Transpersonal psychology emerged based on psychoanalytical and humanistic views. This direction of psychology emphasizes the unconscious structure of the human psyche and studies altered states of consciousness. In addition, it draws attention to transpersonal (“suprahuman”) experiences that exist outside of the ordinary ego state and transcend spatial and temporal boundaries.
History of emergence
The beginning of the formation of this current of psychology refers to the late 60s of the XX century. Transpersonal psychology originates from the psychoanalytical direction (C. Jung) and humanistic psychology (A. Maslow). The works of these researchers on the existence of the collective unconscious, on the fact that people unconsciously (unconsciously) influence each other, on the role of “peak experiences” in the formation of personality were the impetus for the discovery of this new psychology trend.
Researchers of that time became increasingly aware that psychology had not yet considered the spiritual layers of the human personality. The founder of humanistic psychology, A. Maslow, was not satisfied with their categorical apparatus. From his point of view, it was necessary to study the transpersonal, which goes beyond the ordinary consciousness of man, “suprahuman”, cosmic consciousness and psychedelic experiences. So in 1967 a group of psychologists was organised in the USA, which created a new psychology studying unusual special states of consciousness, considering the whole breadth of human experiences. The new trend of psychology was called “transpersonal psychology” from the word “transpersonal” – going beyond the boundaries of the habitual self, beyond time and space. The representatives of this trend were A. Maslow, E. Sutich, S. Grof, J. Feidiman, M. Vich, S. Margulis.
These representatives created the “Association of transpersonal psychology” and published the “Journal of transpersonal psychology”. Later (in 1975) Robert Freijer created the Institute of transpersonal psychology in California. However, transpersonal psychology did not gain recognition in scientific circles for long. This direction of psychology was considered parascientific. In 1996, a department of transpersonal psychology was opened in the British Psychological Society. Thanks to this, transpersonal psychology still gained limited recognition in scientific circles.
Basic ideas of transpersonal psychology
There is an unconscious component to the structure of the human psyche. The unconscious influences a person’s behaviour, thoughts and the whole of life. Like the psychoanalytical direction, transpersonal psychology assumes that the unconscious layer of the human psyche includes various life events that were displaced from consciousness for various reasons. In addition, this structure of the psyche also carries memories that are not related to the life of a particular person: these can be memories of various incarnations of the self, the collective unconscious, and so on.
Non-duality (integrity): transpersonal psychology calls attention to the inseparability of a person’s spiritual and psychological views. But the primary importance of this psychological direction gives spirituality.
Transpersonal psychology believes that it studies consciousness, which is able in certain states to go beyond the boundaries of its usual state, beyond the boundaries of the Ego. This expansion of the Ego’s boundaries, allegedly occurring at the moment of a person’s immersion in altered states of consciousness, leads to a person’s liberation, recovery and acquisition of wholeness.
The use of various techniques and practices to draw a person’s attention to their inner world. Experiencing certain transpersonal experiences, a person undergoes changes that help him to find himself, to feel wholeness with the world, to solve his existential problems.
Transpersonal psychology of S. Grof (method of Holotropic Breathing)
The scientist was engaged in the study of penetration into the unconscious part of the human psyche in an altered state of consciousness. This immersion was carried out with the help of psychedelic means. Later, when psychedelics turned out to be forbidden, the author developed a new method of entering an altered state of consciousness – holotropic breathing.
S. Grof discovered that there are several barriers that a person faces before reaching the level of unconsciousness (with the help of LSD or with the help of the method of holotropic breathing):
- sensory barrier : when entering the unconscious, the senses are activated first;
- individual unconscious: memories from the past, things that have been pushed out of consciousness (e.g. unresolved conflict, psychotraumas);
- “perinatal matrices”: the experience of death and rebirth;
- transpersonal area of the psyche: the interconnection of the human being with the cosmos, at which point the consciousness of the human being transcends space and time.
Grof argued that most problems in human life (interpersonal, intrapersonal and psychosomatic) are related to and rooted in one of the levels presented. Therefore, to solve their problems, a person needs to meet and experience them on one of these levels. For this purpose the method of holotropic breathing was developed. The essence of the method consists in frequent deep breathing, as a result of which a person enters an altered state of consciousness and sees hallucinations. Gradually, the internal flow of “energy” is supposedly activated, and the person’s task is to follow this flow. The person succumbs to everything that comes: makes sounds, assumes various involuntary poses, experiences various emotions. Thus, all the material allegedly accumulated in the subconsciousness, which prevents a person from living, is released and the person is freed (relaxed).
Psychosynthesis of R. Assagioli
From the point of view of Assagioli, a supporter of psychoanalysis, all human problems are connected with the fact that he loses internal integrity, harmony. Some sides of the human psyche begin to contradict each other and their disconnection occurs. Such a process (lack of integrity, synthesis) leads to various diseases.
To unite the disparate parts of the psyche, Assagioli developed the method of psychosynthesis.
Assagioli distinguishes two stages of psychosynthesis:
- Personality psychosynthesis (the unification of all the disparate elements of the personality into a whole). At this stage, a healthy personality is formed;
- Spiritual psychosynthesis (working with different levels of the psyche – transpersonal area). At this stage a person gets a sense of the energy previously unavailable to him and learns to use it in life;
- Changes in one’s life due to the practical method of psychosynthesis are not experienced immediately. From Assagioli’s point of view, a person needs time to accept the new experience, “the ripening of the psychic foetus must take place”.
Thus, from the point of view of the transpersonal direction, a person has access to all the information of the Universe and is connected with all mankind. Representatives of this direction emphasise the release of new “energy”, eliminating various problems through altered states of consciousness. With the help of various techniques developed by this direction of psychological science, a person supposedly heals and acquires integrity in relations with the world.
