Transpersonal psychology, often described as the "fourth force" in psychology, goes beyond the individual and personal aspects of the mind. It explores the spiritual and transcendent dimensions of human experience, embracing topics like consciousness, peak experiences, and the interconnectedness of all things.
In transpersonal psychology, we explore the depths of the unconscious. Transpersonal psychology doesn't just stop at the individual. It aims to understand the self as part of a greater universal creation.
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Many therapies incorporate transpersonal practices.
For example Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) invites us to live a mindful life. This is more than simply practising mindfulness meditation. This is a commitment to participating in the universe through an understanding that we are all connected. Mindfulness in DBT reminds us that we are all suffering in some way. This is a universal truth and through Transpersonal Psychology we can find meaning and connectedness through this understanding of human suffering.
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Humanistic psychology founded by Carl Rogers suggests that we are all capable of 'peak experiences'. These are experiences of immense awe and elation, pure gratitude and love, feelings of expansion and harmony. Transpersonal psychology advocates for techniques and practices that can bring you towards these peak experiences.
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Some examples might be meditation, yoga, breathe work, prayer, charity, chanting, Tia chi, even swimming in the ocean can become a transpersonal experience when you combine it with mindfulness.
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It seems that mainstream psychology and Transpersonal Psychology have more in common than at first glance.
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