Learning Together to Heal: Toward an Integrated Practice of Transpersonal Psychology, Experiential Learning, and Neuroscience for Collective Healing
Peace and Conflict Studies January 1, 2019 Tatsushi Arai, Jean Bosco Niyonzima
An integrated framework combining transpersonal psychology, experiential learning, and neuroscience can support psychosocial healing in societies affected by conflict and trauma. Transpersonal exercises such as yoga and meditation, along with experiential techniques like storytelling, rituals, and metaphors, complement each other in promoting wellbeing. Neuroscientific studies using neuroimaging provide scientific foundations for these activities. A case study of the Ubuntu Center for Peace in Rwanda illustrates how the framework applies to real-world conflict and trauma, with preliminary findings from a program evaluation of a community-based social healing initiative.