Psychology Commons^™

Shamans As Healers, Counselors, And Psychotherapists, Stanley Krippner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Shamanic models of healing, counseling, and psychotherapy differ from Western models in that

they emphasize closeness to the natural world as well as to one’s body and life’s spiritual dimensions.

Shamanic practices reflect the ideals of harmony and knowledge. In shamanism, there is no division

between “mind” and “body,” hence what Westerners refer to as “mental illness” is seen as part of

the total client being treated by a shaman, a perspective that often includes the client’s family,

community, and the world of “spirits.”

Experiences Of “Soul Journeys” In The World’S Religions: The Journeys Of Mohammed, Saints Paul And John, Jewish Chariot Mysticism, Taoism’S Highest Clarity School, And Shamanism., Roger Walsh

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

“Soul journeys” are a central practice of shamanism. However, they have also been important

in many other religious traditions and have exerted a major impact on religions, cultures, and

history. This article surveys some important journeys in the world’s religions such as those of

Mohammed, the Christian saints Paul and John, Jewish Chariot Mysticism, Taoism’s Highest

Clarity tradition, and shamanism. The article explores the experiences of these journeys, techniques

for inducing them, culturally specific features, and the range of metaphysical interpretations of

them. It also examines some of the surprising ways in which journeys are currently impacting

Western culture, ranging …

A Reply To Abramson’S Response To My “Beyond Mind” Papers And Some Reflections On Wilber V, Elias Capriles

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Transpersonal Effects Of Exposure To Shamanic Use Of Khoomei (Tuvan Throat Singing): Preliminary Evaluations From Training Seminars, Vladislav Matrenitsky, Harris L. Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Khoomei is a Tuvan Siberian shamanic practice involving overtone throat singing. One hundred eighty-one Western participants completed questionnaires after attending Khoomei seminars, asking about the following: motivation of people to learn shamanic throat singing; self-perception at the levels of body, energy, and mind before-and-after the seminar; feelings and sensations from practicing throat singing; transpersonal experience during throat singing; experience of inner vibrations from listening to the singing; and general state and feelings after seminar. In general, most participants reported many benefits from attending the seminars, although a few reported mild negative effects (e.g., dizziness and sadness). Of particular interest are …

Sexuality As A Transformational Path: Exploring The Holistic Dimensions Of Human Vitality, Samuel A. Malkemus, Mariana T, Romero

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article explores a holistic vision of human sexuality by contrasting it to the prevailing

trend of “cognicentrism” in sexological studies. To this end the authors propose that a

novel understanding of sexuality as a creative force of life energy can greatly enhance such

cognicentric approaches. Such a proposal rests on a holistic approach to human nature that

has been developed over many years of educational and clinical application. Within this

holistic vision, the role of a human multidimensional cognition that is somatically rooted in

bodily nature assists the articulation of sexuality as a transformational life path of embodied

spirituality, …

Transforming Self And Others Through Research: Transpersonal Research Methods And Skills For The Human Sciences And Humanities, Dorit Netzer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Postmodern Trickster Strands In Shamanic Worlds, Jürgen W. Kremer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This essay explores socio-philosophical meanings of shamanic cultures and practices and

their affirmation and revival. What is their potential significance for humanity’s future? I

argue that shamanism engages humans in practices that put us potentially at the center of

our creativity and creative visioning. The trickster figure, a pervasive indigenous presence,

so often seems pivotal in this process and this pervasively male figure plays an important

part in this regenerative interpretation of postmodernism; in fact, postmodernism can be

understood as trickster. Just like the trickster, the nature of postmodernism is ambiguous.

I explore this ambiguity and suggest that shamanic practices …

My Path In Shamanism, Michael Harner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Shamanism, Imagery Cultivation, And Psi-Signal Detection: A Theoretical Model, Experimental Protocol, And Preliminary Data, Adam J. Rock, Lance Storm

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Shamanism In Cross-Cultural Perspective, Michael Winkelman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article reviews the origins of the concept of the shaman and the principal sources of

controversy regarding the existence and nature of shamanism. Confusion regarding the

nature of shamanism is clarified with a review of research providing empirical support for a

cross-cultural concept of shamans that distinguishes them from related shamanistic healers.

The common shamanistic universals involving altered states of consciousness are examined

from psychobiological perspectives to illustrate shamanism’s relationships to human nature.

Common biological aspects of altered states of consciousness help explain the origins of

shamanism while social influences on this aspect of human nature help to explain …

Review Of The Psychology And Character Of Virtue, Ed. Craig Steven Titus, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Levels Of Altruism, Martin Zwick, Jeffrey Alan Fletcher

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

The phenomenon of altruism extends from the biological realm to the human sociocultural realm. This paper sketches a coherent outline of multiple types of altruism of progressively increasing scope that span these two realms and are grounded in an ever-expanding sense of “self.” Discussion of this framework notes difficulties associated with altruisms at different levels. It links scientific ideas about the evolution of cooperation and about hierarchical order to perennial philosophical and religious concerns. It offers a conceptual background for inquiry into societal challenges that call for altruistic behavior, especially the challenge of environmental and social sustainability.

