General conceptions of a spiritual life are discovered over and over again throughout history whenever individuals turn inward to seek the wisdom that shows them the inside of so-called “facts” and the realities from which facts emerge.
The history of transpersonal psychology can be viewed either from a “personalistic,” person-makes-the-times approach (i.e., the ideas and actions of specific individuals create the impetus for change and progress in psychology) or a “naturalistic,” times-makes-the-person approach (i.e., the Zeitgeist or spirit of the times creates opportunities for the ideas and actions of individuals to influence change and progress in psychology) (Schultz & Schultz, 2004, pp.18-20).
Personalistic vs. naturalistic view of the history of transpersonal psychology. First, let us look at the historical development of transpersonal psychology from the personalistic viewpoint, and briefly examine the theories and therapeutic practices of seven of the early pioneers of transpersonal psychology: Gustav Fechner, William James, F.W.H. Myers, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, and Roberto Assagioli. Later we will approach the historical development of transpersonal psychology from the naturalistic viewpoint and see how transpersonal psychology is a uniquely American psychology that can be traced back to “alternative realities tradition” of America’s visionary “folk psychology” and given flower in the Zeitgeist of the 1960’s counterculture movement.
|
The Personalistic Approach to the History of Transpersonal Psychology
The spiritual roots of modern psychology. Modern psychology (for the most part) has ignored or denied altogether the existence of higher, deeper transpersonal, spiritual realms of human consciousness. Yet, an argument can be made that the roots of modern psychology also lie in a spiritual tradition that is thoroughly transpersonal in character. This hidden, overlooked, and ignored history within psychology is represented in the theories and psychotherapeutic practices of early pioneers in the history of modern psychology whose work has influenced modern transpersonal psychology, including
Gustav Fechner (1801-1887), the founder of experimental psychology, referred to the deeper aspects of the human psyche as the ground of our being which lies “below the threshold” of consciousness whose function was to awaken the species into a state of higher consciousness.
William James (1842-1910), co-founder of American functionalism, referred to the profounder aspects of human personality as residing in the “transmarginal field” beyond the fringe of waking awareness, exerting their influence to varying degrees in instances of psychopathology and transcendence.
F. W. H. Myers (1843-1901), co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research, referred to the “unknown” reality of human personality as a part of the subconscious or “subliminal” realms composed of innumerable discrete regions and streams of consciousness constituting an ultimate plurality of selves.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), founder of Psychoanalysis, referred to the “oceanic feelings” that accompany mystical experiences as reminiscent of early experiences of profound union of infant and mother that arise from obscure unconscious sources beyond ego and id.
Alfred Adler (1870-1937), founder of Individual Psychology, referred to the higher aspects of the human psyche as the “creative self” – the active, unifying principle of human life that provides the basic components of one’s personality.
|
