The Fourth Force - Why Interest in Transpersonal Psychology Is Growing - by Johnny Stork, MSC - Medium

10/28/23, 12:19 PM The Fourth Force — Why Interest In Transpersonal Psychology Is Growing | by Johnny Stork, MSc | Medium
Search
The Fourth Force — Why Interest In

Transpersonal Psychology Is
Growing
Johnny Stork, MSc · Follow
46 min read · Nov 3, 2019
--
Growing interest in spirituality, well-being, consciousness and psychedelics

have increased demand for transpersonal perspectives across many fields.
https://johnnystork.medium.com/the-fourth-force-why-interest-in-transpersonal-psychology-is-growing-21ce4afa0108 1/51
“The renaissance of interest in Eastern spiritual philosophies, various mystical

traditions, meditation, ancient and aboriginal wisdom, as well as the
widespread psychedelic experimentation during the stormy 1960s, made it
absolutely clear that a comprehensive and cross-culturally valid psychology
had to include observations from such areas as mystical states; cosmic
consciousness; psychedelic experiences; trance phenomena; creativity; and
religious, artistic, and scientific inspiration.” (Stanislav Grof)
T he field of psychology has evolved significantly over the last 150 years
as our scientific understanding of mental heath, consciousness,
altered-states, spirituality, well-being and flourishing grows. Beginning
around the turn of the 19th century, the field of psychology expanded from
an early focus on pathology and the psychodynamic theories of Freud (First
Force), through the behaviorism of Watson and Skinner (Second Force),
through the humanistic psychology of Maslow, Rogers and others (Third
Force), to the current and most inclusive approach, transpersonal
psychology (Fourth Force). It is important to note that these “Forces” or
models of psychology are not separate disciplines. Rather, as science
uncovers new — or re-discovers previously ignored — factors which are
found to play an important role in human psychology, consciousness, well-
being and flourishing, these factors find their way into an ever-broadening
and more holistic view of psychology. Although humanistic psychology
(Third Force) was certainly considered a “whole person” approach taking
into account social, moral, existential, meaning and self-actualization
factors, the pioneers of humanistic psychology in the 60’s believed there was
still something missing — self-transcendence.
In Maslow’s original and iconic Hierarchy of Needs pyramid of personal

growth, the concept of “Self Actualization” was originally considered the
pinnacle of human drives, motivation and personal development. Self
actualization is the drive towards and realization of, one’s highest potential,
talents and capabilities in occupation, creativity, sport, music or
relationship. In his later years Maslow revised his Hierarchy of Needs

(Koltko-Rivera, 2006) and placed self-transcendence above self-actualization
as the highest potential of human development and consciousness. Simply
put, the difference between self-actualization and self-transcendence is that
the former focuses on the needs of the ego (self), while the latter focuses on
things beyond (trans) the self like compassion, altruism, spiritual
awakening, escaping from egocentricity and ultimately the unity of
being/life/cosmos. Maslow described self transcendence as follows:
“Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of
human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to
oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to
nature, and to the cosmos.” (The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, New
York, 1971, p. 269)
Maslow’s Final Model
Given the growing concern that there was still something missing from the
humanistic approach to psychology, in 1967 a working-group consisting of
Abraham Maslow, Anthony Sutich, Stanislav Grof, James Fadiman, Miles

Vich and Sonya Margulies met in California with the goal of defining and
creating a new Fourth Force of psychology (transpersonal). This new
approach would embrace the full spectrum of human experience, including
the self-transcendent states of consciousness which had been shown to play
such a significant role in exceptional states, psychedelics, contemplative
practices and thousands of years of ancient wisdom traditions (Grof, 2008). A
few years after that fateful meeting in 1967 with Maslow, Suttich, Grof and
others, in 1969 the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology began publication
and in 1971 the Association for Transpersonal Psychology was established,
which recently celebrated it’s 50 Year Anniversary. The Fourth Force —
Transpersonal Psychology — had formally arrived.
Although the field of transpersonal psychology is considered by many to be

the most current, comprehensive and holistic approach to human
psychology, behavior and well-being, there are (at least) five specific reasons
why interest in transpersonal psychology continues to grow and is becoming
even more relevant today and likely into the future. Those five reasons
include:
1. Spirituality, Happiness & Well-Being are in Vogue.
2. Demand for Integrative Medicine is Growing.
3. Consciousness is Everywhere.
4. Science and Spirituality are Merging
5. Explosive Growth of Interest in Psychedelics.
This article will attempt to argue why interest in transpersonal psychology

continues to grow and why the transpersonal approach is uniquely and
fortunately situated at the right time and the right place to become a leading
force in the areas of spirituality, consciousness, integrative/holistic healing,
psychedelics, life coaching and the merging of science and spirituality.

Before I begin, it may be useful to settle on both a description and a
definition for transpersonal psychology. In a retrospective review of the
definitions in the scientific literature going back 35 years, Hartelius, Caplan
and Rardin (2009) were able to identify three primary themes which
encapsulate the main areas of focus and research, within transpersonal
psychology.
1. Beyond-ego psychology
2. Integrative/holistic psychology
3. Psychology of transformation
Integrating these three main themes (and underlying sub-themes),

Hartelius, Caplan and Rardin (2009) offer us the following summary
definition of transpersonal psychology:
“ An approach to psychology that 1) studies phenomena beyond the ego as

context for 2) an integrative/holistic psychology; this provides a framework for
3) understanding and cultivating human transformation. “ (p. 11)
(1) SPIRITUALITY, HAPPINESS & WELL-BEING ARE IN VOGUE!

Spiritual But Not Religious!
B eginning around the end of the 20th century, there were signs of a
growing trend into the scientific study of religion and spirituality and
how these practices impacted mental health, happiness and well-being
(Weaver, Pargament, Flannelly & Openheimer, 2006). What now appears to
be accepted science, is that both religion and spirituality contribute to one’s
self-reported levels of subjective well-being (Lun & Bond, 2013) and overall
health (Fehring et al. 1997). Along with this growing trend of investigations
into the science and psychology behind the role of religion and spirituality
on well-being, a study by Weaver, Pargament, Flannelly & Openheimer
(2006) discovered an imbalance between the numbers of articles published
around spirituality compared to the number of articles published on
religion. What these researchers found was that between the years 1965 and
2000, although there had been a dramatic increase in the overall number of
studies looking into religion, spirituality and health “the resurgence of
interest is almost entirely attributable to the attention devoted to the
construct of spirituality” (p. 211), as can be seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1
This growing trend in the number of articles published around spirituality

