Philosophy Commons^™

Some Rudimentary Problems Pertaining To The Construction Of An Ontology And Epistemology Of Shamanic Journeying Imagery, Adam J. Rock, Stanley Krippner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Attempts to elucidate the kinds of “thing” or “things” to which the term shamanic journeying

image is referentially linked must grapple with two related questions: what is the fundamental

nature of shamanic journeying images, and how might the origin of a shamanic

journeying image be found? The first question is ontological, concerned with the nature

and essence of shamanic journeying images. In contrast, the second is epistemological and

methodolgical, concerned with how to acquire knowledge of shamanic journeying images.

We demonstrate how inductive and deductive reasoning, the private language argument,

and reification render problematic the resolution of both. Finally, we …

Editors’ Introduction, Glenn Hartelius, Harris Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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What Does It Mean To Live A Fully Embodied Spiritual Life?, Jorge Ferrer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This essay discusses the meaning of embodied spirituality—based on the integration of all

human attributes, including the body and sexuality—and contrasts it with the disembodied

spirituality—based on dissociation and/or sublimation—prevailing in human religious

history. It then describes what it means to approach the body as a living partner with which

to co-create one’s spiritual life, and outlines ten features of a fully embodied spirituality.

The article concludes with some reflections about the past, present, and potential future of

embodied spirituality.

Approaches To Transpersonal Psychotherapy: Introduction To Special Topic Section, Harris Friedman, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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The Past And Future Of The International Transpersonal Association, Stanislav Grof, Harris Friedman, David Lukoff, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The International Transpersonal Association (ITA) was formed in 1978 for the purposes

of promoting education and research in transpersonal subjects, as well as sponsoring

global conferences for the international transpersonal community. The association was

subsequently dissolved in 2004, but is now in the process of being reactivated and revitalized.

As background for this development, this paper reviews the history of ITA including its

international conferences and noteworthy presenters, the organization’s definition, strategies,

and specific goals, and details of its contemporary revival.

The Role Of Spirituality In Mental Health Interventions: A Developmental Perspective, Liora Birnbaum, Atton Birnbaum, Ofra Mayseless

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Th is article presents a four-level developmental description of the extent to which clinicians

apply spirituality in therapy. At the fi rst level, clinicians begin to sense dissonance regarding

their traditional, positivist worldview while conducting conventional psychotherapy, especially

in cases involving life-threatening situations or loss. At the second level, clinicians

open up to the possibility of the existence of a metaphysical reality and to spiritual/transpersonal

beliefs expressed by clients. At the third level, clinicians may cautiously contact this

transcendental reality and seek ways to utilize this dimension to access information relevant

to therapy. At the fourth level, clinicians actively engage …

The Therapeutic Potentials Of A Museum Visit, Andrée Salom

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Museums are safe spaces for the objects they hold and for the persons that visit them, providing environments that can function in therapeutic ways. Within the wide range of objects, there is enough diversity to help guests discover what similarities they have with others as well as what makes them unique as individuals. Within exhibits, individuals can explore themselves through the reactions they have to particular pieces, through the observation of what holds their attention within the environment, and through the awareness and development of their contemplative mind. Museums can introduce transpersonal information, add information to previous transpersonal experiences, and …

A Peircean Panentheist Scientific Mysticism, Søren Brier

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Peirce’s philosophy can be interpreted as an integration of mysticism and science. In Peirce’s

philosophy mind is feeling on the inside and on the outside, spontaneity, chance and chaos

with a tendency to take habits. Peirce’s philosophy has an emptiness beyond the three worlds

of reality (his Categories), which is the source from where the categories spring. He emphasizes

that God cannot be conscious in the way humans are, because there is no content in

his “mind.” Since there is a transcendental3 nothingness behind and before the categories,

it seems that Peirce had a mystical view on reality with a …

Brief History Of Transpersonal Psychology, Stanislav Grof

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The International Transpersonal Association (ITA) was formed in 1978 for the purposes

of promoting education and research in transpersonal subjects, as well as sponsoring

global conferences for the international transpersonal community. The association was

subsequently dissolved in 2004, but is now in the process of being reactivated and revitalized.

As background for this development, this paper reviews the history of ITA including its

international conferences and noteworthy presenters, the organization’s definition, strategies,

and specific goals, and details of its contemporary revival.

Integral Approach To Mental Suffering, Laura B. Gilot

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Th is article further develops one section by the same name in another article published in

the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies entitled Integral Approach in Transpersonal

Psychotherapy (Boggio Gilot, 2003) by proposing a model of mental suff ering based on

uniting scientifi c psychology with meditative wisdom (e.g., derived from Yoga Vedanta). Th e

role of spiritual vision underlines a wider understanding of the origins of mental suff ering,

including damage from ontological unawareness and egoism, non-ethical factors usually

ignored in psychology. Th ese give rise to destructive poisons of the mind such as pride,

greed, fear, resentment, envy, …

The Buddhist Notion Of Emptiness And Its Potential Contribution To Psychology And Psychotherapy, José M. Tirado

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A growing number of psychologists now have their practices and theories informed by Buddhist

meditation practices. Th ese practices, however, are themselves deeply informed by the

Buddhist notion of emptiness (śūnyatā). Th is Buddhist concept off ers a rich vein of possibilities

in informing psychology and psychotherapy. Th e present paper examines the development

and potential of this concept for infl uencing these and other areas.

