What is Transpersonal Psychology? [Information was from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology website, which no longer is active]
The field of Transpersonal Psychology is concerned with expanding the frontiers of psychology and spirituality for the betterment of humanity and the sustainability of the planet.
Traditional psychology is interested in a continuum of human experience and behavior ranging from severe dysfunction, mental and emotional illness at one end, to what is generally considered “normal”, healthy behavior at the other end and various degrees of normal and maladjustment in between. While an exact definition of Transpersonal Psychology is the subject of debate, Transpersonal Psychology is a full spectrum psychology that encompasses all of this and then goes beyond it by adding a serious scholarly interest in the immanent and transcendent dimensions of human experience: exceptional human functioning, experiences, performances and achievements, true genius, the nature and meaning of deep religious and mystical experiences, non-ordinary states of consciousness, and how we might foster the fulfillment of our highest potentials as human beings.
Transpersonal psychologists work across disciplines and draw on insights from not only the various areas of psychology, but also the sciences of cognition, consciousness, and the paranormal; philosophy; social and cultural theory; integral health theories and practices; poetry, literature, and the arts; and, the world’s spiritual and wisdom traditions.
The field is discussed in depth by Glenn Hartelius, Mariana Caplan, and Mary Anne Rardin in their work, Transpersonal Psychology: Defining the Past, Divining the Future, which you can download in PDF format here.
Click HERE for a list of online resource links.