Somatic Psychology Commons^™

Because The Nature Of Nature Is Fractal: The Liberatory Potential Of A Fractal Epistemology, Katthe P. Wolf

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Fitting Fractals Into Our Toolbox For Studying The Human Mind, Herb Klitzner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Self-Similar Ripples Through Math And Mind, Jonathan Root

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Toward A Science Of Transpersonal Phenomena, Shapiro Yakov

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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A Fractal Topology Of Transcendent Experience, Sally Wilcox, Allan Combs

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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All The Inbent Fractals Of Connection, William J. Jackson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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How The Cerebellum And Cerebral Cortex Collaborate To Compose Fractal Patterns Underlying Transpersonal Experience, Larry Vandervert

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Mindfulness Based Intervention For Needle Phobia: A Pilot Study Of Dissociated Ego State Resolution, Genine P. Smith, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This pilot study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a mindfulness based intervention for the treatment of needle phobia. The research question was whether one session of the dissociated ego state [DES] trauma release intervention would result in significant and durable release of needle phobia. It was hypothesized that the process tested in this study may reduce needle phobia by locating, identifying, and engaging with a dissociated aspect of the psyche developed from earlier trauma. Six participants who self reported fear of needles and resulting avoidance of medical assistance completed one 60-minute, individual session of a mindfulness based protocol …

Diverse Mindfulness Practices For Bipolar Recovery: Qualitative Study Results, Sasha Strong

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study investigated the lived experience of Buddhist-informed mindfulness practice and its utilization in recovery from bipolar disorder (BD) in 9 adult participants. Established mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) decontextualize mindfulness practice from a Buddhist theory base, omitting conceptual frameworks that may have adaptive value in recovery from BD. In interviews, participants reported blending techniques learned from various Buddhist lineages throughout the course of their recovery, as well as a variety of other contemplative practices such as techniques to cultivate adaptive emotions, devotional practices, visualization practices, embodiment practices, investigative practices, and informal daily practice. Mindfulness practice for recovery from BD is …

Introduction To The Potential Role Of Fractals For Modeling Transpersonal Phenomena, Terry Marks-Tarlow, Harris L. Friedman, Katthe P. Wolf

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Epistemology Of The Neurodynamics Of Mind, Frederick D. Abraham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Towards A Holistic Approach: Last Word On Fractal Commentaries, Terry Marks-Tarlow

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Somatics Research Bibliography: A Working Tool For Somatics And Somatic Psychology, Eleanor Criswell Hanna

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Many years ago when Somatics magazine was young, it occurred to me that it would be valuable to collect and publish research article references in Somatics magazine that were relevant to the different somatics disciplines to encourage the development of the field. There were next to no studies devoted to Somatics itself, but there were many studies devoted to the elements of somatic practices. Somatics is a multidisciplinary field. It builds on the research findings from many fields, such as anatomy, physiology, neurophysiology, psychology, dance, biomechanics, and education. The references are selected to be suggestive to the interested researcher and …

Development Of A Minority Stress Preventive Intervention For Sexual And Gender Minority Youth And Young Adults, Natalie Holt

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mental health disparities amongst sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are spurred by exposure to minority stressors and sustained by mediators of problems with emotion regulation, social support, and cognitive processes. Emerging clinical research suggests empirically supported behavioral health treatments can be culturally adapted to address these mental health disparities, however less work has focused on the prevention of symptoms. The present study developed a brief preventive intervention targeting mediators of the minority stress model for SGM youth and young adults aged 17 to 26. Focus groups with 8 SGM participants informed development to ensure the content and delivery of …

Rehabilitative Movement Approaches And Dance Interventions In Parkinson’S Disease, Cecilia Fontanesi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The scope of this work is to address the functional deficits and symptoms experienced by those living with Parkinson’s Disease through movement interventions.

Chapter 1 offers a brief overview of current pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation approaches in Parkinson’s, focusing on dance in particular as a movement intervention that may be particularly suited to this population.

Chapter 2 focuses on brain plasticity and motor learning in PD, reporting the effects of rTMS applied after the acquisition of a motor skill. In this study, adaptation tested in patients with PD was comparable in the sham and TMS sessions, while retention indices tested on …

The Phenomenology Of Pain, Saulius Geniusas

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

The Phenomenology of Pain is the first book-length investigation of its topic to appear in English. Groundbreaking, systematic, and illuminating, it opens a dialogue between phenomenology and such disciplines as cognitive science and cultural anthropology to argue that science alone cannot clarify the nature of pain experience without incorporating a phenomenological approach. Building on this premise, Saulius Geniusas develops a novel conception of pain grounded in phenomenological principles: pain is an aversive bodily feeling with a distinct experiential quality, which can only be given in original first-hand experience, either as a feeling-sensation or as an emotion.