and health up to the year 2000 has not only continued well into the 21st
century (Lun & Bond, 2013), but a more recent Pew Research poll also found
that fewer people were identifying themselves as “religious”, but with a
corresponding increase in people who identified as “spiritual but not
religious” (Lipka & Cecewicz, 2017). One has to look no further than the
“bible” of mental disorders — the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM) — for confirmation of the important role that
spirituality and religion are thought to play in mental health. In 1994 the
DSV-IV included a new section for “religious or spiritual problems” (DSM).
Even the business world has enthusiastically embraced the important role of
spirituality as a tool to foster employee health. Employees and managers

alike are seeking out “meaning, personal and professional growth, and even
spiritual growth” in their corporate environments (Tischler, 1999. P. 273).
And when it comes to the practices typically associated with mental-health,

the trend seems ubiquitous and almost universal. Whether it’s medicine
(Roberti, 2007), psychiatry (Baetz, Griffin, Bowen & Marcoux, 2004; Tadmor,
2019), psychotherapy (Post, 2009), counselling (Plumb, 2011) or life coaching
(Williams, 2012, Stork, 2018, Dangeli, n.d), the concept and practices of
spirituality are increasingly being recognized as important, if not necessary,
aspects of mental health and wellbeing. The message here seems clear. In
spite of the uneasy, sometimes even competitive relationship between
religion/spirituality and psychotherapy during the last century — both vying
for a means to explain or heal the soul/psyche — the important role of
religion/spirituality in mental health and well-being now appears to be
accepted wisdom. Thereby establishing the field of transpersonal
psychology at the very forefront of this new post-materialist integration of
science, psychology and spirituality (Taylor, 2018).
“ We are witnessing a spiritual awakening unprecedented in modern times,

according to scholars in American religious thought.” (Taylor, 1994).
Happiness & Well-Being
Happiness and well-being research has been going on since around the early
60’s when the humanistic and positive psychology movements helped to shift
a focus from merely treating pathology and reducing symptoms of mental-
illness, towards fostering the more positive aspects of happiness, well-being
and flourishing. Concurrent with the trends investigating the role of
spirituality on health and wellness and the increase in the numbers of
people who identify as “spiritual but not religious (Lipka & Cecewicz, 2017),
the science and psychology behind the concept of “well-being” has also
increased steadily over the past few decades (Diener, Suh, Lucas & Smith,
1999; Cloninger, 2008). As of 2017, the World Happiness Database — which
tracks happiness/well-being research — indicated over 12000 articles to date
and the exponential rise in in publications continues to this day as can be
seen in figure 2 below.
Figure 2
Well-Being and Public Policy
Along with the growing interest around the science behind and interest in,
spirituality, happiness and well-being as they relate to mental-health, there
also appears to be evidence of a growing political trend towards the
implementation of “happiness” or “well-being” factors in setting public
policy. In 2008 the small country of Bhutan implemented an economic and
social policy index which they titled “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) — as
opposed to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The GNH index would take into
account the overall wellbeing of its citizens when assessing the country’s
welfare. The implementation of the GNH in Bhutan implied that sustainable
development is best defined by a more holistic approach where equal

importance is given to the happiness and well-being of its citizens as a
measure of progress, along with the economic and material-good’s scale of
the GDP.
More recently, New Zealand announced that it was moving away from
traditional bottom-line factors like economic growth and productivity as
measures of the country’s overall health. Instead, New Zealand will place a
heavy emphasis on community, cultural connection and equity factors
through increased spending on mental-health supports, addressing domestic
violence, child poverty and homelessness (Young-Powell, 2019). Apparently
in a bid to not to be outdone by New Zealand, the former head of civil
services and spending in the UK also announced that “personal wellbeing
rather than economic growth should be the primary aim of government
spending” (Partington, 2019).
These announcements from multiple countries have demonstrated that well-

being and happiness are increasingly being recognized as important, even
critical factors in establishing public policy and determining the overall
health of a country and its citizens ( Alkire, S. (2013). It would appear that
happiness and well-being are becoming the new GDP (Stratton, 2010). Once
again, establishing the significant role for transpersonal psychology and the
application of transpersonal principles, in an ever-widening scope of
mental-health, wellness and even political arenas.
Taken as a whole, the steady growth of interest into the science of

spirituality, well-being and happiness, along with the increasing number of
people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” (Lipka & Cecewicz, 2017),
the expanding interest into bridging the science and spirituality divide
(Taylor, 2018) and now the spread of well-being factors to public policy, the
demand for and value of transpersonal psychology would appear to be
poised for significant growth.
(2) DEMAND FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IS GROWING
O ver the past few decades, and especially during the last few years,
there has also been an explosive growth in the science behind and
awareness of, the many physical, psychological and wellness benefits of
holistic or integrative forms of medicine — treating the person (as a whole)
and not just the illness or symptoms. Whether you call it holistic medicine,
patient-centered care or integrative healthcare, the demand for health and
wellness practices which treat the entire body and mind as an integrated
whole, has increased steadily over the years (Coulter, 2007).
“ Integrative Medicine (IM) is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of

the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the
therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by
evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies.” (Andrew Weil Center
for Integrative Medicine)
All across the globe, the practice of medicine is undergoing a radical shift
towards treating the totality of the person and not just the symptoms of
illness or treating the pathology in isolation from the rest of the body, or the
state of mind of the patient. Doctors, hospitals and medical centers are
embracing the “self-healing capacities” of the human body and using
approaches to healing which facilitate a “reawakening of the individual
potentialities” of each person (Roberti, 2007, p.45). And according to
Stephanie Romanoff, communications director for the Academy of
Integrative Health & Medicine, even though integrative medicine is not
receiving the same level of funding that traditional pharmaceuticals get, the
significant increase in consumer demand for these holistic or integrative
approaches, compounded by an increased interested from academia and
governments, has led to a significant increase in the scientific research
which is validating the efficacy of these integrated approaches to medicine.
(Thompson, 2016). In 2015, upwards of 50 major medical institutions in the
United States had the word “integrative” in their name at places like
Stanford, Duke, Harvard and the Mayo Clinic where most were offering
various holistic approaches like acupuncture, nutrition counselling,
meditation in combination with traditional approaches (Gritz, 2015).
Recall from the introduction to this article the following description of the
three main themes which underlie the field of transpersonal psychology
research and related practices. The description was provided by Hartelius,
Caplan and Rardin (2009), which clearly identifies the significant role, or
theme, of integrative and holistic practices within the field of transpersonal
psychology:
1. Beyond-ego psychology
2. Integrative/holistic psychology
3. Psychology of transformation
Although the acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

and integrative medicine has seen a steady but slow growth over the decades
(McMillen, 2011), these relatively recent trends embracing the underlying
holistic or integrative nature of many of these approaches suggests an
important shift in healing philosophy is underway in the field of medicine.
When we have a growing number of doctors who are referring to treating a
patient’s “body, mind, and spirit” (Gritz, 2015), the integrative/holistic
component inherent in the definition and practice of transpersonal
psychology, seems once again to be in the right time and the right place in
history.
(3) CONSCIOUSNESS IS EVERYWHERE!

