Core Concepts in TP

Jul 7, 2008 10:08 PM

self-transcendence, nonduality, optimal mental health, and the intrinsic health and wisdom of each person and each part of the whole.

Maslow suggested self-trancendence as the highest need in his Hierachy of Needs and suggested that it appears in some self-actualizers as a need to find communion and connection to the cosmos. This relates to his Theory Z. Theory X refers to people motivated by fear, image, and other deficiency-motivations. Theory Y refers to people motivated by a chance to grow and develop, i.e., to self-actualize. Maslow suggested a further expansion, or Theory Z, to refer to those motivated by peak experiences and other experiences of connection to the whole and self-transcendence

Miles Vich (founding editor of JTP) once said to me in conversation that "Self-transcendence is the central defining characteristic of transpersonal psychology." Self-transcendence: a sense of self which is not based on (or identified with) the individual as a separate entity, disconnected from other parts of the whole. Knowing the self as part of a larger whole, going beyond identification with personal history, body, self-images, and object relations to a deeper identification which is more integrated and includes spiritual dimensions.

Self-transcendence need not negate one's sense of individuality and personalness, although at deeper (or higher) levels of identity, it may. Many would also say that self-transcendence must include embodiment, groundedness, autonomy, personalness, and self-knowledge (i.e., an expanded, more realized sense of self identity), too. I understand self-transcendence as occuring along a continuum, from a more expansive sense of self which includes both a sense of oneself as a separate individual AND as part of a larger whole to self-transcendence which goes beyond any sense of self as an individual entity.

<a id="first" name="first"></a>FIRST-HAND AND SECOND-HAND RELIGION (James); SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION (various writers)

First-hand religion is based on direct experience of the sacred, also called mystical experience. Second-hand religion is based on another's experience, authority, or dogma. This distinction is often framed as the difference between spirituality (first-hand) and religion. (second-hand). Transpersonal psychology is interested primarily in first-hand religion.

COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS AND ARCHETYPES (Jung)

It could be argued that this is the main transpersonal concept. Jung extended Freud's topographical model of consciousness (Conscious, Preconscious, Unconscious) by distinguishing between a personal and a collective (or transpersonal) unconscious. All of humanity, and perhaps sentient beings beyond the human, share the collective unconscious. One of Jung's original references called it the Überpersonliche (literally, overpersonal or transpersonal) unconscious.

Archetypes are primordial patterns in, and expressions of, the collective (transpersonal) unconscious. They are tendencies to perceive the world in certain ways which are shared by all human consciousness, similar to original patterns, prototypes, or Platonic forms. Examples include the persona (the mask we present to the world), the shadow (repressed elements of the self), anima and animus (feminine and masculine archetypes), the hero, God, the Devil, earth mother, sage, fool, divine child, and many others. Archetypes manifest personally in dreams and culturally in symbols and myths, fairy tales, rites, and art

PEAK EXPERIENCE (Maslow)

Maslow was looking for a way to do good psychological research on mystical and other extremely positive experiences as part of his studies of psychological health. He settled on the term "peak experience" because it was more neutral and did not trigger the rejection of his peers as the term "mystical" did. His definition: "The most wonderful experience or experiences of your life, happiest moments, ecstatic moments, moments of rapture" (Maslow, 1962). Maslow hypothesized that virtually everyone has had a peak experience, though some have them more often and more deeply than others, and some careful research bears this out. This concept is related to a broad range of transpersonal experiences and states.

I think it is especially helpful to distinguish self-actualization and self-transcendence, as Maslow did. Self-actualization: fulfilling one's individual potential and living in an existentially authentic way. Self-transcendence: finding oneself at home in, and part of, the cosmos, beyond individual needs and identity. (Note: I still get excited by this concept. I feel Maslow laid out an agenda for transpersonal psychology that the field is still pursuing.)

Engler's aphorism,

you have to be somebody before you can be nobody" refers to this distinction

TRANSPERSONAL ECOPSYCHOLOGY

Core Concepts in TP

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