What is Transpersonal Psychology?

"Transpersonal Psychology" is a branch of psychology that is concerned with the study of those states and processes in which people experience a deeper or wider sense of who they are, or a sense of greater connectedness with others, nature, or the "spiritual" dimension. The term "transpersonal" means "beyond the personal" and a common assumption in transpersonal psychology is that transpersonal experiences involve a higher mode of consciousness in which the ordinary mental-egoic self is transcended.

Transpersonal Psychology is a relatively new development in academic psychology that has yet to be recognised formally by the American Psychological Association. However, in 1997, the British Psychological Society approved the formation of an academic Transpersonal Psychology Section, as well as one for the related area of Consciousness and Experiential Psychology.

Among the topics currently being explored by transpersonal psychologists are:

Experiences of love. Empathy Creativity and inspiration Channeling Transpersonal Art Altered states of consciousness Dream consciousness Mind-body relationship Psychedelic experience Mystical experiences Spiritual emergencies and crises The Dark Night of the Soul Archetypal experiences Near-death experiences, death and dying The psychology of meditation Practice and experience within Eastern and Western religious and esoteric traditions Buddhist psychology Ecological consciousness Psychology of Self and self-realisation The Higher Self Self-transcendence Male and female perspectives on the transpersonal Paranormal experiences Transpersonal approaches in psychotherapy / counselling and in education The evolution of consciousness Transpersonal research methods Integral approaches to knowledge The Perennial Philosophy

Although transpersonal psychology is a branch of psychology, it recognises the importance of a non-parochial and integrative approach in which other disciplines are acknowledged to have their own contributions to make in our combined explorations of the transpersonal. These other disciplines include philosophy, psychiatry, sociology, politics, education, anthropology, history, literary studies, religious studies, biology and physics.

What Transpersonal Psychology is NOT

Transpersonal psychology is, in the broadest sense, a scientific enterprise - it is NOT a religion or ideology. Individual transpersonal psychologists may or may not have their own religious or spiritual beliefs, although most will be engaged in some kind of transpersonal practice (e.g., meditation, ritual, service, devotion, transpersonal therapy, reflective living, political action). Although there is currently a predominance of Buddhist-inspired transpersonal psychologists, other traditions are also well represented. These include Christian, Jewish, Sufi, Hindu, Shamanic, Taoist, Tantric, Magical, Gurdjieffian, Theosophical, and Agnostic.

Transpersonal psychology is NOT the New Age. Although transpersonal psychology represents a paradigm shift in consciousness, science and culture, it seeks to distance itself from the kind of uncritical adoption of New Age beliefs that characterises certain elements of the so-called counter culture. Transpersonal psychology has very little, if anything, to do with crystals, UFOs, alien abduction, chakras, auras, fairies, psychism, aromatherapy, levitation, fire-walking, or the millennium, except as these phenomena, practices or experiences may be investigated in terms of their transformational consequences.

Transpersonal Psychology is NOT metaphysics. This is rather more problematic, because many would claim that transpersonal experiences imply a metaphysical belief in a spiritual, divine, or transcendent realm. However, there are some transpersonal psychologists who understand the transpersonal in more immanent terms, for example the developing of a greater sense of connectedness with the deeper Self, the world of nature, or the social, interpersonal dimension. In practice it is important that transpersonal psychologists are clear and open about their own metaphysical assumptions.

Transpersonal Psychology is NOT anti-rationalist. Although many would argue that the highest states of transpersonal consciousness are ineffable and beyond a rational appreciation, transpersonal psychology does not dismiss or devalue rational and intellectual analysis, which can add much to our knowledge and understanding in these areas. However, it is important also to acknowledge the reality and importance of non-rational modes of knowing, such as intuition, integrative awareness, and contemplation.

Pioneers of Transpersonal Psychology

William James, through his ground-breaking work on paranormal experiences and the varieties of religious experience.

Aldous Huxley, especially because of his investigations into the apparent expansion of consciousness using mescalin, and for his analysis of the elements of the "Perennial Philosophy"

Teilhard de Chardin, who developed a model of the evolution of consciousness that integrates biological science with Christian theology.

Sri Aurobindo, who developed a similar model of the evolution of consciousness, based on Eastern philosophies.

Carl Gustav Jung, who introduced the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes, and especially for his attempt to understand religious archetypes from a psychological perspective.

Abraham Maslow, through his studies of self-actualization, peak experiences, self-transcendence, and metamotivation. Maslow was one of the key founders of both the "third force" (humanistic psychology) and "fourth force" (transpersonal psychology). Together with Anthony Sutich and Stan Grof, he was responsible for the establishment of the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology (1969) and the Association for Transpersonal Psychology (1972).

Stan Grof, through his extensive explorations of transpersonal experiences resulting from the use of LSD and Holotropic Breathwork ^TM

Roberto Assagioli, the founder of psychosynthesis, a transpersonally-based approach to therapy and personal growth.

Charles T. Tart, who pioneered empirical research into altered states of consciousness.

Ken Wilber, currently the leading theorist in transpersonal psychology, who has developed a brilliant model of the evolution of consciousness that integrates the philosophies and psychologies of West and East, ancient and modern.

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