West vs East
F or much of the history behind man’s interest into the nature and form
of consciousness, there have been two distinct categories of theories.
One view of consciousness, typically associated with Western “scientific”
views, is that consciousness is merely a byproduct of the complex
arrangements of neurons in the brain. This is the view which elevates
physical matter as the only “reality” there is and even though there may be
things which clearly appear to be non-physical — consciousness for example
— they are actually physical in origin. This is known as a materialist or
reductionist view of consciousness. And even though we may not be able to
explain all aspects of the non-physical sense of consciousness or the “qualia”
of experience through neurological and biological mechanisms yet,
materialist science WILL eventual since consciousness is believed to be
100% reducible to functions of the brain, and NOTHING more.
Consciousness arises from the brain and nothing else. Under this materialist
and reductionist view, consciousness, mind and the content of
consciousness (knowledge for instance) are all pretty much equated simply
as “consciousness”. “Mind” and “consciousness” are often used
interchangeable as synonyms for each other.
Another category of models of consciousness comes to us from ancient

Eastern traditions like Buddhism and Hinduism. These traditions hold that
consciousness is a fundamental property of the Universe and that sentience
is everywhere and each person’s experience of personal consciousness is a
temporary manifestation of that Universal Consciousness. This is a radically
different view of consciousness compared to the Western “materialist” view
which asserts that the brain is the sole source of consciousness. In Eastern
perspectives “mind” and “consciousness are not identical. The “mind” arises
from sensory experiences evoking the familiar sense of self, thinking, the
mind. In Eastern models, this phenomenology or experience of
consciousness — the “mind” — is distinct from a transcendent or “pure”
Universal Consciousness. This “pure” consciousness transcends the senses —
the mind — and is a transcendent reality. The brain is seen as something like
a receiver, an instrument through which consciousness is manifested (Vikas,
2015). The belief in some form of “energy”, “consciousness” or “spirit force”
which pervades all life, matter and the cosmos is one of the oldest and most
pervasive belief’s we know of. In his latest book “Spiritual Science” Steve
Taylor (2018) describes it this way:
“ The idea that the essence of reality is a non-material, spiritual quality is one
of the oldest and most common cross-cultural concepts in the history of the
world. It’s an idea that almost every one of the world’s indigenous cultures has
developed independently, and one that each of the world’s mystical or spiritual
traditions has also independently incorporated.” (p. 31)
Pansychism
One particular form of universal consciousness is called panpsychism

(literally “all mind”) has been gaining a great deal of traction in the
philosophical, scientific and consciousness communities as of late. The
notion that consciousness is something that permeate all of reality, all
matter, and may not be a localized entirely in the brain may sound a bit like
woo woo and easily dismissed. But given the failure of materialist science to
solve what is called the “Hard Problem” (Chalmers, 1995) of consciousness —
how does non-physical consciousness arise from the physical brain? — the
notion of an all-pervasive and universal form of consciousness is gaining in
popularity. Pansychism in particular is “increasingly being taken up as a
serious option, both for explaining consciousness and for providing a
satisfactory account of the natural world” (Goff, 2017) and is being
considered very seriously now by some of the most credible scientists,
philosophers, neuroscientists and even the physicist Roger Penrose
(Holdhill, 2018). The neuroscientist Kristof Koch considers panpsychism to
be the “most elegant and parsimonious explanation for the universe and the
nature of consciousness” (Koch, 2014).
Panspiritism
A relatively new version of universal consciousness — also with roots in

many indigenous cultures — has been proposed by the transpersonal
psychologist Steve Taylor, which he calls panspiritism. The main difference
between panpsychism (all “mind”) and panspiritism (all “spirit”), is that
panspiritism proposes not just that all matter contains some level of
primitive “mind” or “individuated consciousness” (“mind” in everything),
but rather that “spirit” or “universal consciousness” is both in everything and
everywhere (Taylor, 2019). The panspiritist view holds that we are both
“pervaded with” and “immersed in” this “dynamic field” or “spirit” which is
even more fundamental than gravity, space or time. (Taylor, 2019). However,
although Taylor’s panspiritism does suggest that spirit force pervades
everything, it does not necessarily “imbue [matter] with an inner life”
(Taylor, 2019, p 32).
Quantum Consciousness
Quantum theory is currently our best model for explaining the physical
world at its most fundamental level of atoms and quantum particles. Yet, the
results of quantum experiments seem to depend on whether or not anyone is
looking! This strange behavior has been puzzling scientists for decades since
it completely destroys the very basic assumption of science itself! That there
is a completely independent reality “out there”, irrespective of us. This
“observer effect” in quantum physics suggests at some level there appears to
be a connection, a link, between human consciousness and matter since
“the mere act of observation affects the experimental findings” (Weizmann
Institute Of Science, 1998).
We may have left the Decade of The Brain behind us at the end of the 20th
century, but given the incredible growth of interest during the past decade
into all aspects of ordinary, non-ordinary and altered states of
consciousness, transpersonal psychology may be leading the way towards a

new Century of Consciousness.
(4) SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY ARE MERGING!

A brief, and limited, history of science will be useful in order to lay the
foundation for this section.
Middle Ages
D uring the Middle Ages in Europe (5th to 15th century), there was no
concept of “science” and much of what was considered known about
the natural world and the cosmos dated back to the early teachings of the
Romans and Greeks. Even centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire these
ancient and often mistaken ideas and accepted “wisdom” about the universe
persisted — what was called at the time “Natural Philosophy” (from the Latin
philosophia naturalis or philosophy of nature). The persistence of Natural
Philosophy was likely due to the sweeping influence of the Catholic Church
— the primary social and political body responsible for the indoctrination of
western society at the time — which had accepted many of these ancient
“truths” (Nguyen, 2017).
The Renaissance
During the 15th to 17th century (roughly) there was an explosion of

philosophical, artistic, cultural, political and economic evolution driven by
some of the greatest thinkers, “scientists”, authors and artists in the history
of mankind (Renaissance, 2018) — a period in history known as the
Renaissance. It was during the Renaissance when we find the works of
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Milton, Dante,
Hobbs, Copernicus, Galileo, Descartes and many others.
The Renaissance — a period of renewed interest in literature, arts,

