Transpersonal Psychology
Glenn Hartelius, Harris L. Friedman
The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology January 30, 2010 DOI: 10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy1007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that transpersonal psychology formally emerged in the 1960s, rooted in psychedelic experimentation and mysticism, as an extension of humanistic psychology focusing on consciousness and spirituality. |
Abstract
Abstract Transpersonal psychology (TP) emerged in the United States during the 1960s, a turbulent time when psychedelic experimentation and the rediscovery of mysticism, primarily from Eastern and indigenous traditions, caused much deep reflection. It grew from the growing discontent by some humanistic psychologists who questioned the limitations of a solely human‐based psychology that paid scant attention to consciousness and spirituality. Although TP had many earlier roots, its formal birth is generally linked to the debut of the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology . The lead article in this journal's first issue was written by one of TP's founders, Abraham Maslow (1969), who had played a key role in developing humanistic psychology and then refocused his attention on developing a psychology centered on human connections to the cosmos. Among other notable TP founding figures are Stanislav Grof (1985) and Charles Tart (1975).