Running head: TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Transpersonal Psychology

June Saxton

Kaplan University

HW420

Mark Maule

1/15/2013

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TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Transpersonal Psychology

The 1970’s research was conducted in the field of psychoneuroimmunology

which is the field of research which examines the relationship between the mind and the

body’s immune system. Dr. Robert Ader was an early researcher in the field. He

conducted research on rats using saccharine-sweetened water and a nausea producing

drug and discovered that the rats had learned to associate the water with the nausea

because drinking the sweetened water produced nausea ever when the drug was not in

the water. Additional research was done using biofeedback at the Menninger Clinic by

Elmer and Alyce Green. They discovered that we can train our minds to control our

blood pressure, pulse, muscular tension, skin temperature, bowels etc. Candice Pert

discovered a series of body proteins called neuropeptides that carry messages throughout

the body from the brain. Through these the brain talks to the immune system, the heart to

the kidneys, the glands to our cells and create a fully interconnected system. All of this

is important in the field of health and wellness because a mental event can lead to a

physical event, so if we can control, transform or eliminate negative emotions we can

reverse their adverse effect on our body. Also we can transform our mind in the

direction of health, happiness and wholeness we can transform our body in the same

direction (Dacher, 2006).

Peter Schnall studied mid-level managers who suffered from job strain to

determine how this stress affected. The study showed that some of them developed

feeling of helplessness, powerlessness and mental stress, but some of them saw it as a

challenge and were able to cope with the situation. Those that weren’t able to cope

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ended up with chronic hypertension and an enlarged heart (Dacher, 2006). To me this

study emphasizes the need to develop inner resources that to permanently change our

minds and create a mind/body connection.

The five characteristics of Aesclepian Healing are:

1. Holistic – Aseclepian is truly holistic because it covers all aspects the human

experience: psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal and worldly (Dacher, 2006).

2. Evolutionary – Evolutionary development expands our minds to extend our

knowledge, resources and capacities. It is a progressive change that is self-generated and

self-cultivated and creates a thorough, permanent change in how we look at life and its

possibilities thus allowing one to ascend to a new level of existence (Dacher, 2006).

3. Intentional – Intention allows one to thoughtfully, carefully and proactively

look at our choices and carry them out. Intention helps us to learn how to place and hold

our attention on a chosen experience. We need to refine our attention, so that we do not

let it wonder to random thoughts, feeling and images. We need develop our intention and

attention through contemplative practice, so that we can carefully chose and attend to

our goals and priorities.

4. Person-Centered – Aesclepian healing allows individuals to explore many

approaches to the mind, body and spirit and trusts them to find what works best for

them. It is an individual approach which allows one to be seen as an individual who is

unique. The wise healer in us (Asclepius) helps us to see that healing and becoming

whole is person-centered and tailored to the individual (Dacher, 2006).

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5. Dynamic – Aescelpian healing shows us that healing must always be a dynamic

experience which allows each individual to explore diverse approach to the body, mind

and spirit thus helping them to feel alive and vital. It is ever-changing because life

changes and what is appropriate one day may not be on another day. It is not a one-size-

fits-all solution (Dacher, 2006).

Transpersonal Psychology transcends and looks beyond the personal. It is the

experiences that transcend the usual boundaries of one’s body and ego and is outside the

limits of space and time. The Western view of the human experience is more

materialistic and uses the medical model which treats symptoms and tends to look at

these experiences and dismiss them as irrelevant and products of fantasy and

imagination at best and deviant at worst. By recognizing that there are experiences

which go beyond the personal and realizing that human nature goes beyond what is

taught in Western universities and what our industrialized civilization believes it to be,

we can create a new scientific paradigm which includes non-ordinary states of

consciousness (Schlitz, Amorok & Micozzi, 2005).

The research related to the mind-body-spirit focus reveals that the condition of

our body is a reflection of the condition of our mind. This information is critical to

health and wellness professionals because a healthy and developed inner life is an

essential complement to other treatments. Things like psychotherapy, stress-reduction

strategies, relaxation techniques, drugs and other behavior techniques temporarily solve

the problem but unless our inner development is healthy the problems will most likely

reappear somewhere else in the body (Dacher, 2006).

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References

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach:

Basic Health Publications Inc.

Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. S. (2005).Consciousness and healing. St Louis, MO:

Churchill Livingstone.

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