Transpersonal psychology: Defining the past, divining the future.

Abstract

Retrospective analysis of definitions published 35 years suggests the major subject areas of the field can be summed up in three themes: beyond-ego psychology, integrative/holistic psychology, and psychology of transformation. Theme frequency analysis reveals that early emphasis on alternative states of consciousness has moderated into a broader approach to human transcendence, wholeness, and transformation. This expanded definition of transpersonal psychology suggests the field has much in common with integral psychology. As a comprehensive, historically based content summary, this tripartite definition contributes a small but vital piece to the foundation of a transpersonal vision that is spreading across the globe. While transpersonal psychology still needs to embody the inclusiveness and diversity that it represents, its vision is one of great relevance to the contemporary human condition. Artistic inspiration is best expressed by creating art rather than by making explanations. It is in this sense that transpersonal psychology, with its uplifting vision, has had difficulty defining itself. Yet, just as the soul of an artist’s muse can be divined from a body of work, a clearer picture of transpersonal psychology can be drawn from looking at how it has expressed itself through its approximately first 35 years (i.e., all but one of the definitions in the corpus date from the period 1969–2003). We inquire not only into the definition of the field, but also into its character: what are the themes that make it up, how have these themes unfolded, and as we follow its arc through time, what can we imagine for the future of transpersonal psychology? Where is the field spreading? How well does it embody what it represents? This article summarizes the findings from four related studies: a thematic analysis of a corpus of definitions of transpersonal psychology published over a 35-year period, a thematic analysis of relevant portions of Boucouvalas’ (1980) in-depth