philosophy — ushered in a cultural shift towards more independent thinking
which began to break down the Church’s hegemony over the masses. Martin
Luther’s outspoken criticisms of the Catholic Church’s reforms at the time —
widely disseminated in his “95 Theses” — only served to increase the
growing distrust in the Church’s authority and alignment with theories of the
cosmos and natural world which could only be called “pseudoscience”
(Nguyen, 2017).
The Scientific Revolution
During the late 17th and 18th century, rapid advances in mathematics,
astronomy, physics, biology and chemistry began to transformed our views
of the natural world laying the foundations for the “modern science” we
know today. A period in history known as the Scientific Revolution which
some have labeled the “Copernican Revolution” due the profound and
paradigm-shifting (Kuhn, 1962) discoveries of Nicholas Copernicus which
began to shift the long-standing (Church supported) geocentric view (Earth
at the center of the Universe), to the heliocentric science we accept today
(Earth and planets revolve around the sun).
Science & Materialism
The Scientific Revolution of the 17th and 18th century ushered in a radical
shift of worldview’s from the religious-oriented “Natural Philosophy” which
lasted for nearly 2000 years, much of which was based on faith — to the more
secular and “scientific” worldview’s built around observations, reason and
critical thinking. This period in history represents a fundamental
epistemological change where our principle sources of wisdom and
knowledge shifted from faith and belief in miracles and superstitions, to an
epistemology based on reason and rational thinking. A period knows as the
Enlightenment.
During this same period in history, the inductive approach to acquiring

knowledge — premises provide some of the evidence for the truth of a
conclusion — laid the foundation for the practice of science — the Scientific
Method. These scientific “methods” were defined by observable, repeatable,
experiential and testable experimentation, also known as Empiricism. Since
“science” was now being defined as a process involving “empirical”
observations of the physical world alone, all facts, knowledge and “science”
were/are believed to be causally dependent and reducible to,
physical/material processes — stuff. The world, the universe, everything that
exists — including the mind and consciousness — was/is believed to be
entirely a result of first-causes and processes reducible to physical
properties — stuff. Even if you dig down deeper and deeper to smaller and
smaller particles of stuff — cells, molecules, atoms, sub-atomic particles etc
— the only thing you will find at the very bottom are “tiny billiard balls
(atoms, bosons, or some such) with predictable trajectories upon which all
else supervenes” (Baruss, 2010, p. 4), ie; reductionist materialism.
Enter a New POST-MATERIALISM World
Although I am not certain as to when this shift began to take place, but
somewhere around the end of the 20th and the start of the 21st century,
scientists, philosophers and especially those working and researching in the
many brain and consciousness fields, began to grow more vocal in their
proclamations that science — materialism — simply could not, and likely
may never, answer many of the most pervasive and most important
questions of our time, such as the nature of consciousness. Science, and the
scientific method, are founded on principles of observation, replication,
measurability and maintaining an open-mind and going where the data
leads you. Unfortunately the reality of science is very different than those
ideals would suggest, as a large segment of the “scientific” community are
locked into dogmas, beliefs and assumptions which are largely untested, or
unproveable — science has become “the enemy of what it should stand for”
(Tudge, 2012).
“ Post-materialism holds that matter is not the primary reality of the universe,
and that phenomena such as consciousness or life cannot be wholly explained
in biological or neurological terms. Post-materialism holds that there is
something more fundamental than matter, which might be variously termed
mind, consciousness or spirit. “ (Taylor, 2019, p. 2).
One of the more outspoken and recognized proponents exposing the

limitations of science and the failure of materialism to solve the problem of
consciousness, is the biologist and author Rupert Sheldrake who caught the
attention of the public with his ground-breaking and controversial book
titled The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry. The “delusion”,
according to Sheldrake, is basically the belief that science already fully
understands the nature or reality and all that’s left to do is fill in a few
remaining details (Sheldrake, 2012).
“I am all in favour of science and reason if they are scientific and reasonable.
But I am against granting scientists and the materialist worldview an
exemption from critical thinking and skeptical investigation. We need an
enlightenment of the Enlightenment” (Sheldrake, 2012)
In the Science Delusion, Sheldrake excoriates 10 of the most fundamental

and flawed assumptions underlying the 17th century-based scientific
method. The first assumption — the one most obvious, pervasive, persistent
and relative to this article — is the notion that the universe as a whole, all
life, is mechanical and reducible to physical “stuff” — ie, materialism (Tudge,
2012).
But many scientists are not ready to give up the dogmatic and flawed
assumptions underlying these 17th century materialist paradigms. Case in
point was the huge public, media and intellectual hornets’ nest which was
stirred up when Sheldrake’s 2013 TED talk on consciousness — which ran
contrary to scientific orthodoxy by arguing that consciousness is non-local
(may not be exclusively contained within the brain) — was pulled from
YouTube and claimed to be “pseudoscience” (Pruett, 2017).
In a previous section I discussed some of forms of idealism like panpsychism

(“mind” is everywhere) and the relatively new (at least the term) panspiritism
(“spirit” is everywhere) put forth by Steve Taylor in his book Spiritual
Science. Taylor (2019) describes some of the ways in which a metaphysic like
panspiritism is “healthier for us” compared to materialism:
“ It goes without saying that panspiritism is a much healthier perspective than

materialism. It’s healthier for us as individuals, for the human race as a
species and for the whole of our planet. Whereas materialism stems from —
and further encourages — anxiety and accumulation, the panspiritist
perspective lends itself to ease and contentment. Whereas materialism
encourages individualism and competitiveness, panspiritism leads to empathy
and altruism. Whereas materialism promotes exploitation and domination of
the natural world, panspiritism engenders respect and harmony. Whereas
materialism can only lead to the devastation of our planet, and perhaps even
to our extinction as a species, a panspiritist perspective is perfectly
sustainable, and offers us a harmonious future. “ (p. 52).
With a Little Help from Quantum Physics
We simply cannot possibly expect to answer fundamental questions about

the nature of consciousness or the origins of life if we remain stuck in 17th
century thinking that everything is dead, material and inert “stuff”,
inherently incapable of producing life. Scientists, philosophers and
academics of all shapes and sizes have come out against the limits of
materialist-based science, including many from the most respected and
“materially & reductionist oriented” science we have, quantum physics.

