We believe it’s time to create a deeper understanding
of the forces shaping our world
Why we do this?
Over the years, many people have reached out to us, looking for a deeper understanding of the perspectives Erik Fernholm speaks about. We’ve shared books, research, and ideas, but we’ve never felt that there was one book, theory, or perspective that fully captured it all.
That’s why we decided it was time to bring the pieces together and create a map that integrates insights from cognitive science, systems thinking, and behavioral research. A map that can open up a deeper understanding of the mind, the world, and the systems we’ve built.
You are not alone in sensing that most of today’s crises are not separate problems but symptoms of something deeper. A pattern that has pulled us away from ourselves, from each other, and from the living world around us. It’s becoming clearer that individualism has left many without a real sense of belonging, that we’ve treated nature as a resource rather than something to care for, and that our attempts to solve problems often repeat the very habits that created them.
These perspectives mark a shift in how we see, relate, and participate in the world. When more people gain access to this way of seeing, and when we can talk about it in simple, shared terms, something opens up. We begin to recognize that we are far less separate than we once believed, and that the future isn’t something fixed ahead of us but something we shape together.
Maybe the issue isn’t that we are failing within the system, but that the system itself no longer supports what it means to be human.
What is Lodsten?
Lodsten is the Swedish word for lodestone. A magnetic stone once used to create the first compasses. More than two thousand years ago, sailors carried these stones across the seas. They became symbols of direction and orientation. An ancient companion in times of uncertainty.
As part of our work to build this new map of human behavior and societal change, we created Lodsten as a place where these perspectives can grow and take clearer shape.
Here, we will let the map develop openly. We will share our process, test ideas, and explore the material together. We will also host sessions, conversations, and lectures, and offer programs for those who want to dive deeper.
Our work supports leaders and citizens who want to understand the larger patterns shaping our time and who wish to act with intention in building healthier, more resilient communities.
Above all, we are gathering hope for the future we share. For everyone who are willing to question, to learn, and to find renewed motivation for change.
Everything we do is grounded in science, and guided by care and curiosity. We hope it helps people gain a clearer sense of where we are, trust in what we can become, and the courage to take part in shaping what comes next.
The map we are exploring:
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1: The intention
Moa Hartwig, one of Lodsten’s founders, shares why we need to rethink how we see the human being and the systems we have created. She offers insights into what makes us human, what limits us, and what enables real transformation. The aim is to build a shared understanding of the challenges we face and invite a more human way of leading and creating change.
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2: The paradox
Read about the deeper pattern beneath today’s many challenges. How our natural ways of coping with complexity can trap us in avoidance and short-term fixes, and why lasting progress requires a shift in behavior and perspective. By seeing the pattern clearly, we lay the foundation for more conscious and sustainable change.
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3: The hidden logic
Learn about Moloch, the hidden logic that drives us to sacrifice what matters most. Discover how we became a society that no longer honors the sacred, and how this force shapes both our personal choices and the larger systems we live within. Moloch names what many of us have long felt but couldn’t describe: a system that rewards short-term gain over long-term well-being, even among well-intentioned people.
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4: The inner shift
The most important work begins when we ask why we keep creating the same patterns again and again. Much of what drives our world lies beneath awareness. Our beliefs, fears, and desires shape choices that feel personal, yet are influenced by forces we rarely notice. If more of us began to question where our thoughts and motives come from and chose from a deeper place of understanding, we might begin to build a world shaped by wisdom rather than competition.
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5: The continuum
Erik Fernholm, one of Lodsten’s founders and the initiator of the Inner Development Goals, shares the story behind IDG — why it was created and how it has grown into a global movement. He explores how inner development can become a recognized and essential part of how we meet today’s global challenges, and how we can build the human capacities needed for real and lasting change.
Understanding ourselves and the world:
How our minds work and the systems we shape
ONLINE COURSE WITH ERIK FERNHOLM
Originally developed in collaboration with IKEA as part of their global leadership program, this course is now available to everyone. It offers the same science-based insights and practical tools that have helped leaders across one of the world’s most influential companies find direction and balance in times of change.
Together with Erik Fernholm, you’ll explore what’s happening in the world today, and why it can be so hard for us as humans to handle it. Grounded in cognitive neuroscience, the course explains how our minds work, why we sometimes get stuck in unhelpful patterns, and how a deeper understanding of ourselves can help us think, lead, and live in new ways.
The course is divided into three parts. Each part includes:
A video lecture with Erik Fernholm
A downloadable summary
Practical exercises and guided reflections to apply the insights in your daily life and work
By combining science, reflection, and practice, this course helps you make sense of change and gives you simple, powerful ways to grow as a person and as a leader.
Created in collaboration with
Upcoming events:
DIGITAL
IN ENGLISH
Mapping the future:
A digital talk with Erik Fernholm
Date: 26 November 2025 13.00 PM
What: Open session
Around the world, more and more people are searching for new ways to make sense of the time we live in. We see progress in technology and knowledge, yet many still feel disconnected from themselves, from others, and from the larger purpose behind it all.
Through his work with the Inner Development Goals and other global initiatives, Erik Fernholm has spent years exploring how inner growth can help us face outer challenges. Along the way, he has noticed something simple but profound: we often try to solve today’s problems with the same mindset that created them.
Mapping the Future is about shifting that perspective. It’s about seeing our world not as a collection of separate crises, but as one shared story still being written. Together, we will explore how a deeper understanding of human behavior and purpose can help us find direction, not just as individuals, but as a generation shaping what comes next.
DIGITAL
PÅ SVENSKA
Namn på föreläsningen:
En digital föreläsning med Erik Fernholm
Datum: 26 November 2025 13.00 PM
Vad: Öppen digital föreläsning
Varför gör vi ofta precis tvärtom mot vad vi vet är bra för oss? Varför fastnar organisationer i mönster som alla ser, men ingen lyckas ändra? Och vad krävs egentligen för att människor ska må bra, samarbeta och bidra över tid?
Bakom varje strategi, mål och beslut finns en gemensam variabel: människan. Vi pratar gärna om förändring, innovation och hållbarhet, men det mesta avgörs faktiskt i hur vi agerar. Individuellt eller i grupp.
I den här föreläsningen visar Erik Fernholm hur en djupare förståelse för mänskliga beteenden kan skapa fundamentala förändringar i både organisationer och samhällen. Han hämtar stöd i modern forskning som kommer att förändra sättet du ser på dig själv, ditt ledarskap och världen vi skapat.