Geniusas crystallizes the fundamental …

Relational Inquiry: Seven-Years Practicing Seven Relationships, Gregg Lahood

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Greetings from Byron Bay—what follows is a postcard version of a seven-year cycle of relational inquiry retrospectively nicknamed The Rainbow of Desire. I outline our practices, explore five basic fields in our approach to new paradigm research, and present an updated version of my seven relationships model as a heuristic for understanding and participating in relational inquiry. As a contemporary spiritual expression, with roots in the Greek-Socratic tradition of research, and informed by Gestalt practice (not psychotherapy), this account may also be of value for persons interested in further Gestalt-transpersonal inquiry, research, and learning.

Somatics Research Bibliography: A Working Tool For Somatics And Somatic Psychology, Eleanor Criswell Hanna

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Many years ago when Somatics magazine was young, it occurred to me that it would be valuable to collect and publish research article references in Somatics magazine that were relevant to the different somatics disciplines to encourage the development of the field. There were next to no studies devoted to Somatics itself, but there were many studies devoted to the elements of somatic practices. Somatics is a multidisciplinary field. It builds on the research findings from many fields, such as anatomy, physiology, neurophysiology, psychology, dance, biomechanics, and education. The references are selected to be suggestive to the interested researcher and …

Entheogenic And Nature-Oriented Transpersonal Experiences, And Inspirations And Challenges Of Ecological And Sociopolitical Activism: Applying Participatory Action Research, Heuristic Inquiry, And Thematic Analysis To Empower Activists, Heather L. Walker

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

In original research on empowering adult North Americans who aspire to address the ecological crisis (N = 21), heuristic inquiry, participatory action research, and thematic analysis were applied to examining the challenges and inspirations to coresearchers' broadly defined activism. The following themes emerged: Entheogenic and nature-oriented transpersonal and awe-evoking experiences; identifying origins of the ecological crisis; high and low political efficacy—inspired activism; relations with nature increased wellbeing; psychospiritual development and activism were mutually stimulating; challenges to activism and nurturing selfgrowth to overcome challenges; individuation needs inspired and were a challenge to activism; ecologically conscious collaboration and lifestyle transformation fostered psychospiritual …

Relational Inquiry: Seven-Years Practicing Seven Relationships, Gregg Lahood

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Greetings from Byron Bay—what follows is a postcard version of a seven-year cycle of relational inquiry retrospectively nicknamed The Rainbow of Desire. I outline our practices, explore five basic fields in our approach to new paradigm research, and present an updated version of my seven relationships model as a heuristic for understanding and participating in relational inquiry. As a contemporary spiritual expression, with roots in the Greek-Socratic tradition of research, and informed by Gestalt practice (not psychotherapy), this account may also be of value for persons interested in further Gestalt-transpersonal inquiry, research, and learning.

Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy For Existential Suffering: Facilitating Self-Transcendence At The End-Of-Life, Kevin O. St. Arnaud

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Although existential suffering is amongst the most devastating forms of distress experienced by many patients nearing the end-of-life, it is often unsatisfactorily addressed due to a paucity of effective interventions. However, both historic and recent studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy have reported marked alleviation of this suffering. As such, this article seeks to advance the rationale for the use of psychedelic substances in the provision of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for patients nearing the end-of-life. It begins with an overview of the classic psychedelics and their application in psychotherapy, highlighting recent studies. This is followed with a conceptual overview of existential suffering at …

Transpersonal Dimensions In Islamic Spirituality, Nikos Yiangou

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The Sufi tradition that arose within Islam describes a compelling and varied map of the self and its transformations. Over the span of a millennium of practice and discourse, Sufis have explored and detailed the stages of the journey of selftransformation towards their ultimate aim of union with the One. Their models of the spiritual journey and of the emergent transpersonal self, extensively contextualized in phenomenology, epistemology, theology and ontology, offer singular insights into a richly detailed holistic psychology of self-realization and the making of the complete human.

