Transpersonal Psychology

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To what extent can transpersonal psychology be considered a scientific enterprise?

-- DELYTH WYN REES (HUMDREES@LIVJM.AC.UK), May 16, 2002

Answers

There are some transpersonal psychologists who attempt to do empiricial studies of aspects of their discipline, but there are many others who reject the very idea of the scientific study of consciousness as being misguided. Generally speaking, my impression is that those research psychologists who consider themselves as scientists first would not regard transpersonal psychology as a serious scientific enterprise.

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), May 16, 2002.

But you might think about one aspect that is fairly scientific, which is the area of biofeedback. You'll find a review chapter by Donald Moss, "Biofeedback, mind-body medicine, and the higher limits of human nature" in Moss's edited book, Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology: A Historical and Biographical Sourcebook (Greenwood Press, 1999). Moss also has a chapter on body therapies, and several of the biographical sketches in that book focus on persons who conducted research.

-- Hendrika Vande Kemp (hendrika@earthlink.net), May 16, 2002.

Hi, Rees....Transformational Psychology started out as an enlightened and integral part of Psychosynthesis, the visionary system originated by Roberto Assagioli.

Assagioli so deeply abhorred the imposition of personal power, however, that he left his theories undefended and wide-open to misinterpretation, causing them to be hijacked by those who thrive on personal power,i.e. Ken Wilbur, Ram Dass, Stan Grof, and many others.

As a result, Transformational (or Transpersonal) Psychology often promotes the illusion that past-life regression, certain Buddhist teachings, channeling, rebirthing, ET communications, or crisis-experiences induced by psychotic episodes and psychoactive drugs, can infuse troubled individuals with "spiritual" values that will heal them.

In this present context, one might file Transformational Psychology under anti-science or indoctrination.

-- visualize me (visualizeme@webtv.net), May 18, 2002.


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