The July 2026 salon of the Metacrisis Initiative was open to all, and welcomed around 100 people to discuss whether we could take any inspiration and ideas from how past societies managed their contraction and ultimate collapse (or transition).
The online discussions featured Rupert Read, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Will Self, Michel Bauwens, being hosted by Jem Bendell. The event marked the 5th anniversary of the book Deep Adaptation, co-edited by Professors Bendell and Read, and it built on the article they wrote for Resilience magazine on what we might learn from past civilisations.
Discussions included: the importance of a global relocalisation movement to soften the effects of collapsing complex systems, the need for that to include political resistance alongside community building, whether this period could inspire a cultural renaissance, and whether environmentalists are too marginal by not addressing other drivers of civilizational decay, such as cognitive impairment due to the technological attention economy.
If you are interested in joining the next salon, they happen monthly, and information follows below.
Professor Rupert Read is a philosopher, writer, and public intellectual, whose work explores the implications of climate and ecological breakdown, the metacrisis and societal collapse. A leading voice in both mainstream environmental and specialists Deep Adaptation conversations, he argues for preparing politically, economically and culturally for a climate-disrupted future.
Helena Norberg-Hodge is the founder of Local Futures and a renowned pioneer of the localisation movement. Her work examines how globalisation amplifies ecological and social fragility, while stronger local economies build resilience. She reveals how traditional societies have sustained themselves over generations, offering insights relevant to navigating current disruption, collapse and renewal.
Will Self is an acclaimed novelist, essayist and broadcaster whose fiction and commentary probe the psychological and cultural dimensions of contemporary civilisation. Through explorations of urban life, consumer culture and human frailty, he offers deep reflections on decline, mortality and the recurring patterns that have shaped both past and present societies.
Michel Bauwens is the founder of the P2P Foundation and a leading international theorist of the commons and peer-to-peer collaboration. His work explores how new forms of governance, production and mutual aid can emerge during periods of systemic crisis. Drawing on historical transitions between civilisations, he examines pathways beyond today’s metacrisis.
The discussion was hosted by Dr Jem Bendell, who is a recovering Professor of Sustainability Leadership and originator of the Deep Adaptation framework. Since late 2016 that framework, and many associated groups around the world, have been helping people explore how to respond to societal disruption and collapse with courage and compassion. Jem founded The Metacrisis Initiative, which helps people explore the latest trends and how to respond purposefully in their own lives. He promises to get a new webcam and microphone for future videos recordings.
Michel Bauwens / Will Self / Helena Norberg-Hodge / Rupert Read / all joined Jem Bendell for Inspirations from Past Civilisational Collapses – a metacrisis salon.
Join for salons and mentoring
The next salon is member-only, where we will discuss spiritualities, metacrisis and collapse. The background reading for the salon is Living Purposefully within Metacrisis and Collapse. To join us, please make a monthly ($8) or annual payment ($80).
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Then catch me elsewhere…
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