FAQ for ALMAE’s 14-day spiritual immersion in Germany.

ALMAE is a boutique European transformation institute offering a structured 14-day immersion for self-responsible participants who are mentally steady and physically able for immersive inner work. The process is designed around spiritual alignment, stillness, embodied truth, and lived integration.

No. ALMAE is not crisis care or clinical treatment. It is a contained institute process for participants who are inwardly steady enough to engage inner work without needing ongoing professional support or emergency care.

No. The setting is quiet and well-held, but ALMAE is not designed as a wellness retreat or an emotionally expressive group experience. It is a disciplined immersion with clear structure, defined boundaries, and a strong emphasis on responsibility, stillness, and integration.

No. At ALMAE, insight is only the beginning. Transformation must become felt, embodied, expressed, and integrated into life. Truth becomes real when it begins to govern conduct.

Because depth rarely stabilizes without form. Structure reduces noise, stillness clarifies, and discipline helps what is real become livable.

The immersion is designed for people with maturity and life experience who have often achieved a great deal outwardly and yet know that life, direction, or vision are no longer fully aligned. It is for mentally and physically grounded, self-responsible people who are ready for a structured spiritual reordering with honesty and lived responsibility. It is not suitable for acute crisis, dependency on ongoing professional support, or retreat-style comfort seeking.

Admission is selective. ALMAE begins with the eligibility questionnaire and a personal review. Where useful, Manuel may invite you to a short call. If Manuel confirms your participation, you receive the invoice in EUR and access to your personal ALMAE payment page. There you choose full payment or payment in two parts. Your place is reserved through the first payment and fully secured after complete payment. The second invoice is sent 17 days before the immersion begins and is due 14 days before it begins. Portal access and arrival guidance follow later. Your stay at Parkhotel Schillerhain is booked and paid separately by you directly with the hotel.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

A strong eligibility questionnaire does not try to impress. It reflects honesty, readiness, prior self-work, and the ability to take responsibility for your process. We are looking for maturity, steadiness, and fit.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Accepted participants begin with pre-alignment before arrival. This phase supports readiness through reflection, digital detox, stabilization, and practical preparation. Follow the preparation protocol carefully. It is part of the ALMAE Way, not an optional extra.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

No formal medical documents are usually required. However, you must disclose relevant information truthfully, including your current mental or physical condition and medication where applicable. ALMAE assumes you are physically and mentally fit for a structured immersion environment.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

No. The immersion asks for focused participation and uninterrupted engagement with the process. If a partner is also interested, separate participation is usually the better path.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The immersion is rooted in the Celtic Donnersberg field. Much of the process unfolds in open nature on and around Celtic Donnersberg. Parkhotel Schillerhain serves predominantly as the institute base for accommodation, arrival, and logistical holding. Before breakfast, an active morning routine with Manuel takes place in the NaturSPA, which is deliberately used for this part of the path.

The ALMAE investment for the immersion is fixed at EUR 6,970. For additional impressions of the house and the rooms, you may also view Parkhotel Schillerhain. Your stay at Parkhotel Schillerhain is booked and paid separately by you directly with the hotel; it is not invoiced by ALMAE.

Where useful after review, ALMAE may invite you to a short call. If Manuel confirms your participation, you receive the invoice in EUR and access to your personal ALMAE payment page. There you choose full payment or payment in two parts. The second invoice is sent 17 days before the immersion begins and is due 14 days before it begins. Portal access and arrival guidance follow after full payment.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Once Manuel has confirmed your participation in ALMAE, you receive your personal invoice by email. The link in that invoice leads you to your personal ALMAE payment page, where you can choose between full payment and a 50% deposit.

If you choose part payment, the second invoice is sent 17 days before the immersion begins and is due 14 days before it begins. Within the SEPA area, bank transfer to the account shown on the invoice is also possible.

