The contribution of Western Esotericism to transpersonal psychology

Abstract

In this article I argue that Transpersonal Psychology has a close relationship with Western Esotericism, represented by the contemporary ‘modern occult revival’. I present an overview of a few key transpersonal psychologists and how their ideas display the characteristics of Western Esotericism as defined by Antoine Faivre. I then discuss whether this approach is appropriate, the implications of associating Western Esotericism with Transpersonal Psychology, and the potential for a re-synthesis of these two traditions.