PhD, OTR/L (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:12 PM

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

-- Mary Elizabeth Frye, 1932


…and so, Arne, you live on in nature. You also live on in our hearts and minds, in the laughter and tears of your loved ones, in the ever-unfolding story of Saybrook, the students you mentored, the gardens you kept, the trees you planted, the art you created and yes, in the grateful smiles of cooks and kitchen staff at a rustic resort somewhere near Moscow, where you offered “non-verbal compliments on the plentiful helpings of food” (Stan Krippner). Always a teacher, always a student, you touched us all and will continue to do. Dear Arne, safe journeys as you travel with the winds and sparkle with the stars.

Posted by sigrid (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:12 PM
I was exceptionally fortunate to jump-start my Saybrook coursework with Arne at an in-person Experimental Methods workshop on the east coast. Over several days, Arne introduced course material in a quiet, competent, and supportive manner. I came away with confidence that I could complete the remaining course assignments with his continued help, albeit at a distance. Although my Saybrook journey was, shall we say, prolonged, my eventual success was built on a firm foundation of Arne Collen's gifted guidance. Posted by Janet Morgan, PhD (not verified) | 03/12/2012 @ 03:13 PM

Add comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.