Physicists have been grappling with the mysterious and counter-intuitive
properties and behaviors of particles in the quantum realm ever since the
early parts of the 20th century when the new world of quantum physics
discovered that the laws which govern the macroscopic level, do not
function the same, or at all, at the quantum level. Quantum particles can
exist in two places at the same time ( quantum superposition); light can act as
both particles and waves ( wave particle duality); paired particles are linked in
such a way that measurements on one, determines the quantum state of the
other, regardless of distance, even BILLIONS of miles ( quantum
entanglement, or what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance); the mere
observation of a particle changes its properties and behavior ( observer effect,
popularized by the thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s cat) (Jones,
2018).
Even Werner Heisenberg, considered one of the founding fathers of

quantum physics, described history as being divided into periods based on
what the common people and scientists of the time thought about the origins
of matter. In the late 50’s Heisenberg published Physics and Philosophy
where he argued that the discoveries of quantum physics have disrupted, if
not refuted, the 17th century-based assumptions about the primacy of
materialism — everything is “ stuff “ (Vernon, 2012). Writing on the limits of
materialism revealed through the new science of quantum physics,
Heisenberg (1958) argues:
“[This] frame was so narrow and rigid that it was difficult to find a place in it
for many concepts of our language that had always belonged to its very
substance, for instance, the concept of mind, of the human soul or of life. Mind
could be introduced into the general picture only as a kind of mirror of the
material world.” (pp. 24–25)
Another respected physicist, Amit Goswami (1993) argues that “the

principles of quantum theory make it possible to discard the unwarranted
assumptions of material realism” (p. 45). As much as we can give well-deserved
credit to classical Newtonian physics — based on a mechanical and
materialist paradigm — for delivering us out of the Dark Ages through the
Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution with mechanization, the
Industrial Revolution, automobiles, modern medicine, air travel and the
exploration of space, quantum mechanics have completely undermined
those outdated assumptions which reduced all matter to material “stuff”
(Vernon, 2012). Materialism is dead, we have entered a post-materialism
paradigm. “Scientific materialism has run its course and no longer fits the
empirical data about reality (Barušs, 2010, p.12). Which is not really a new
idea as we see “intimations of this point of view” going back at least as far as
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831), Teilhard de
Chardin (1881–1955) and Thomas Berry (1914–2009) — what is new is the
growing use of the term “post-materialism” as the new science of the future
(Vernon, 2012).
“The shift from materialistic science to post-materialistic science may be of

vital importance to the evolution of human civilization. It may be even more
pivotal than the transition from geocentrism to heliocentrism.” (Beauregard,
et al. 2014, p. 274)
Where this shift in thinking and scientific paradigms — from a materialist

view to a post-materialist view — may have the greatest impact and appears
to be the most relevant and with the greatest potential for future ground-
breaking discoveries, is in the field of consciousness studies. In a paper
titled “Beyond Scientific Materialism: Toward a Transcendent Theory of
Consciousness”, Barušs (2010) defines how a new post-materialist theory of
consciousness might look like:
“It is time to move beyond scientific materialism and develop transcendent

theories of consciousness. Such theories should minimally meet the following
criteria: they should be based on all of the usual empirical data concerning
consciousness, including altered states of consciousness; they should take into
account data about anomalous phenomena and transcendent states of
consciousness; they should address the issue of existential meaning and
provide soteriological guidance; and they should be consistent with the most
accurate theories of physical manifestation, such as relativistic quantum field
theories.” (p. 2)
In his popular book titled The Universe in a Single Atom, even the Dalai
Lama speaks out on the limits of materialist science to explain the non-
physical phenomenon of consciousness:
“The view that all mental processes are necessarily physical processes is a
metaphysical assumption, not a scientific fact. I feel that, in the spirit of
scientific inquiry, it is critical that we allow the question to remain open, and
not conflate our assumptions with empirical fact.” (Lama, 2005, p. 128) The
Merging of Science and Spirituality
If I have managed to keep your attention thus far, I will finally get to the
point of this section. Which is the growing trend and evidence for, a sort of
reconciliation from the historical, ideological and philosophical battle
between science and spirituality — the merging of science and spirituality. At
this point it might also be useful to be more specific as to what I mean by
“The Merging of Science and Spirituality”. I don’t mean that “science” can or
will “prove” the existence of any of the various anthropomorphized or literal
“Gods”, “Angels” or “Deities” of organized and orthodox religion. Far from it
and quoting from Deepak Chopra, I am referring to the merging of science
with the “unorganized, personal aspect of spirituality as the subjective
pursuit of value, reality, and understanding through individual experience or
consciousness” (Chopra, 2014). And although “spirituality” can be defined
many ways, the one aspect of most definitions for spirituality (excluding
Chopra’s) which appears to be almost universal and represents the pinnacle
of spiritual practice and even human motivation and flourishing, is that of
“self-transcendence”. When the experience of the personal self dissolves and
transcends beyond the embodied or personal “I” to encompass all that is
around you, an experience of being “one with everything” (Ivtzan, 2016;
Maslow, 1971). The phenomenon of self-transcendence is also one of the
core features of what are called an “awakening experience” (Taylor, 2012).
Fortunately, much of the argument for the claim that science and spirituality
are merging, has already been made in the sub-sections which preceded this
one. I believe I have offered a reasonably accurate snap-shot of the history of
science — taking the reader quickly through the 2000 or so years of the pre-
materialist paradigm of natural philosophy originating with the early Greek’s
and adopted by the Catholic Church. Up through the period known as the
Renaissance through the 15th and 17th century, which began to shift world-
views about the nature of the universe towards a secular and ultimately
materialist and “scientific” world-view. An epistemological paradigm shift
(Kuhn, 1962) in perspective on the nature of the universe and how to acquire
knowledge, which occurred during the period known as the Scientific
Revolution of the 17th and 18th century. Following this time, there appear to
have been few influential philosophical or intellectual challenges to this
materialist paradigm until around the turn of the 20th century when the
field of quantum physics began to tear down the metaphysical materialist
assumptions which resulted from a string of bizarre and “spooky”
phenomena and experimental results. Phenomena such as; quantum
superposition (two particles can be in the same place and time); wave-particle
duality (light can behave both as a wave and a particle); quantum
entanglement (paired particles billions of miles apart respond simultaneously
to measurement, suggesting some as-yet-unknown mode of interconnection
— what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance”); and finally, the observer
effect, (particles change behavior and properties when being observed) — the
one quantum physics mystery which raises compelling but difficult
questions about a possible link between matter and consciousness.
When we consider the breakdown of the materialist paradigm brought about

by the discoveries from quantum physics, with the rising trend in people
identifying themselves as “spiritual but not religious” (Lipka & Cecewicz,
2017), with the growth of scientific research into spirituality (Lun & Bond,
2013), and the explosive growth of research into the nature of consciousness
and the apparent link between consciousness and matter (the observer
effect), science, consciousness and spirituality all appear rapidly headed
towards a new world order, a post-materialist era, of convergence, or at least
respectful cooperation.
“Something is definitely happening in modern culture when the topic of

religion penetrates scientific circles. At a recent meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, a symposium on religion and
science drew standing-room-only crowds “ (Taylor, 1994)
If we re-label “science” as the field of inquiry aligned with the study of

