Transpersonal psychology and the religious person.

Abstract

Transpersonal psychotherapy is an approach to healing and growth that aims at the integration of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of well-being. The goals of transpersonal psychotherapy encompass the classic ones of normal healthy functioning, but go beyond these to include spiritual issues explored from a psychological perspective. Transpersonal psychotherapy differs from other therapeutic approaches in that it reframes the Western psychological tradition in the broader context of the perennial philosophy, the common mystical root of the great world religions (Huxley, 1944;Smith, 1976;Wilber, 1977).A transpersonal therapist may employ traditional psychotherapeutic techniques, such as free association and analysis of the transference, as well as methods derived from spiritual disciplines, such as meditation and mind training. The client may be encouraged to attend to mind-body processes and explore the inner world of dreams and fantasies, as well as to examine religious beliefs and discuss spiritual experiences. As we will show, some clients may go so far as to have profound spiritual experiences in a psychotherapy setting.

A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Spirituality and Quality of Life

“…Furthermore, the definition of the NIHR consensus panel is congruent with a wide variety of conceptual and operational definitions used by researchers from diverse disciplinary and theoretical backgrounds. In particular, the definition supports the widely acknowledged notion that spirituality is subjectively defined by personal experiences, beliefs and practices that may or may not be regulated by an overarching organized social context (Vaughan et al, 1996;Elkins et al, 1988;Larson et al, 1998).…”

“…Sacred refers to those aspects of life that are either transcendent in nature or related to a transcendent dimension (Larson et al, 1998;Pargament, 1999;George et al, 2000;Hill et al, 2000;). A third important attribute of spirituality pertains to the notion that spirituality is defined by persons' subjective experiences that may not necessarily be expressed through predefined behaviors and practices (Vaughan et al, 1996;Larson et al, 1998). Finally, spirituality is distinguished from religion to reflect the spirituality of people who consider themselves to be spiritual but not necessarily religious.…”

The Role of Spirituality in the Relationship Between Religiosity and Depression in Prostate Cancer Patients

“…Spirituality is defined as helping one understand and find purpose and meaning in life (8). Spirituality can be described as a broader and more universal construct than religiosity, framing spirituality as a subjective experience that can exist both inside and outside a religious framework (9). Hence, spirituality can exist in people who consider themselves very religious, slightly religious, or not at all religious (10).…”

Spiritually based parenting workshop: An outcome study

“…Consequently, a number of psychologists have begun exploring how the integration of traditional religious practices, such as bodywork (Vaughan, Wittine, & Walsh, 1996), contemplation of scripture (Sperry & Giblin, 1996;Tan, 1996), and various forms of prayer (Sperry & Giblin, 1996;Tan, 1996), can be usefully integrated into existing techniques. Others have developed specific spiritually focused interventions for dealing with an array of issues, including child abuse, divorce, illness, and anxiety (Pargament et al, 2005).…”