Unlocking Subjectivity with Universal Methods
LOOK UP—The Science of Cultural Evolution
A movie by Nini Caroline Skarpaas Myhrvold & Espen Jan Folmo, PhD. Based on a scientific manuscript published here (to be published soon):
Embark on a captivating journey where academic science meets cultural wisdom. "LOOK UP—The Science of Cultural Evolution" is a groundbreaking animated film that breathes life into a comprehensive scientific manuscript. This two-hour and fifty-minute feature is a new genre, blending the intricacies of psychotherapy research with the timeless sagacity of ancient and modern wisdom.
Dive into an exploration of how cultural evolution mirrors biological evolution, highlighting emergent phenomena that define both our scientific endeavors and our collective consciousness. The film delves into the profound impact of psychotherapy on personal and societal transformation, advocating for the integration of relational science into everyday practices.
Guided by a compelling narrative, "LOOK UP" takes viewers on a Viking raid through the realms of psychotherapy, uncovering the unique specialties that contribute to human development and interconnectedness. It emphasizes the ancient practice of healing through unconscious cultural agreements, manifesting in the form of placebo effects and shared human experiences.
Join us for an enlightening experience that invites you to embrace the ancient healer within, fostering personal growth and societal change. This film is not just a viewing experience but an invitation to practice and integrate the profound insights it offers.
Nini Skarpaas Myhrvold (b. 1990) has a background as an environmental therapist and is a birth and pregnancy therapist. She has specialized expertise in trauma-sensitive care and prefers a holistic approach. She is a biopath, has two scientific publications, and is currently pursuing an EMBA at Hult International Business School. Website: www.ninicaroline.no
Espen Folmo (b. 1980) holds a PhD in psychology and is also a trained journalist. He has a certification in technology management from MIT and a master's degree in change management from INSEAD. He led the Quality Laboratory for Psychotherapy at Oslo University Hospital for 10 years and has extensive experience in international research in psychotherapy. He co-authored a textbook on Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) published by Gyldendal. He has delved into spiritual systems, such as the Diamond Approach, for over 20 years.
Watch the trailer her (to be published soon):
In order to promote relations that foster change, I apply ancient and modern maps of the mind. Most of these stem from being a spiritual student in various wisdom traditions (e.g., the Diamond Approach, Mahamudra, and the Arica school) for a couple of decades, but psychotherapy research has also offered a unique laboratory for examining how people and groups change. In concert, this sum total of various tools and relational technologies adopted from the Amazon jungle, Ancient Greece, perennial philosophy, modern psychotherapy, and leadership research is what orchestrates my current role as an expert leadership consultant and executive coach. This website is designed to showcase some of these tools, but as my master thesis at INSEAD concluded: Tacit knowledge is not transmitted, but must be co-created within a real relationship. I feel privileged to assist leaders (and organizations) in their daily work of fostering a culture enabling such essential processes to take place, as they constitute most of the value stored in each organization, and its constituents.
I am an expert in enabling knowledge creation in organizations—in my opinion, leadership is concerned with the emergence of new patterns of thinking and knowing, that is, with joint exploratory learning. Click here to explore the foundation of my coaching philosophy. My Executive Master in Change at INSEAD explored how tacit knowledge is transmitted in organizations. In essence, my conclusion, after 21 years of working, researching, and educating myself, is that change processes stem from a successful cultural transmission/co-creation. In its most “extreme” version—which constitutes 40% of the effectiveness of medical practices—the co-called placebo effect, is a result of the individual feeling connected to a culturally accepted healing process (healing myth/ritual). However, the change fostered by psychotherapy, meditation, piano lessons, or adequate parenting, produces its most lasting impact when the teacher succeeds in being a cultural fountainhead that enables the co-creation of cultural knowledge with each individual. Such processes are at core of every organization, and being skilful at understanding human interactions (mentalization) becomes an essential framework and foundation to enable this.
