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Monday, September 12, 2016

Transpersonal Psychology

Introduction
Transpersonal psychology is the study of spiritual experiences.  It has a wonderful history.  It has several different sub-types.  It has theories about human development.  There are many prominent transpersonal psychologists.  There are several transpersonal psychological organizations.
History
Psychology was dominated by psychoanalysis and behaviorism last century.  Psychoanalysts studied people with mental illnesses and they thought instinct was the cause of all behavior.  Human behavior is caused by other factors than just instinct.  Behaviorist learned about behavior from studying animals.  They applied what they learned to humans.  Humans have higher brain function than animals.  Behaviorism is incomplete because it doesn't deal with the fact humans have a more evolved neocortex than other animals. Abraham Maslow created humanistic psychology because he didn't agree with psychoanalysis and behaviorism.  It focused on the behavior unique to humans and positivity.  He created transpersonal psychology to explain transcendental experiences.  Maslow understood Western Psychology was ethnocentric and it only understood consciousness from beta brainwave.  
Breakdown
Immanent Divine: Seeing the spiritual connection of all things.

Transcendental Divine: Seeing a divine being.  Examples: gods/esses, angels, saints, etc.

Altered States of Consciousness: Different forms of awareness.  They come from alpha and theta brainwave.  
Psychopharmacology: Antipsychotic, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, sedatives, and psychedelics. 
Sub-types
Transpersonal Anthropology: It is transpersonal psychology applied to culture.  

Transpersonal Business Studies: Doing business for others instead of profit.  You go beyond the ego to encompass all humanity.  

Transpersonal Ecology: Our spiritual connection to nature.  
Prominent Transpsychologists
Ken Wilber:   He wrote 15 books and he legitimatized transpersonal psychology to the academic community.  There are different stages of consciousness:
  1. 'Sensoriphysical-Survival
  2. Phantasmic-emotional-Magical
  3. Representational mind-Ego based
  4. Rule-role mind-Authority
  5. Formal reflexive-Rationalism
  6. Vision-logic-Relativism
  7. Psychic-Electic 
  8. Subtle-Sees the world as alive.
  9. Causal-Oneness
  10. Non-dual-Ultimate Reality'
He is great at categorization and diagram creation.    He knows a lot about consciousness and the mind. 

Carl Jung: He had a great influence on transpersonal psychology.  His ideas were collective unconscious, archetypes, ego, persona, shadow, etc.  The collective unconscious is a part of the mind that all humans share. Archetypes are symbols that come from the collective unconscious.  The ego is the conscious part of the mind. It's what we think of as self.  The persona is our personality.  The shadow is our suppressed desires, memories, etc.  It is made out anything we are in denial about.  In times of stress, it can take over.  It is best to integrate your shadow.  Once you do that you will become a far greater person.   
Stanislav Grof: He helped create transpersonal psychology.  His ideas are as followed:
  • 'The Sensory Barrier and the Recollective-Biographical Barrier- Uncommon sensory experiences, looking back at your life and dealing with your shadow.  
  • The Perinatal Matrices: Reliving your pain and/or humanity's pain.  Experiencing life and/or death.
  • The Transpersonal Dimensions of the Psyche: Moving beyond spacetime.
  • Ego Death: Lose of self.'  
Michael Washburn: He is a great transpersonal psychologist.  Becoming enlightened involves all aspects of self.  Physical, mental, emotional, energetic, social, spiritual, and financial aspects of you.  Psychic energy is the opposite of libido.  Spiritual energy improves the ego.  

Stuart Sovatsky: He is a yogi and the author of a book about spiritual sexuality.  Yoga, breathing exercises, mantras, chakra awakening, and meditation will improve your sexuality and spirituality.  The book will teach you how to awaken the kundalini, which will cause you to have mindgasm.
Organizations
The Association of Transpersonal Psychology: Encourages spiritual practices that will lead to the betterment of humanity.  This organization is 40 years old.  They are a liaison between science and spirituality.  

International Transpersonal Organization: Tries to integrate spiritual ideas into mainstream society.  Human consciousness is of the utmost importance.  Promotes religious freedom.  It has been around since 2009.       
Canadian Humanistic and Transpersonal Association:  They want to merge spiritual practices, humanistic philosophy, energy work, and mainstream psychology together.  They focus on psychotherapy.   

Eurotas: They promote the idea that the world is sacred.  They are mixing science and spirituality together for a more holistic society.  This will lead to people loving each other more.

There are other organizations, but this will suffice.  

Conclusion
Transpersonal psychology is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It helps people be more spiritual.  It has been around since the 60's; it has sweet branches and organizations.  It has good theories and practitioners.  I will learn more about it.  You should 2.  Holla at me!       

References
http://www.stanislavgrof.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/A-Brief-History-of-Transpersonal-Psychology-
Grof.pdf
http://www.chata.ca/
http://www.newdualism.org/papers/G.Adams/Adams-on-Wilber.htm
Spectrum of Consciousness
http://www.atpweb.org/
http://eurotas.org/
http://www.transpersonalassociation.com/guiding-principles/
http://www.kenwilber.com/
https://integrallife.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transpersonal_psychology
http://www.sofia.edu/about/history/transpersonal-pioneers-carl-jung/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Grof
http://www.stanislavgrof.com/
http://www.personaltransformation.com/michael_washburn.html
Sweet Book

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