matter, the paleontologist-priest Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) seems to
nail the commingling of science and spirituality with the quote, “there is
neither spirit nor matter in the world. The stuff of the universe is spirit-
matter. No other substance but this could have produced the human
molecule”. The Dalai Lama in his wonderful book, The Universe in a Single
Atom, also reminds us of the far reaching potential for what he also
perceived was a merging of science and spirituality.
“Today, in the first decade of the twenty-first century, science and spirituality
have the potential to be closer than ever, and to embark upon a collaborative
endeavor that has far-reaching potential to help humanity meet the challenges
before us.” (Lama, 2005, pp. 208–209)
It is likely the reader may already know exactly what I am going to say next.
It should be obvious and logically consistent with the evidence I have
provided up to this point. Transpersonal psychology — often called “the
psychology of spirituality” or “spiritual psychology” — with its focus on
beyond-ego states (self-transcendence), integrative/holistic psychology as
well as transformation, appears to be in the right time and the right place in
history to further advance the merging, the co-mingling, of science and
spirituality.
(5) EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF INTEREST IN PSYCHEDELICS!
Y ou would have to have been living under a rock during the last few
years to have not heard about or seen all the news around the
explosion of interest in psychedelics — a class of drugs whose primary action
is to trigger psychedelic experiences. Something of a renaissance is taking
place where researchers around the world are once again investigating the
medical, therapeutic, psychological and wellness benefits of these
substances (Bell, 2017; Cooper, 2012). And in the words of many of these new
researchers who are finding single-dose-treatment results using a
psychedelic to assist with smoking cessation (80% abstinence after 6
months) or dealing with the existential trauma of terminal illness, the results
are “unprecedented” (Pollan, 2015; Johnson, Garcia-Romeu, Cosimano, &
Griffiths, 2014). So how did we get to this latest and VERY PROMISING phase
of our very long fascination with consciousness-altering substances?
The First Wave (Ancient and Indigenous Use)

The earliest use of psychoactive substances by human’s goes back at least ten
thousand years (Blaszczak-Boxe, 2015). Throughout human history
indigenous cultures around the world have been using psychoactive plants
for healing as well as spiritual and ritualistic practices. There is evidence
that the early Greeks used psychedelics and throughout history the use of
psychedelics for healing or spiritual (entheogenic) practices appears to be a
global phenomenon (Guerra, 2014). This period in human history (early man
until LSD was discovered in 1938 by the Swiss pharmacologist Albert
Hoffman), is known as The First Wave of psychedelic use by humans.
The Second Wave (Counter-Culture Movement of the 50’s &

60's)
The Second Wave of interest into the use pf psychedelics began when the
chemist Albert Hofmann discovered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1938
at Sandoz Labs (now Novartis) in Switzerland. In 1943 Hoffman inadvertently
absorbed some LSD through his fingertips which released the substance’s
powerful and psychedelic effects. Hofmann later documented the
experience:
“… affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At

home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition,
characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike state,
with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived
an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with
intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After about two hours this condition
faded away” (Hofmann, 1980, p. 15)
Following the lab incident, Hofmann was understandably curious about this
strange substance and the effect it had on him and so he performed an
experiment using himself as the sole subject. On April 19th 1943, Hofmann
ingested 250 micrograms of LSD (pretty decent dose) and due to limitations
on car travel at the time imposed by wartime restrictions, went out for a ride
on his peddle bike. Thereby becoming the first human to ever “trip” on acid
(Tayag, 2017). A day in history now known and celebrated yearly by

researchers and psychonauts alike, as “Bicycle Day”.
Hofmann’s discovery of the psychedelic properties of LSD in 1943 launched

further investigations into the therapeutic use of various hallucinogens. In
1953 the novelist and philosopher Aldus Huxley — who was already
experimenting personally with psychedelics — took four-tenths of a gram of
mescaline under the supervision of a psychiatrist named Humphrey
Osmond. Osmond was among a small group of American and Canadian
psychiatrists in the early 50’s who were pioneering the use of LSD and other
psychedelics like peyote and mescaline for the treatment of alcoholism and
other mental health issues (Costandi, 2014). Aldous Huxley’s use of and
curiosity into, the psychological effects of mescaline led to his popular and
eminent book, “The Doors of Perception”. The musical group “The Doors”
also took their name from Huxley’s book.
Another investigation into psychedelics around the same time was by the
ethnomycologist Gordon Wasson, who headed to Mexico in the 1950’s to
study the religious (entheogenic) use of mushrooms by the Mazatec people.
Wasson’s research led to an article in Life Magazine in 1957 titled “Seeking
the Magic Mushroom”. It was actually a Life Magazine editor who coined the
term “magic mushrooms” — Wasson preferred “sacred mushrooms”
(“Seeking the Magic Mushroom”, n.d.). Wasson’s article with its catchy and
enticing title about “Magic Mushrooms” quickly caught the attention of the
growing counterculture and hippie movement of the 50’s and 60’s, leading
many to travel to Mexico in search of this “magic” plant. Including a then-
little-known Harvard clinical psychologist named Timothy Leary (Austin,
2016).
In 1960 Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (now known as Ram Dass) began
work on “The Harvard Psilocybin Project”. The Psilocybin Project was
founded at Harvard University by Leary, Alpert, Aldous Huxley, David
McClelland (Leary & Alpert’s supervisor at Harvard), Frank Barron (pioneer

in the psychology of personality and creativity), Ralph Metzner (pioneer in
consciousness research and transpersonal psychology) and a couple of
graduate students (“Harvard Psilocybin Project”, n.d.). Unfortunately the
work of Leary and Alpert through The Psilocybin Project was soon marred
by controversy due to their open use, distribution and support for LSD as a
tool for expanding the mind. Leary and Alpert were eventually fired by
Harvard but the cat was long out of the bag now with regards to the
potentially therapeutic and mind-expanding properties of LSD. All of which
occurred during the same time when there was a nascent counter-culture
hippie movement underway in the United States.
Leary also popularized the phrase “turn on, tune in, drop out” but as much
as he and Alpert helped to launch the counter-culture movement and bring
awareness to the powerful healing and transformational effects of these
substances during the 60’s, Leary’s growing popularity, cult-like following
and the cultural upheaval he helped facilitate, drew the ire of the United
States Government. In 1968 all hallucinogens were outlawed and classified as
Schedule 1 Drugs — high potential for abuse, no medical value, considered
harmful — driving both the recreational use and scientific research,
underground. In 1970 President Richard Nixon even called Timothy Leary
“the most dangerous man in America” (Bell, n.d). The Second Wave of interest
in, and now research into psychedelics, had come to an abrupt end.
However, the early 80’s did see a short period of renewed interest into the
therapeutic potential of psychedelics when the biochemist Alexander
Shulgin discovered a better way to synthesize MDMA (ecstasy (E) or molly).
MDMA was originally synthesized in 1912 by the German chemical company
Merck as a potential medication to help control bleeding (“MDMA”, 2018).
Although Merck already discovered that MDMA had psychoactive properties
back in 1912 and may hold potential as a pharmaceutical, it was not until
Shulgen found a new way to synthesize the substance in 1976 did the
popularity of MDMA begin to grow (“MDMA”, 2018). The 80’s also saw an
explosive growth in the recreational use of MDMA as a party and Rave drug,
which once again led the United States to outlaw another class of
psychedelics. MDMA become illegal when it was classified as a Schedule I
Drug in 1985, once again putting an abrupt halt to scientific research into the
therapeutic, psychological or transformational benefits of another
psychedelic substance. The first glimmer of hope of a renewed interest into
the therapeutic, psychological and transformational effects of psychedelics
and the ushering in of a new Third Wave of psychedelic research, science and
awareness, was stopped even before it could get off the ground.
The Third Wave (Renewed and EXPLODING Interest Beginning

