Archetypal dimensions of expanded states
November 19, 2020 DOI: 10.4324/9780429343261-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the bio-psycho-social model is inadequate for understanding expanded states of consciousness and proposes a bio-psycho-socio-archetypal (BPSA) model that adds an archetypal perspective. Introduces the concept of "archetypal penetrance" and contends that attachment, early trauma, adverse life events, and psychodynamic factors are important to this understanding. |
Abstract
The traditional bio-psycho-social model of psyche is inadequate for our understanding of expanded states of consciousness such as reflected in psychedelic experiences and cases of spiritual emergency. I suggest that adding an archetypal perspective to produce a bio-psycho-socio-archetypal (BPSA) model gives us a more complete picture. I will begin with a description of a spiritual emergency before exploring the allegory of Plato’s cave to offer an initial perspective of the territory that we may traverse in moving away from consensus reality. In this connection, I refer to the work of Stanislav Grof concerning the areas of psyche that become available to us in expanded states. I introduce the concept of archetypal penetrance and comment on the importance of attachment, early trauma, adverse life events and psychodynamic factors.