Dane Rudhyar’s concept of transpersonal life
Jindřich Veselý
CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR CONTEMPORARY RELIGION June 23, 2017 DOI: 10.14712/25704893.2017.2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Argues that Dane Rudhyar's conception of transpersonality centers on the idea that transpersonal individuality allows influence from higher forces or beings into the time and space of our world, and that such a life represents the completion of individual existence and the evolution of humanity and the cosmos. The article distinguishes active, conscious transpersonality from passive mediumity and connects Rudhyar's ideas to theosophy, perennialism, the transpersonal movement, and New Age. |
Abstract
Dane Rudhyar was a composer, theosophist, philosopher, artist and a significant astrologer. His conception of transpersonality is crucial in almost all of his works and ideas. The article presents this conception in the context of Rudhyar’s transpersonal psychology, philosophy of history, cosmology, metaphysics and also his interpretation of the basic themes and ideas of H. P. Blavatsky’s theosophy. Rudhyar’s conception of transpersonality is based on an idea that through transpersonal inidividuality there is influence from higher forces or beings in the time and space of our world. The transpersonal life of a person like this has its cosmological and metaphysical aspects; it might be said that transpersonality means completion of inidividual existence, evolution of mankind and cosmos. This way of life also has a profound meaning for spirituality, ethics, esoteric initiation and sexuality. The article deals with Rudhyar’s distinction between active and conscious transpersonality, and passive mediumity, too. We also consider connections between Rudhyar’s ideas and similar or parallel movements, especially with theosophy, perrenialism, transpersonal movement and New Age. Finally we briefly discuss strong and weak points of Rudhyar’s conception, but also limitations of a strictly theoretical approach.