We recommend taking out seminar cancellation insurance as early as possible after your binding booking confirmation. The decisive date is the date of confirmation, not the date of payment. If you book more than 30 days before the immersion begins, insurance can usually be taken out until 30 days before the start. If you book less than 30 days before the start, it usually needs to be taken out on the day of booking or within the following 3 working days.

If you choose payment in two parts, please insure the full ALMAE investment, not only the deposit. If you live outside Germany or the EU, please check suitable cover in your home country, as provider rules may differ.

Once your participation has been confirmed, the immersion is held for you with clear commitment. Because the dates are fixed and capacity is reserved personally, no regular statutory right of withdrawal applies at that stage.

If you need to cancel up to 8 weeks before the immersion begins, we refund the amount paid minus a reservation fee of 20% of the total investment. If you cancel up to 4 weeks before the immersion begins, 50% of the total investment remains due. If you cancel with less than 4 weeks’ notice or do not attend, the full amount remains due.

These cancellation amounts apply regardless of whether you chose full payment or payment in two parts. Amounts already paid are credited against the applicable cancellation amount. Any outstanding difference remains payable; any overpayment is refunded.

Where life intervenes unexpectedly, a calmer solution may still be possible: up to 4 weeks before the immersion begins, you may rebook once without charge to a later available date. You may also propose a suitable replacement participant, subject to ALMAE’s prior screening.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Yes. After Manuel confirms your participation, you book and pay your stay at Parkhotel Schillerhain directly with the hotel. ALMAE gives you the required stay window and the orientation needed for your booking. This keeps the institute path and the hotel booking clearly separate, while Parkhotel Schillerhain remains the institute base of the immersion.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Immersion cycles run continuously from March through November, with a winter break from December through February. They begin only on selected dates, with each immersion starting on the first Monday after the new moon. ALMAE currently plans nine immersion cycles per year with no more than seven participants per cycle. Availability always remains subject to fit and operational capacity. If a cycle is full or the timing is not yet appropriate, you may be offered a later start or placed on a waiting list. We recommend arriving on Sunday afternoon; the process begins on that Monday morning.

Arrival is self-managed and not part of the ALMAE invoice. This preserves maximum flexibility in how you choose to travel. International arrivals typically use Frankfurt Airport (FRA), then continue independently by pre-booked taxi or rental car to Parkhotel Schillerhain. For rail arrival, practical ICE hubs from different directions include Mainz Hbf, Mannheim Hbf, Kaiserslautern Hbf, and Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof. As current orientation, a taxi to Parkhotel Schillerhain is roughly EUR 90 from Mainz, EUR 110–140 from Mannheim, EUR 70–85 from Kaiserslautern, and EUR 150–190 from Frankfurt Airport. The institute base is at Parkhotel Schillerhain, while the living field of the immersion is the wider Celtic Donnersberg landscape, where much of the process unfolds outdoors.

Pack simply, comfortably, and with nature in mind:

• Comfortable clothing for movement, stillness, and daily practice
• Sturdy shoes for nature walks
• Weather-appropriate layers
• 2 sets of swimwear for the NaturSPA and during free time
• Optional small hiking backpack

A complete preparation list is provided after admission.

The website is available in English, German, French, and Arabic. Personal communication and the immersion itself are currently held in English and German. Depending on the participant group, certain moments may be bilingual.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The immersion follows a defined institute rhythm. It includes guided work, stillness, nature-based elements, structured intervals for rest and integration, and a quieter integration weekend in the middle of the journey. The structure is deliberate: it supports depth without dramatization or collapse.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The integration weekend is not a break from the immersion. It is a deliberate part of its inner rhythm. These two days in the middle of the journey are given to stillness, self-led deepening, and embodied integration of what has already begun to surface. Manuel is not available for ongoing accompaniment during this weekend. The frame nonetheless remains clearly held through the institute rhythm, the protected quiet of Schillerhain, and your personal digital ALMAE portal with selected audio frequencies and reflection workbooks. This allows early insight to settle in the body rather than being immediately covered over again.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The purpose is not temporary intensity, but truthful reordering. The immersion gives perception room to deepen, old patterns room to loosen, and a truer relationship to life room to take shape in body, soul, and daily reality.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