I have spent a couple of decades developing my competence to promote transformative relationships within organizations. Our psyche—including the unconscious, our emotions, and our different parts—is a complex landscape to navigate. Theoretical physicist Richard Feynman once stated, “Imagine how much harder physics would be if electrons had feelings.” As Head of Quality Lab for Psychotherapy for a decade, I helmed affairs for flourishing therapists’ level of skill and adherence to psychodynamic therapy by delivering tailored feedback. I also served as an actor on the international research stage in liaison with Anna Freud Centre, and the multiple architects of Mentalization-based treatment (MBT). In parallel, I worked as a clinical psychologist at Oslo University Hospital—with both groups and individuals. This phenomenological fountainhead was the backbone of my doctorate, which contributed to the field of how to best cultivate relationships that foster growth. I have published several articles in international journals challenging the current paradigm in psychotherapy research: The division between those advocating specific techniques, and those championing the mere importance of the relationship. Attempting to bridge this schism, my PhD thesis was titled “Measuring MBT—A marriage of the common and specific psychotherapy factors”.
As an executive coach, my goal is to promote individual development, delivering top-notch consultancy services, and challenging client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions.
As a leadership consultant, one of my key responsibilities is to steer individual’s inner terrain in accordance with both ancient and modern maps of the psyche while inhabiting the lived experience of others. I deliver hands-on assistance to groups and individuals in interpreting both formal and informal roles and resolving tasks pertinent for the larger organism.
I do not divide between spiritual and psychological work. Hence, I sometimes offer psychotherapy, and am currently leading a self-developmental group. Contact me if you are looking for such possibilities—and what you read on this page resonates with you.
Executive & Team Coach | Leadership consultant | Researcher
I offer systemic coaching to help organizations optimize, and change (overcome their resistance to change).
- Empower people to change by fostering their willingness and capacity for adaptive behavior.
- Skillfully and strategically challenge client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions.
- Inhabit the lived experience of others and navigate their inner terrain according to both ancient and modern maps of the psyche.
- Helping groups and individuals to take on, and understand, both formal and informal roles, and solve tasks relevant for the larger organism they are part of.
- As tacit knowledge is not transferred, but co-created (the major finding from my master thesis at INSEAD), one of my key roles is to participate in a group or organization to assist them in knowledge creation.
- Learning from, and tailoring a broad range of strategies to, each client—while at the same time mapping out, and communicating the lessons learned, to an international, scientific audience.
Click here to read my coaching philosopy—developed over a decade, and particularily influenced by my professors at INSEAD. You can read more about me here.
Skills & Expertise
✅ Expert Leadership Consultant: Promoting individual development and coaching, delivering top-notch consultancy services, and challenging client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions.
✅ Track record of facilitating problem resolutions, and cultivating trust-based relationships with customers/clients.
✅ History of performing in-depth analysis, fostering change, assessing needs, solving complex problems, designing, developing, and delivering workshops, informational material, and special programs to meet community needs.
✅ Adept at driving individuals’ collaboration, coaching dynamic staff, and identifying and meeting unique client needs.
✅ Articulate and refined communicator; prudent in providing workable business solutions, cultivating robust working relationships, and negotiating profitable contracts.
✅ Excellent communication, collaboration, and client service management skills along with capability to design and reflect back the desired outcomes aligned with actionable solutions.
✅ Diligent leader and resourceful team builder with robust skills in dealing and collaborating effectively with all levels of organization, customers, and internal and external stakeholders.
✅ Challenged client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions by utilizing strong professional expertise.
✅ Facilitated organizations in promoting and adapting change by delivering high-level systemic coaching.
✅ Created various strategies and planned and communicated the lessons learned to international audiences.
Contact
Reach out if you want to talk to me about productive and long-term operations. I enjoy meeting new people and hearing new perspectives that challenge my paradigm. If your organization is looking for an accomplished, creative, and determined consultant with an affinity for any tech, financial, or any sector, we should connect! Feel free to call me or connect via email at
Language and location: I work in both Norwegian and English and am currently based in Oslo, Norway.