This talk was …

'I Am Rooted, But I Flow': Virginia Woolf And 20th Century Thought, Emily Lauren Hanna

Scripps Senior Theses

My thesis is about Virginia Woolf’s novels, Mrs. Dalloway, The Waves, and To the Lighthouse. I examine these novels in relation to the theories of Henri Bergson, William James, and Sigmund Freud, and the groundwork of Modernism. I relate Woolf's use of water imagery and stream of consciousness technique to Bergson’s theory of “la durée,” or psychological, subjective time, James’ “stream of consciousness” theory in psychology, and Freud’s theory of the “oceanic” feeling of religious experience.

Altered States Of Consciousness & The Creative Individual: Breaking The Affective Thinking Skills Paradigm, Dana M. Calanan

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project focuses on the affective side of creative thinking and creating a bridge to the cognitive side. It presents the personal transformation of the author using non-drug induced altered states of consciousness. The finished project includes the beginnings of a holistic creative problem solving model and a workshop which will assist those wishing to become more creatively productive or are looking for a way to creatively self-heal.

Keywords: Creative healing, shamanism, psychedelia, holistic creativity, creative problem solving, Thinking Skills Model, altered states of consciousness, affective thinking skills.

Knowledge, Attitudes And Skills Related To Disabilities Among Psychologists - Are We Competent To Practice In This Multicultural Domain?, Sharon M. Mclennon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Problem Solving In Latino Families, Eliza Torres

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this dissertation is to learn if the quality of problem solving, parent engagement, and child engagement improve as a result of participating in a parenting intervention. The quality of problem solving was coded by independent observers watching a 5-minute videotaped task. Parent and child engagement were also coded by an observer and were evident in behaviors such as making eye contact, using good social skills, using humor, minimizing problems, and showing empathy were also rated by individual coders who were blinded to treatment/control groups. Each parent-child pair had a total of three scores, one for each variable …

Finishing Well: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Spiritual Transformation In Retirement-Age Evangelical Men, Johnny Justin Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The baby boomers comprise a large segment of the United States population (78 million) but many of them are without spiritual resources to finish well in life. However, there are a few Evangelical men who have experienced spiritual transformation in retirement-age and have discovered the resources for security and significance in the spiritual dimension. Through a qualitative research design the stories of eight participants gave richness and depth to this study. These men described how they and others were impacted by the transformation experience. They discarded superficial forms of cultural Christianity to embrace authentic intrinsic change. The spiritual transformation experience, …

Is The Reincarnation Hypothesis Advanced By Stevenson For Spontaneous Past-Life Experiences Relevant For The Understanding Of The Ontology Of Past-Life Phenomena?, Sergei Slavoutski

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A significant volume of scientific evidence, uncovered by reincarnation research in the last

50 years, supports the reincarnation hypothesis advanced by Ian Stevenson for spontaneous

past-life experiences (PLEs). However, at this time this evidence cannot provide an

unquestionable proof of the existence of past-life phenomena, nor can it assert that

reincarnation is not possible. This paper suggests that the reincarnation hypothesis, being

reasonably parsimonious and relatively exhaustive, may provide a plausible explanation for

spontaneous PLEs. Also, based on the probability of the same ontology of spontaneous and

hypnotic PLEs, it may be argued that this hypothesis might also be relevant …

Phenomenological Theories Of Crime, Peter K. Manning, Michael W. Raphael

Graduate Student Publications and Research

The distinctive aspect of phenomenological theories of crime is that they are based upon a stated epistemology: how things are known and a specific ontology—the nature of social reality. This specificity aligns itself with neo-Kantian concern with forms of knowing, interpretation, and meaning, as well as with 20th-century concern with perception, cognition, and the framing of events. While there are influences of phenomenological thinking on varieties of theorizing, such as symbolic interactionism, critical theory, queer theory, and gender-based theories of crime, these ideas are refractions and are inconsistent in their reference to and understanding of the foundational phenomenological works. A …

Spirituality And The Mmpi-2 Restructured Clinical Scales, Diana M. Mendez, Douglas A. Macdonald

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The present investigation examined the relation between spirituality, measured by the

Expressions of Spirituality Inventory (ESI; MacDonald, 2000); and the Minnesota

Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Clinical (MMPI-2 RC) scales (Tellegen et

al., 2003) using data from a previously published study (i.e., MacDonald & Holland, 2003).

Zero-order, multiple, and partial correlations were calculated to explore the association.

All multiple correlations, wherein the five ESI dimensions were used collectively to predict

MMPI-2 RC scales, emerged significant for all MMPI-2 RC scales. For zero-order correlations,

all RC scales were found to have a significant relation with at least one ESI dimension.

