Transpersonal psychology is a branch of psychology that studies altered states of the human psyche, such as spiritual crisis, stress and ecstasy. In fact, this field of knowledge attempts to encompass such aspects as life and death, the possibilities of human consciousness, connection with the universe, and transcendent experiences.
As can be seen from the definition, the subject matter of this field of study is extremely broad. Thus, transpersonal psychologists are interested in:
- prenatal experiences;
- the spiritual development of the human being;
- the nature of intuition and the capacity for creativity;
- parapsychology;
- spiritual and religious practices;
- effects of psychedelics on human consciousness;
- breathing and meditative techniques, yoga;
- experiences related to death.
Transpersonal psychology attempts to combine Western psychology with Eastern spiritual practices to explore the characteristics of altered consciousness. It claims that there are spiritual experiences and transcendent states common to all mankind, such as altruism, a sense of belonging to society, and an urge to create.
The transpersonal trend claims the limitations of the normal state and challenges many established notions in classical psychology and psychiatry. For example, followers of this doctrine find connections between the utterances of the wise and the insane and consider prayer as an element of cardiac therapy.
In transpersonal psychology, memories and facts of one’s life that one has forgotten, if not known, are believed to be stored deep outside of consciousness. This is akin to the hypothesis of repressed painful memories from the concept of psychoanalysis. Among other things, transpersonal psychologists refer to suppressed memories as allegedly stored in the subconscious about birth and events before it.
