30 years ago I lucked into a most perfect program for me, spiritual psychology, based on Roberto Assigioli’s psychosynthesis. From the first meeting it felt like coming home. One of the things I remember is after a couple of meetings I raised my hand, a bit embarrassed, to ask what is “Presence”, since it seemed that everyone else understood its meaning. By that time I had Bachelor’s in Psychology and a ME.D in counseling. And yet it wasn’t until I heard the term Spiritual Psychology that my life and my education aligned.
I’ve been watching this general conversation for decades.
The problem, as you state, is that much of current psychology is stuck in the European Enlightenment’s repudiation of the Church, and Behaviorism’s obsession with establishing psychology as a legit science through reductionist methodology.
It’s not helped by the articulations in the ancient traditions being in pre-modern and often culture-bound terms — *and* designed to address a different kind of “wounding” than we have in the West.
And it’s not helped by the very narrow aperture that most people, including psychologists, have to the transcendent/transpersonal dimension of consciousness. The existence of this mode-of-knowing is very difficult to demonstrate, so many clinicians and theoreticians view it as metaphorical or something contained within the individual person. And it is neither.
And even when clinicians & investigators are transcendence-aware, “non-dual states” remain mostly hypothetical, and few clinicians have the subtlety and breadth of awareness to directly perceive the movement of the transcendent in/through the beings of their clients — how the transcendent dimension of the client’s being is sensately acting-upon their human life.
So there is a tremendous need for researchers and psychotherapists to also be spiritual adepts — to have a deep and fruitful personal spiritual practice — preferably mentored in one of the authentic traditions that actually understands the “subtle anatomy of the mind” and has a time-tested empirical view and technical toolbox.
I look forward to further development of this theme with your guests.
Great points today, Stephen! Yes, when I'd studied Transpersonal Psychology, in Calif., I did it in conjunction with my M.A. at the time in Creation Spirituality, as (then Fr.) Matthew Fox was still there at that time. I got a bit of 'flack' from some quarters, though, for trying to 'combine', as you put it, these two allegedly 'divergent' areas, Psychology and Spirituality, but that program also incorporated the powers and beauty of creation as well, so the environmental aspects, along with the beautiful trees on campus there, also provided a 'haven' at that time for us M.A. students, back then, in the '80s. So, it is so heartening to read your insightful comments here today, and let us all embrace all of who we - in a very real sense - already are, and have been! So, I wish everyone well on your own journeys, as we all build and further contribute our own 'thread' into a larger, beautiful tapestry, for the good of all. And with some music included, to celebrate resonance of us all! Blessings and joy to all
30 years ago I lucked into a most perfect program for me, spiritual psychology, based on Roberto Assigioli’s psychosynthesis. From the first meeting it felt like coming home. One of the things I remember is after a couple of meetings I raised my hand, a bit embarrassed, to ask what is “Presence”, since it seemed that everyone else understood its meaning. By that time I had Bachelor’s in Psychology and a ME.D in counseling. And yet it wasn’t until I heard the term Spiritual Psychology that my life and my education aligned.
I’ve been watching this general conversation for decades.
The problem, as you state, is that much of current psychology is stuck in the European Enlightenment’s repudiation of the Church, and Behaviorism’s obsession with establishing psychology as a legit science through reductionist methodology.
It’s not helped by the articulations in the ancient traditions being in pre-modern and often culture-bound terms — *and* designed to address a different kind of “wounding” than we have in the West.
And it’s not helped by the very narrow aperture that most people, including psychologists, have to the transcendent/transpersonal dimension of consciousness. The existence of this mode-of-knowing is very difficult to demonstrate, so many clinicians and theoreticians view it as metaphorical or something contained within the individual person. And it is neither.
And even when clinicians & investigators are transcendence-aware, “non-dual states” remain mostly hypothetical, and few clinicians have the subtlety and breadth of awareness to directly perceive the movement of the transcendent in/through the beings of their clients — how the transcendent dimension of the client’s being is sensately acting-upon their human life.
So there is a tremendous need for researchers and psychotherapists to also be spiritual adepts — to have a deep and fruitful personal spiritual practice — preferably mentored in one of the authentic traditions that actually understands the “subtle anatomy of the mind” and has a time-tested empirical view and technical toolbox.
I look forward to further development of this theme with your guests.
@}->-`,----
Great points today, Stephen! Yes, when I'd studied Transpersonal Psychology, in Calif., I did it in conjunction with my M.A. at the time in Creation Spirituality, as (then Fr.) Matthew Fox was still there at that time. I got a bit of 'flack' from some quarters, though, for trying to 'combine', as you put it, these two allegedly 'divergent' areas, Psychology and Spirituality, but that program also incorporated the powers and beauty of creation as well, so the environmental aspects, along with the beautiful trees on campus there, also provided a 'haven' at that time for us M.A. students, back then, in the '80s. So, it is so heartening to read your insightful comments here today, and let us all embrace all of who we - in a very real sense - already are, and have been! So, I wish everyone well on your own journeys, as we all build and further contribute our own 'thread' into a larger, beautiful tapestry, for the good of all. And with some music included, to celebrate resonance of us all! Blessings and joy to all
https://open.substack.com/pub/nwlehmann90/p/when-bodies-say-no-what-happens-when?r=3e303s&utm_medium=ios
Trying to find others who could share their thoughts on what I’ve been researching recently.
It's truly undeniable that human beings are a merger between the physical and spiritual. Completeness comes from embracing and mastering both.
30 years ago
Might be more like heart-led coherence with mind, soul, body and energy field. Psych is but one slice of the whole for perfect alignment.
So familiar, thank you for helping with the threads. ✨
You are very much appreciated, thank you, Pat p