Promoting Spiritual Wellness On A College Campus Through Community Based Participatory Research, Regina Idoate, Melissa Tibbits, Mark Gilbert, Michele Marie Desmarais, Christopher M. Fisher, Alicia Bower, Daniel J. Shipp, Joe Kaminski

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This case study describes an initiative to promote spiritual wellness on a public state college campus and demonstrates evidence of the effectiveness of taking a community-based approach. We employed the community readiness model to develop an initiative to promote spiritual wellness in a Midwestern state university. We recruited informants through purposeful sampling and conducted interviews, both pre- and post-initiative launch. Baseline data was used to inform initiative efforts. The community’s level of readiness to promote spiritual wellness increased from stage three, vague awareness, at baseline to stage six, initiation, at follow up. Although these findings are specific to our community, …

An Embodied Spiritual Inquiry Into The Nature Of Human Boundaries: Outcomes Of A Participatory Approach To Transpersonal Education And Research, Olga R. Sohmer, Ross C. Baumann, Jorge N. Ferrer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Embodied spiritual inquiry (ESI) is a radical approach to integral and transpersonal education and research offered as a graduate course at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Inspired by elements of participatory research and cooperative inquiry, ESI applies interactive embodied meditations to access multiple ways of knowing (e.g., somatic, vital, emotional, mental, contemplative) and mindfully inquire into collaboratively decided questions. This article presents the learning outcomes of an inquiry into the nature of human boundaries within and between co-inquirers, providing an example of how ESI is implemented in the classroom and can be used to study transpersonal subject matter. …

An Illustration Of Cooperative Inquiry Design: Finding Our Way To Precious Knowledge, Together, Susan L. Ross

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Although transpersonal psychology and practices are inherently holistic, vitally informed by an ontology of interconnectedness, and fundamentally open to practices that challenge hegemonic norms in research practices, the use of participatory methods that implement these ideals, remains scarce. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the details of the transpersonal research I co-conducted, which used Cooperative Inquiry to analyze the transpersonal phenomenon of psychospiritual transformation, for researchers and practitioners who seek an example to guide their investigations. My intent is to stimulate enthusiasm for this method by providing an overview of cooperative inquiry followed by a detailed account of …

Spiritual Emergence(Y), Psychosis, And Personality: Investigating The Role Of Schizotypy, Kylie P. Harris, Adam J. Rock, Gavin C. Clark

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Spiritual emergency (SEY) refers to a process of spiritual emergence (SE) or awakening that becomes traumatic for an individual, leading to a state of psychological crisis. There is evidence that SE(Y) is associated with both psychotic symptomatology and personality traits. This study examined the relationship between SE(Y), psychotic symptoms, and schizotypy, a construct that addresses psychotic-like personality traits in the general population. A total of 250 participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Results showed that SE(Y) was positively correlated with positive symptoms of psychosis and schizotypy, but demonstrated only very weak to no correlations with negative symptoms of psychosis and …

Is Diversity Possible In An Integrative Psychology-Transpersonal As A Whole Person-All Person Approach, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Table Of Contents—Masthead

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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The Mushroom, The Frog, And The Rainbow Of Desire: A Participatory-Psychedelic Spiritual Emergence, Gregg Lahood

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article will explore a spiritual emergency through a myth or fairy tale that emerged at the same time I had a frightening brush with death. Two days before the accident I had ingested psilocybin mushrooms. Michael Washburn, among other transpersonal theorists, will be used to interpret, amplify and re-frame this potential ‘psychotic episode’ with ‘borderline features’ into something more, perhaps, on the threshold of a shamanic initiation in a liminal state. The mythic sequence in my story anticipates the death-rebirth (perinatal pattern) and evolution of consciousness in the LSD research of Stanislav Grof; an evolution given epic participatory elucidation …

An Interview With John Heron: Exploring The Interface Between Cooperative Inquiry And Transpersonal Studies, John Heron, Olga R. Sohmer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

In this interview, John Heron—the founder of cooperative inquiry (CI; Heron, 1996, 1998)—discusses this experiential, participatory approach to research and learning with participatory research special issue guest editor Olga Sohmer. After presenting a summary of cooperative inquiry, Heron and Sohmer discuss CI in the context of transpersonal studies, including past and prospective future applications. Questioning the emphasis on “trans” in transpersonal, Heron unfolds the three dimensions of human spirituality that CI engages and offers a vision for transpersonal studies in light of CI ideals. Additional themes that are explored include cultivating authentic relationships in CI, the role of the nonhuman …