At ALMAE, Manuel holds a safe and consciously ordered space in which spiritual experience, stronger emotions, and real transformation can unfold without losing form. Trust, clear boundaries, and deliberate intention protect depth so that what arises can be met and integrated without overwhelming the person or the group.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Yes. Where appropriate, the immersion may include holistic energy work as part of the wider process of embodied and spiritual alignment. This is held within the same disciplined and structured framework as the rest of the immersion.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

At ALMAE, interoception means learning to perceive the body more truthfully from within. Within the institute’s understanding, this can support steadiness, self-perception, and a wider body-mind-soul connection as part of the ALMAE Way. This is not a medical promise and not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or emergency care.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Yes. The surrounding landscape, above all Celtic Donnersberg and its wider field, forms part of the immersion field. Certain places may be visited in a guided and respectful way as part of contemplative, energetic, or alignment-based work.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

At ALMAE, the soul plan is understood as the deeper orientation of a person’s being—the underlying movement toward truth, essence, and right expression. Reflection on this may support clarity, authenticity, and a more aligned way of living.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Free time is part of the integration process. During free time, you may use the hotel’s NaturSPA for wellness, take quiet walks, rest, reflect, or remain in silence. The aim is not entertainment, but digestion, regulation, and embodied consolidation.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

ALMAE is not an on-demand support environment. The process includes clear guidance, rhythm, and boundaries throughout. On the integration weekend, Manuel is not available for ongoing accompaniment; those two days are intentionally given to stillness, self-led integration, and the digital ALMAE portal. Hotel staff are available on site, and local emergency services are accessible if needed.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The immersion assumes that you can participate without routine medical appointments during the stay. In emergencies, local medical services and the regional hospital are available. If significant medical needs are expected, the timing may not be appropriate.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The process continues through a six-month post-integration structure. The five inner phases remain. Personally held follow-up is now concentrated into two clear MS Teams call days with Manuel, calculated from the end of the immersion: one month after it and six months after it, each with a choice between 09:15 and 17:15, with one call participation intended per day. If a date falls on a weekend or a statutory public holiday in Rhineland-Palatinate, it moves to the next working day.

The aim is not to preserve a temporary state, but to translate the immersion into relationships, work, health, daily rhythm, and lived responsibility.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

Yes. Structured post-integration contact is part of the process. It now takes form through two clearly held MS Teams call days with Manuel, calculated from the end of the immersion: one month after it and six months after it, each with a choice between 09:15 and 17:15, with one call participation intended per day. If a date falls on a weekend or a statutory public holiday in Rhineland-Palatinate, it moves to the next working day.

Follow-up takes place through this clear form rather than informal, open-ended dependency.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

When engaged with stability and integrity, the immersion may support deeper connection with nature and life; enhanced intuition and perception; more life energy and inner peace; greater self-responsibility, authenticity, and conscious creative power; strengthened inner stability and resilience; and a more coherent body-mind-soul connection in lived expression. These are capacities the process may support, not promises or guarantees.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

The aim is not to preserve a temporary retreat state. The process is intended to reach ordinary life: clearer decisions, steadier regulation, more honest relationships, deeper contemplative or spiritual practice, stronger boundaries, and a more truthful relationship to work, body, mind, and responsibility. The exact form differs by person, but lived integration is always the measure.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.

ALMAE generally does not issue certificates for completion. The emphasis is on lived integration, not symbolic recognition. Many participants choose to keep personal notes or a private integration journal during and after the process.

Important note: because your accommodation and arrival are arranged by you directly, we strongly recommend seminar cancellation insurance in case something unexpected prevents your participation shortly before the immersion begins.