l'avant-garde
unapologetic embodiment of your own way of being human
Maybe the journey isn't about becoming anything.
Maybe it is about unbecoming anything that isn't really you.
-Paulo Coelho
With l’avant-garde, House of the beloved supports adolescents and adults with strong reasoning abilities to free themselves from limiting narratives and conditioning. This liberation empowers them to unapologetically discover and express their talents and embody their own ways of being human.
The practices at House of the beloved are grounded in Dr. Stijn Smeets's research on the social and emotional development of cognitively gifted children, adolescents and adults. Through these practices, you train and discipline your mind, explore and reshape your perspective on yourself and the world, cut through false beliefs, and engage critically with the politics of life.
We intentionally avoid using the term “gifted” (except on this page). We believe that identifying with any specific category can restrict your full, uninhibited expression of who you are. Our activities are also not exclusively for those who identify as gifted, as this could exclude socially adapted, high-functioning gifted individuals who may not see themselves in that way.
meditation
Many intellectually able individuals learn early on that mind-wandering and daydreaming can be a welcome escape from boredom or frustration. However, as adults, this habit can lead to difficulties with focus and concentration, an inability to handle tedious tasks or delay gratification, and a lack of mental control, which may result in rumination, overthinking, self-criticism, and constant worry about global crises.
Meditation offers techniques to discipline the mind so that it works for you rather than against you. It cultivates focus and a deeper understanding not only of your mind but also of your body and your emotions.
authentic presence
Many cognitively gifted individuals learn over time that they can only feel connected and belong by adapting and censoring themselves. This often leads to a sense of alienation from both themselves and the world.
Authentic presence helps you overcome the fear of revealing yourself honestly. Only by opening up can you discover that many of your hidden fears and desires are shared by much of humanity. It dissolves social isolation and leads to a renaissance of genuine connection.
existential inquiry
Many bright individuals fail to apply their cognitive abilities to not only question themselves and their lives but also to embody the insights they gain, becoming agents of change within their communities.
Existential inquiry seeks to challenge inequality and oppression by empowering participants to embody their most critical and lucid insights. Through a combination of existential inquiry (examining existence through the lens of critical theory), authentic presence, and shadow work, we aim to collectively deconstruct internalized structures of imperialism, white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy. This practice of “being different together” encourages us to unapologetically express our own ways of being human.
shadow work
Some patterns of conditioning are difficult to break. If you’ve spent a lifetime censoring and hiding yourself to avoid being hurt, changing this pattern is no simple task. Similarly, if you’ve built connections by adapting, not standing out, and limiting your self-expression, breaking free from these habits can be challenging.
Shadow work provides a clear perspective on the architecture of your conditioning. A clear insight marks the beginning of transformation. With the full engagement of your body and mind, we support you in releasing limiting fears and beliefs.
facilitation
Dr. Stijn Smeets specializes in the social and emotional development of cognitively gifted adolescents and adults, including those who are exceptionally and profoundly gifted. After completing his PhD at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, where he worked with the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY), he continued his research at the University of Leuven (Expertise Center for Giftedness, Project Talent) and Radboud University Nijmegen (Center for Giftedness Research).
Additionally, he has been initiated into the meditative traditions of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism (Mahamudra and Dzogchen, under the guidance of Lama Daniel Brown), Tantric Shaivism (with Eric Baret and Christopher Wallis), and mystical Christianity (Fraternité de Tibériade, a Franciscan-inspired monastic community). He is currently a monk at the House of the beloved, a pluralistic center for personal development, with a special focus on supporting cognitively gifted children, adolescents, and adults.
