A Spiritual Journey: The Road Less Traveled “Live to learn to love. Learn to love to live. Love to live to learn so that you may live the life that you yearn.”-Rico Dasheem

 What is transpersonal psychology?  What does transpersonal psychology consider?  Steps to transpersonal psychology.  What is the Fourth Force?  Present day transpersonal psychology.  Practices of transpersonal psychology.  Benefits to society from transpersonalism.  Traditional versus forward thinkers.

 Transpersonal – - study of psychological growth a person experiences - enhanced stages of consciousness; beyond reason - explores the mystical, the unexplainable  Transpersonal Psychology- -involves the study of the transpersonal and spiritual aspects of human beings

 Spiritual Self-Development - belief that extraordinary potential lies deep within each of us; largely untapped in most people  Mystical Experiences- heightened states of conscious awareness; understanding of the true meaning of their “being” through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight.  Systemic Trance - a state of ecstasy, any modalities and states of mind, which bring about awareness or consciousness; occurs involuntarily or voluntarily; associated with meditation, magic, and prayer

 Peak Experiences – describes any transpersonal states one might experience; involve moments of euphoria, interconnectedness, and harmony; an awakening to the higher truth  “Self” beyond ego – a knowing of your true “Self”; ego is the perception of identity of oneself in the physical world; ego prohibits the actualization of true “Self”

 Psychoanalysis - is a psychological theory developed by Sigmund Freud -involves human behavior and thinking at irrational levels -attempts to bring behavioral drives into awareness - one's development is determined by events in early childhood -conflicts between conscious view of reality and unconscious material can result in mental disturbances -the freeing from mental disturbances is achieved by bringing the unconscious material into the consciousness

 Behaviorism- philosophy of psychology that believes acting, thinking and feeling are behaviors -also known as learning perspective, which considers any action to be behavior  Humanistic Psychology- is a psychological perspective focusing on the condition of human existence - involves an individual’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, and their purpose of life. - study of structures of consciousness perceived from the first-person point of view

 Transpersonal psychology was developed from the original three schools of psychology: psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic psychology to become the fourth wave force of psychology.  Transpersonal psychology incorporates all matters pertaining to human development. - is considered to be the most integrated psychology - covers everything from personality to transpersonality, mind to meditation, neuroscience to Nirvana

 Transpersonal psychology now includes approaches to social sciences, health, and the practical arts.  Transpersonal ideas are being used in a wide-range of diverse fields, such as: pharmacology, psychiatry, psychology, sociology, and anthropology.  Transpersonal concepts are being integrated into many psychology departments in universities around the globe, including the United States and Europe.

 Involves any practice that leads to an expanded awareness, a greater sense of purpose and presence, and a greater degree of self- transcendence  Core practices of transpersonal psychology include: - contemplative prayer (non- verbal, a form of mental prayer) - meditation (refers to an assortment of practices that are geared towards training the mind to be aware) - ritual (describes any set of actions performed for symbolic value)

 Developments in transpersonal psychology benefit both psychology and spiritual disciplines  Psychology benefits: - greater understanding of the human experience and it’s full potential - will help people to realize and development this “potential”  Spiritual Community benefits: - can gain insights into human development that will help people to overcome obstacles to spiritual enlightenment

 Path followers or “traditional thinkers” - do not believe nor recognize transpersonalism, which goes beyond psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic psychology  Road Less Travelers or “ forward thinkers” - believe in evolutionary nature of consciousness with its instinctive drive to self- transcendence - embraces other 3 forms of psychology as integral parts to the development of human awareness and potential

 Cortright, Brant (1997, July). Psychotherapy and Spirit: Theory and Practice in Transpersonal Psychotherapy, State University of New York Press  Daniels, Michael (2005, August 25). Shadow, Self, Spirit, Imprint Academic Publisher  Walsh, Roger, Vaughn, Frances (1993, September 15). Paths Beyond Ego: The Transpersonal Vision, Tarcher Publishers

 Battista, John, Chinen, Allen, and Scotton, Bruce. (1996 May 17). Textbook of transpersonal psychiatry and psychology. Basic Books.  Cortwright, Brant. (1997 Jul). Psychotherapy and spirit: theory and practice in transpersonal psychotherapy (sucy series, philosophy of psychology). State University of New York Press.  Grof, Stanislov. (2000 July). Psychology of the future: lessons from the modern consciousness research (suny series, transpersonal and humanistic psychology. State University of New York Press.