Around 2010)
Although underground and recreational use of psychedelics continued after
LSD, mescaline, peyote and psilocybin became illegal in 1968, and MDMA in
1985, the use of psilocybin mushrooms in particular have seen a steady
growth of use worldwide and as of 2010 there are an estimated 30 million
psychedelic users in the United States alone (Krebs & Johansen, 2013). The
90’s and 00’s did not see any major or ground-breaking announcements from
the world of psychedelic research, until the publication in 2011 of James
Fadiman’s book about microdosing titled The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide:
Safe, Therapeutic and Sacred Journey’s. Microdosing is the act of taking
small, sub-perceptual (no sensory effects) doses (10–15 micrograms) of a
psychedelic like LSD or psilocybin on a semi-regular schedule. Anecdotal
reports of increased attention, divergent thinking and creativity led to
microdosing exploding into the public stream of consciousness and was
soon picked up by Silicon Valley techies, the halls of higher education, and
other professionals as a tool to boost productivity (Aikins, 2015).
James Fadiman (who also helped launch transpersonal psychology as a

formal discipline in 1967) along with Robert Frager, also co-founded the
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in 1975, which is now called Sofia

University. Establishing James Fadiman not only as one of the pioneers of
transpersonal psychology, but now as one of the key figures who have
helped launch what is called the Third Wave of public interest and research
into the therapeutic, psychological and transformational potential of
psychedelics. According to Mark Haden, University of B.C. professor and the
executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies
(MAPS), “there is a wave of popular interest that is unprecedented in my
lifetime” (Mann, 2018). What is so different about this new Third Wave of
psychedelic use and research is that is defined “by the responsible and
informed use of micro and moderate doses for creative and therapeutic
purposes” (Austin, 2015).
Many of the previously anecdotal reports on the benefits of microdosing are

now being confirmed by controlled studies. A recent study found that “both
convergent and divergent thinking performance was improved” providing
“quantitative support for the cognitive-enhancing properties of microdosing
psychedelics” (Prochazkova, et al, 2018). In another controlled study of the
effects of microdosing, Polito & Stevenson, found that “pre and post study
measures revealed reductions in reported levels of depression and stress;
lower levels of distractibility; increased absorption; and increased
neuroticism” (2019, p.1).
Research into psychedelics has increased dramatically in the last decade

(Nichols, Johnson & Nichols, 2016). And in other labs and research facilities
around the world, psychedelics are demonstrating incredible, even
unprecedented promise, in the treatment of depression (Suravi, 2016),
addictive disorders (Rofoli & Araujo, 2016) and PTSD (Sessa, 2017). All across
the world in clinical research settings, hospitals and laboratories, an
explosion of renewed investigations are taking place into the therapeutic use
of psychedelics for addiction, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) (Tupper, Wood, Yensen & Johnson, 2015) and dealing with
the emotional and existential trauma (death anxiety) for those suffering
from terminal illness (Grof, Goodman, Richards & Kurland, 2017; Kolp,
Young, Friedman, Krupirsky & Jansen, 2007). Some very recent and
promising research has also discovered that at least one of the mechanisms
which may underlie these broad positive effects of psychedelics on the
mind, may be due to the capacity for these substances to actually promote
both structural and functional neural plasticity — psychedelics appear to
GROW NEURAL CONNECTIONS (Ly, et al., 2018). Just imagine what this may
mean for the many degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and
other disorders linked to the decline of neural function and connections.
Psychedelics Overview
Among medical experts around the world now, support for renewed
research into the potential benefits of psychedelics is widespread (Pollan,
2015). The Third Wave of public interest and research into the potential
benefits of psychedelics is solidly underway. And just like the cascading
effect which followed the legalization of cannabis for medical use and now
it’s recreational use, we are witnessing a similar cascade of the
decriminalization of psychedelics for recreational and therapeutic use. In
May of 2019, Denver Colorado (who also led the cannabis legalization trend)
passed a measure which decriminalized psilocybin, or magic mushrooms
(Chavez & Prior, 2019). On June 4 thof 2019 Oakland California did the same
thing and became the second major US city decriminalize magic mushrooms
(Ashmelash & Ahmed, 2019). Other local and state governments are now
looking to decriminalize psilocybin and in the nation’s capital, the popular
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y has filed new legislation to allow
researchers to study the medical, therapeutic effects of psilocybin and other
psychedelics (Leins, 2019).
Spirituality, Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology
Along with the growing trend of research into concepts like “spirituality”
(Lun & Bond, 2013) which was detailed in the first section, “spiritual” aspects
are being discovered and researched in the psychedelic literature as well.
“ When administered under supportive conditions, psilocybin occasioned

experiences similar to spontaneously occurring mystical experiences. The
ability to occasion such experiences prospectively will allow rigorous scientific
investigations of their causes and consequence “ (Griffiths, Richards,
McCann & Jesse, 2006, p. 1)
There is also the ground-breaking research by Griffiths, Richards, McCann &

Jesse (2006) into the spiritual and “mystical-type” experiences described by
many who have taken psilocybin. The possibility that these substances may
also facilitate transpersonal and transformational effects (spiritual effects)
places them solidly, and obviously, entirely under the umbrella of all three
categories or themes common to transpersonal psychology research and
practice:
Beyond-Ego Psychology
Integrative/Holistic Psychology
Transformational Psychology
Kenneth Tupper — director of implementation and partnerships at British