Dante’S Terza Rima In Th E Divine Comedy: Th E Road Of Th Erapy, Dennis P. Slattery

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Wisdom’s pursuit through symbols, metaphors, poetry, and therapy is a path of indirection,

less available the more one’s pursuit is direct. Wisdom may be gained through particular

processes of knowing, pilgrimages towards the truth of things. Dante’s 14th century poem

engages a new rhyme scheme to further this pursuit of knowing towards wisdom. He called

it terza rima, or third rhyme. Its structure, the essay argues, embodies two movements of the

soul: the journey towards knowing, one which is always bending back in memory, and the

movement of therapy itself, wherein one becomes more conscious by seeing in the present …

Editors’ Introduction, Harris Friedman, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Reports Of Transpersonal Experiences By Non-Native Practitioners Of The Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony: A Critical Appraisal, Whit Hibbard

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Interviews with 30 experienced non-native practitioners of the Native American sweat lodge

ceremony revealed 184 reports of transpersonal experiences. Interview questions sought to (a)

disclose how practitioners discern or critique their own experiences, (b) consider alternative

explanations for practitioners’ experiences, and (c) critically reflect on the sweat lodge

ceremony per se as a spiritual practice. It was found that practitioners generally (a) interpreted

their experiences as trustworthy interactions with a spiritual reality, (b) did not seriously

consider alternative explanations for their experiences, and (c) neglected to reflect critically

on the sweat lodge ceremony per se as a spiritual practice.

Applying Quantitative Research Methods In Transpersonal Psychology: Introduction To Special Topic Section, Harris L. Friedman, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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The Challenges, Prospects, And Promise Of Transpersonal Psychology, Paul F. Cunningham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Several substantial critiques remain a source of fractionalizing debate within transpersonal

psychology, including the weakness of its definition, whether it is redundant with Wilber’s

integral psychology, whether it is a scientific field, whether it is too metaphysical, whether it

neglects the problem of evil, and what contribution can it make to mainstream psychology.

This article explicates these and related areas of critique and provides a response that identifies

the essential challenges and future prospects of transpersonal psychology. The article also

emphasizes the field’s unique role as a potential bridge connecting psychological science with

the transpersonal psyche in a way that …

Does The Concept Of “Altered States Of Consciousness” Rest On A Mistake?, Adam J. Rock, Stanley Krippner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Block (2002) has argued that the multiplicity of meanings ascribed to consciousness is due

to the erroneous treatment of very different concepts as a single concept. Block distinguished

four notions of consciousness intended to encapsulate the various meanings attributed to

the term: phenomenal, access, self, and monitoring consciousness. We argue that what is

common to all of these definitions is the implicit distinction between consciousness and the

content of consciousness. We critically examine the term “altered state of consciousness”

and argue that affixing the qualifier “altered state” to consciousness results in a theoretical

confusion of consciousness and its content, that …

Book Review The Fall: Evidence For A Golden Age, 6,000 Years Of Insanity And The Dawning Of A New Era, By Steve Taylor, Elias Capriles

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy: Preliminary Clinical Observations On Its Effects In Treating Death Anxiety, Eli Kolp, Scott M. Young, Harris Freidman, Evgeny Krupirsky, Karl Jansen, Laurie-Ann O’Connor

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic commonly used by US physicians, has recently been

shown to be a powerful anti-depressant and is also capable of eliciting transpersonal experiences

that can be transformative. Although currently approved in the US only for use as an

anesthetic, physicians there can legally prescribe it off-label to treat various psychological/

psychiatric problems and it has been used for these non-anesthetic purposes in Argentina,

Iran, Mexico, Russia, and the UK, as well as in the US. The literature on using ketamine

psychotherapeutically is reviewed and two case studies using ketamine-enhanced psychotherapy

(KEP) for treating death anxiety in terminally-ill …

Mindfulness In Measurement: Reconsidering The Measurable In Mindfulness Practice, Sharon G. Solloway, William P. Fisher Jr.

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Can an organic partnership of qualitative and quantitative data confirm the value of mindfulness practice as an assignment in undergraduate education? Working from qualitative evidence suggesting the existence of potentially measurable mindfulness effects expressed in ruler measures, a previous study calibrated a mathematically invariant scale of mindfulness practice effects with substantively and statistically significant differences in the measures before and after the assignment. Current efforts replicated these results. The quantitative model is described in measurement terms defined at an introductory level. Detailed figures and appendices are provided, and a program of future research is proposed.

