What is Transpersonal Psychology ?

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Transpersonal Psychology is a field in psychology that is focused on the spiritual aspects of human life. It has its roots in the work of humanistic psychologists including Carl Jung, who was deeply interested in the spiritual aspects of human nature. Transpersonal Psychology is a holistic (whole-person) psychology which embraces the important role of self-transcendent states, mystical states, psychedelic experiences and other forms of non-ordinary and exceptional states of consciousness in fostering personal transformation, well-being and optimal human flourishing.

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Humanistic psychology honored and embraced consciousness, introspection and the other uniquely human qualities which were left out of psychoanalysis and behaviourism. This new holistic and multi-modal approach to psychology also shifted the emphasis from the dysfunction-based models of psychoanalysis, and the animal-research basis of behaviourism, to an approach focused on growth, wellness, human potential, self-actualization and the interdependence of mind and body.

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One of the key figures in the history of transpersonal psychology, Stanislav Grof, put it this way:

“Western science is approaching a paradigm shift of unprecedented proportions, one that will change our concepts of reality and of human nature, bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern science, and reconcile the differences between Eastern spirituality and Western pragmatism.”

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Ultimately, Transpersonal Psychology is based on the fact that we are spiritual beings, that a soul exists that can store experiences materially and temporally independently of the body, including from the time before conception. This idea expresses the adjective ‘transpersonal’.

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To convey access to the inner wisdom that healing primarily does not come from outside, but comes from one's own self. A transpersonal coach does not insist on a specific scheme or method, but often chooses the intuitive approach from the presence of the unified field of consciousness; the coach puts more emphasis on ‘not knowing’ than anything else. This may be the most important prerequisite for the coach: to be open enough to go beyond what he has learned, and to engage with the wisdom that arises from being present. The presence of the coach creates a deeper awareness of the client's self, which initiates the actual healing process; presence can convey access to the inner wisdom that healing primarily does not come from outside, but comes from one's own self.

 

The great C.G. Jung described healing as an alchemical process that can only take place when people essentially meet. The ways into the transpersonal area may be different, but ultimately the goal is always to arrive in the here and now, in the presence of pure being. There is no longer anything personal that wants to impose itself on another, since the non-dual experience of presence transcends all concepts and beliefs.

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