Massimo Roselli and Jean Hardy
From Diana Whitmore, January 2018
The Psychosynthesis Community has lost two bright lights this month – Massimo Rosselli and Dr Jean Hardy. Both were senior Psychosynthesis Trainers, practitioners and passionate about the Transpersonal; and both contributed much to our collective body of knowledge, especially in the realm of social and global psychosynthesis.
Jean Hardy was less well known than Massimo as she lived quietly in Devon in her last years, but she was active in psychosynthesis at the Trust for many years in the 1980’s and 90’s. Her seminal book, Psychosynthesis: A Psychology with a Soul, researched all of the influences on Assagioli’s thinking that led to his compilation of psychosynthesis.
I heartily recommend it as vital reading for any serious student of psychosynthesis. It enables us to see the life long, vociferous studies that Assagioli did in a multitude of fields – from western mysticism and psychology, to eastern philosophies.
I remember well my first meeting with Jean when she applied for the Postgraduate Diploma training. She was a Political Science professor at Brunel University, a staunch feminist, politically outspoken and highly challenging – in effect, she was scary in her bigness and her forthrightness.
However, she was completely taken by psychosynthesis and saw it as a highly intelligent and dynamic way of living. Jean was always willing and generous with her time and always actively helped where she could. Applied psychosynthesis was her passion, from the individual to the global.
Massimo was one of a group of young doctors and psychiatrists who surrounded Assagioli in the 1970’s. I had the privilege of being with Roberto in the last months of his life and although Massimo was in California the summer Assagioli died, he was very close to him. Throughout the days of Roberto’s dying, the group of young doctors was present all the time and I was the only woman there, besides his beloved housekeeper who served him with humility and passion. Massimo never lost his deep and abiding connection to Roberto and would often quote him in his teaching. Roberto would have been extremely proud of Massimo’s capacity to think outside the box, of his willingness to be on the edges and to challenge traditional thinking, his wonderful combination of the conventional and the radical – a gift he gave to us all.
We all can celebrate their contribution and commit ourselves to keeping their spirits and the spirit of psychosynthesis alive, which is to wholeheartedly honour the redemption of pain and the evocation of potential which psychosynthesis aims to achieve.
With love and Blessings for 2018,
Diana Whitmore