Book Review: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, By Michael A. Singer, Gene Thursby

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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A Third Model Of Self-Construal: The Metapersonal Self, Teresa L. Decicco, Mirella L. Stroink

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This research adds a third model and measure of self-construal to the current psychological literature: the metapersonal self-construal. This model extends previous theory and research, which has established two self-construal orientations to date: the independent and interdependent self-construal. The research presents a series of studies investigating the theoretical and psychometric properties of the third model and measure. Study 1 produced a valid and reliable 10-item self-report scale of the metapersonal self. Study 2 determined the scale to be low in social desirability bias. Studies 3 and 4 examined the convergent and discriminant validity of the three self-construal scales. Investigations among …

Phenomenological Analysis Of Experimentally Induced Visual Mental Imagery Associated With Shamanic Journeying To The Lower World, Adam J. Rock

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study explored ostensibly shamanic journeying imagery by (a) assessing visual images across induction

techniques (i.e., sonic driving, Ganzfeld, relaxation, and sitting with eyes open); (b) determining combination(

s) of induction technique and instructions most associated with religious imagery; and (c) investigating

the origins of visual imagery. Six participants were randomly assigned to factorial combinations of

a 3 x 4 mixed design (levels of instruction x levels of induction) and were administered the Modified Affect

Bridge to explore the origins of mental imagery reported during the experimental conditions.

Phenomenological analysis yielded comprehensive constituent themes. Harner’s (1990) shamanic journeying,

coupled with …

Syncretism In Transpersonal Studies: Introduction To This Issue’S Special Topics Section, Harris L. Friedman, Douglas A. Macdonald

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Transpersonal Education: Problems, Prospects And Challenges, Paul F. Cunningham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Despite its substantial scientific, academic, and professional achievements, transpersonal psychology has

not been fully incorporated within traditional undergraduate psychology curricula. One reason is conventional

psychology’s prejudiced perception of humanity’s spiritual nature. Other reasons lie within the field

of transpersonal psychology itself, including the lack of agreed-upon general curricular models, absence of

normative educational (student) outcomes, unstructured courses with restricted content coverage, and conceptual

and methodological disagreements among experts. One of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary

transpersonal education is the publication of an authoritative, standard textbook that would

effectively introduce undergraduate students to transpersonal psychology and facilitate the progress of …

Gebser's Integral Consciousness And Living In The Real World: Facilitating Its Emergence Using A Course In Miracles, Cornelius J. Holland, Douglas A. Macdonald

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper discusses certain parallels between the work of Jean Gebser, the European philosopher and student of consciousness, and A Course in Miracles (ACIM), a contemporary spiritual system. More specifically, it 1) establishes parallels between Gebser’s conception of the ego, especially its basis in anger, and the ego according to ACIM, and 2) shows how a forgiveness exercise may lead to a time-free present, called in ACIM, “The Holy Instant.”

Manifest, Hidden, And Divine: Introduction To Sefirot Aikido, Jack Susman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The potential for forging a valuable relationship between two transpersonal systems, Aikido, a Japanese martial art and spiritual tradition, and Kabbalah, a Jewish spiritual tradition, is explored. Aikido is not simply a martial art, rather it is also a way to achieve a sense of the spiritual. However, especially for Westerners, many of its spiritual tenets are elusive, based on abstruse Japanese cultural roots, whereas Kabbalah, as a spiritual tradition more fully explicated for Western audiences, can provide an accessible framework for grasping some of Aikido’s deeper meanings. A blend of these traditions, called Sefirot Aikido, uses Kabbalah to understand, …

Statement Of Transition - Editor's Introduction, Douglas A. Macdonald, Harris Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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An Exploratory Investigation Into The Association Of Neuroticization, Cognitive Style, And Spirituality To Reported Altered States Of Consciousness In Women Experiencing Childbirth, Nikolai Gruzdev, Dimitri Spivak

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study examined the relation of altered states of consciousness to neuroticization, spiritual experience,

and divergent thinking in a sample of women (N= 102) at late pregnancy and post-delivery. The results

suggest that stress associated with imminent childbirth is linked to higher levels of ASCs and that neuroticization

and spirituality seem to be implicated in the induction of ASCs.

Beyond Mind Ii: Further Steps To A Metatranspersonal Philosophy And Psychology, Elías Capriles

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Some of Wilber’s “holoarchies” are gradations of being, which he views as truth itself; however, being is

delusion, and its gradations are gradations of delusion. Wilber’s supposedly universal ontogenetic

holoarchy contradicts all Buddhist Paths, whereas his view of phylogeny contradicts Buddhist Tantra and

Dzogchen, which claim delusion/being increase throughout the aeon to finally achieve reductio ad absurdum .

Wilber presents spiritual healing as ascent; Grof and Washburn represent it as descent—yet they are

all equally off the mark. Phenomenologically speaking, the Dzogchen Path is “descending,” but not in

Washburn’s or Grof ’s sense—and “transpersonal” is not a synonym of “sanity.” …