Transpersonal psychology explores spiritual and mystical aspects of the human mind, with some psychologists integrating various disciplines. It believes spiritual experiences shape personality and mood, and can be studied through research. Founders include Freud, Jung, Maslow, and Grof, who believed in human potential to reach a higher state. Some psychologists focus on the mystical, while others use modern psychological and psychiatric theory.
Transpersonal psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the spiritual and mystical aspects of the human mind. It can be a slippery field to define because many transpersonal psychologists integrate a variety of disciplines into their practice, but essentially it is about transcending or going beyond ordinary human existence. Transpersonal psychologists also recognize the existence and role of altered states, trances, and spiritual experiences. This school of psychology is often confused with new age or metaphysical beliefs, possibly because some adherents of these concepts include transpersonal psychology in their beliefs.
A transpersonal psychologist may work directly as a therapist with clients on various issues, or may choose to explore research opportunities. Either way, a transpersonal psychologist believes that spiritual experiences are an important shaping factor in personality development and overall mood. Therapists help their clients achieve states that promote spiritual experiences, while researchers study these experiences across a range of cultures and environments in hopes of learning more about people as a whole.
The foundations for the field of transpersonal psychology were laid by a number of leading minds in the field of psychology, including Freud, Jung, Maslow and Grof. Many of the psychologists who founded this movement believed that all human beings have the potential to reach a higher state. Rather than treating all people as fundamentally sick or twisted, many people in the field of transpersonal psychology believe that people are simply trapped within themselves. Studies of people who have transcended their egos are an important aspect of transpersonal psychology.
Some transpersonal psychologists lean more towards the mystical and divine in their work, while others focus on modern psychological and psychiatric theory. Many believe that transpersonal psychology complements the more scientific aspects of psychology, promoting a greater understanding of the human psyche while also exploring the workings of the mind.
A transpersonal psychologist who focuses on the mystical can look at trance states, altered levels of consciousness, rituals, and shamanic practices in cultures around the world. These practices can have a profound impact on the people who experience them, and a transpersonal psychologist believes this impact is important. Others may integrate further studies of chemical and electrical activity in the brain to get answers to questions about the development of the human psyche.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