Existential Well-Being …

The Scale For Existential Thinking, Blake A. Allan, Branton Shearer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study introduced the construct of existential thinking, which we defined as the tendency

to explore the fundamental concerns of human existence and the capacity to engage in a

meaning-making process that locates oneself in respect to these issues. We also assessed

the psychometric properties of the 11-item “Scale for Existential Thinking” (SET). In two

studies, we found the SET to have unidimensional factor structure and good reliability

diagnostics in both student and adult samples. Moreover, the SET showed construct validity

by correlating with meaning in life, curiosity, and other existential variables. Furthermore,

we found meaning in life to mediate …

Trauma And Transformative Passage, Reed A. Morrison Private Practice

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The strategic introduction of stressors to intentionally produce targeted psychological states

has a long history among indigenous peoples. Rites of passage ceremonies commonly involve

subjecting individuals to controlled violence to attain desired transformative outcomes. In

this context, violence is held to be sacred and generative, ritually introducing distress in

the service of loosening orientation and preparing the individual for spiritual advancement

and the acquisition of a new identity. Traditional ritual initiation ceremonies are typically

tripartite and characterized by stages of Separation, Ordeal, and Return. This article suggests

that accounts of the experiences of initiates in Separation and Ordeal stages bear …

Introduction To Special Topic Section: Parapsychology, Sean Avila Saiter, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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How Should Therapists Respond To Client Accounts Of Out-Of-Body Experience?, Alexander De Foe

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

During an out-of-body experience (OBE) a person experiences their center of consciousness

from a spatial location that is distinctly different to their physical body. Prior research has

suggested that psychologists and psychotherapists may be reluctant to discuss the content

of their clients OBE accounts due to a lack of understanding about the nature of these

experiences. Yet, other research has highlighted the substantial value of discussing OBEs

in the therapeutic process. This paper examines the literature in order to assess the value of

utilizing person-centered dialogue and guided visualisation as counselling approaches for

working with clients who have had OBEs.

Mental Health And The Paranormal, Simon Dein

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

To date, there has been a dearth of work examining the relationships between paranormal

experiences and mental health. After defining paranormal experience and its prevalence,

I examine a number of areas related to paranormal experience and psychopathology: psi

and the unconscious, dissociation and fantasy proneness, schizotypy, transliminality and

reality monitoring, child abuse, reasoning and information processing, and transpersonal

psychology. Finally, I discuss the clinical implications of these findings.

Psychoactive Substances And Paranormal Phenomena: A Comprehensive Review, David Luke

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper investigates the relationship between psychoactive substances and so-called paranormal

phenomena falling within the study of parapsychology. It is primarily concerned with extrasensory

perception (ESP)—telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance—as well as out-of-body experiences

(OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs). Psychokinesis (PK), aura vision, encounter experiences,

and sleep paralysis only make a very limited contribution to this review as they are seldom related

to psychoactive drugs within the parapsychological literature. The paper borrows widely, but by no

means exhaustively, from parapsychology as well as transpersonal studies, anthropology, ethnobotany,

phytochemistry, psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neurobiology, particularly

neurochemistry. It is organized into neurochemical models …

Editors’ Introduction, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Connecting The Spiritual And Emotional Intelligences: Confirming An Intelligence Criterion And Assessing The Role Of Empathy, David B. King, Constance A. Mara, Teresa L. Decicco

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A viable model and self-report measure of spiritual intelligence were previously proposed

and supported by King and DeCicco (2009). Despite such advances, evidence is needed

demonstrating significant associations with other intelligences. The current study sought to

test this criterion in relation to emotional intelligence. Among a sample of 420 Canadian

adults, results demonstrated significant associations between spiritual intelligence and two

self-report measures of emotional intelligence. Due to the suggestion by some theorists

that empathy be included in a model of spiritual intelligence, associations with empathy

were also investigated. Results bode well for the inclusion of a spiritual ability set in …

Transpersonal Psychology, Parapsychology, And Neurobiology: Clarifying Their Relations, Douglas A. Macdonald, Harris L. Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Neurobiological advances have resulted in growing interest in many psychological phenomena

heretofore resistant to scientific scrutiny, including within transpersonal psychology and

parapsychology. These advances perhaps can resolve longstanding tensions between these

two psychological subdisciplines, which have generally been treated as disparate. To

implement such a rapprochement requires more than just additional empirical findings,

as theoretical development is also needed. Consequently, we identify some important

theoretical problems, such as conventional assumptions about scientific naturalism and

materialism that potentially undermine substantive advances in further understanding

such phenomena through neurobiology. We also discuss links between parapsychology and

transpersonal psychology that can be forged …

Social Cognition And The Allure Of The Second-Person Perspective: In Defense Of Empathy And Simulation, Karsten R. Stueber

Philosophy Department Faculty Scholarship

This essay serves as an evaluation of challenges to the orthodox way of conceiving "mindreading" abilities by defending a 2006 claim by the author that those abilities involve basic and reenactive empathy .