Columbia Center on Substance Use (BCCSU), says that “psychedelics, under
carefully controlled conditions, can create experiences of wonder and awe
and a connection to a divine realm that leads to significant behavioral
changes” (Banks, 2019). Further evidence of a possible link between the
spiritual or mystical experiences reported by psychedelic users, and the
spontaneous “spiritual awakening” experiences often induced by trauma,
wilderness settings or meditation (Taylor, 2017), is that BOTH meditation
(Taylor et al, 2012) and psychedelics (Palhano-Fontes, et al, 2015) have been
found to operate through the brain’s default mode network (DMN).
In another landmark study looking psychedelics and the brain’s default-

mode network, Carhart-Harris & Friston (2010) found that the largest drops
in default-mode activity correlated with the subject’s reports of the
phenomena of ego-dissolution. These studies, and others, suggest strongly
that with the “ego temporarily out of commission, the boundaries between
self and world, subject and object, all dissolve” (Pollan, 2015) — also
hallmarks of mystical and “spiritual awakening” (Taylor, 2015) experiences.
The supplementary use of psychedelics in psychotherapy and psychiatry is
also expanding rapidly and studies have suggested that the break-down of
the self (ego-dissolution) and the sense of connectedness which often
results, may be one of the key mechanisms through which psychedelics are
so effective (Carhart-Harris, Erritzoe, Haijen, Kaelen & Watts, 2017). Once
again, one of the core features of the “mystical” or “spiritual awakening”
experience is one of connectedness (Taylor, 2015). Psychedelics are also
increasingly linked to states of well-being (Walsh, 1982) and even just a
single dose of a psychedelic has been found to produce sustained — and
most often positive — personality changes such as level of openness (one’s
ability to appreciate new experiences) (Bouso, Dos Santos, Alcazar-Corcoles
& Hallak, 2018). The growing interest into psychedelics and the body of
research results linking “spiritual”, “mystical” or “self-transcendence” to the
neurobiology of psychedelics (Pollan, 2015), demonstrates the fundamental
and pervasive role that transpersonal psychology has had, and is likely to
continue to have, well into the future of this Third Wave of psychedelic
research.
And it should be obvious by now that the science of consciousness —

particularly altered states such as those brought on by psychedelics — is
literally the bread-and-butter of the field of transpersonal psychology. The
many promising and now controlled and replicated studies on the
therapeutic and psychological benefits of psychedelics are also contributing

new understanding, and posing new questions, around the nature of
consciousness (Cooper, 2012). There is even a theory (Stoned Ape) put forth
by the ethnobotanist and psychonaut Terence McKenna in his 1993 book
Food of the Gods, that when early Homo erectus encountered magic
mushrooms and psilocybin, it kick-started the evolution of cognition and
consciousness towards Homo sapiens. According to McKenna, the
psilocybin in the magic mushrooms boosted the information processing
systems of their primitive brains, which led to an evolution of cognition and
consciousness which may account for the evidence of art, language and
technology in the archeological record of Homo sapiens (Sloat, 2017).
Although few academics have gotten behind McKenna on this one — it
certainly has an appealing if not amusing ring to it — there has been growing
interest into McKenna’s Stoned Ape Theory on the evolution of
consciousness in humans (Sloat, 2017). Once again, transpersonal
psychology and the discipline’s heavy focus on consciousness science,
altered states, self-transcendence, spirituality and transformation, place it
front-and-center on the surf board of public and scientific interest, we surf
this Third Wave of psychedelic research.
Looking back, we find that the ties between the growing interest into the
therapeutic, spiritual and transformational effects of psychedelics, and the
field of transpersonal psychology, are long, multifaceted and like tentacles,
reaches into every single aspect of consciousness science, spirituality,
personal transformation and psychedelic research. I have already
mentioned a few familiar names from transpersonal psychology who have
either been instrumental in its foundation as a branch of psychology, and/or
who are continuing to carry out research into psychedelics. Ralph Metzner (a
pioneer in the areas of personality and consciousness research) was an
original board member when the Harvard Psilocybin Project was launched
in 1960. James Fadiman, one of the founders of the transpersonal psychology
movement who helped establish the field as a formal branch of psychology

in 1967 and helped launch the first school dedicated to the field in 1975 —
The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology — is also attributed to helping
launch the recent interest into psychedelics and microdosing when he
published The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide in 2011. Another of the founding
fathers of transpersonal psychology — Stanislav Grof — also used LSD
extensively in his psychotherapy practice during the 1960’s, and is once again
contributing widely to this renewed and Third Wave of psychedelic research
(Pollan, 2015).
Ultimately the Third Wave of interest into psychedelics is about finding ways
to integrate their recreational, therapeutic and transformational effects, into
mainstream society. Transpersonal psychology has clearly played, and
continues to play, a major role in the history, research and foundation for
much of the psychological science into consciousness, spirituality and
psychedelics.
SUMMARY
T here should be little doubt by now that the field of transpersonal

psychology is coming into a period of increased interest, awareness,
growth and relevance. The various cultural, political, philosophical, medical
and scientific changes underway around the world have set a stage which
may be dominated by transpersonal psychology in the future. If the field of
transpersonal psychology was thought to be “vital and growing” in 2007
according to Hartelius, Caplan and Rardin (2007), then 12 years later in 2019
the field of transpersonal psychology may be poised to become one of the
most dominant and relevant approaches to the study of well-being,
flourishing and of course the therapeutic, spiritual and transformational
potential of psychedelics. Our planet has been undergoing some drastic
changes in climate, politics and the depletion of natural resources. These
have not been positive or healthy changes in the best interest of our planet
or species. With the growing interest in so many areas directly tied to

transpersonal psychology, especially the renewed ( Third Wave) interest in
psychedelics which appear to tease open the doors of perception allowing
us to get a glimpse of the transcendent self on the other side, maybe, just
maybe, we are also on the cusp of a global spiritual awakening which might
put us back on track towards a sustainable future. Just maybe, the growing
field of transpersonal psychology will play a small part in changing the
world for the better through an increased understanding of the conditions,
behaviors and practices which lead to increased compassion, altruism and
self-less drives and behaviors we know are associated with states of self-
transcendence. On that note, I leave the reader with an optimistic and
encouraging quote from Steve Taylor.
“ Today’s spiritual awakening not only reveals the hidden interconnectedness

of things, it prompts people to pledge themselves to a host of new causes, from
saving the planet to helping the disenfranchised. Spiritual awakening leads to
a new kind of selflessness and personal commitment to issues related to growth
and health. “ (Taylor, 1994).
REFERENCES
Austin,, P. (2015, September 16). What is The Third Wave of Psychedelics. The
Third Wave. Retrieved from
https://thethirdwave.co/thethirdwaveofpsychedelics/
Aikins, R.D. (2015). From recreational to functional drug use: the evolution
of drugs in American higher education, 1960–2014. Journal of The History of
Education. 44(1). 25–43.
Alkire, S. (2008). Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index : methodology

and results. Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
Alkire, S. (2013). Well-being, Happiness, and Public Policy. Oxford Poverty &
Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
Asmelash, L. & Ahmed, S. (2019, June 5). Oakland residents won’t be busted
for using ‘magic mushrooms’ and other psychedelic drugs. CNN. Retrieved
from https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/05/health/oakland-decriminalizes-
magic-mushrooms-trnd/index.html.
Banks, K. (2019, June 14). The Canadian Revival of Psychedelic Drug

Research. University Affairs. Retrieved from
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/the-canadian-
revival-of-psychedelic-drug-research/
Barušs, I. (2010). Beyond Scientific Materialism: Toward a Transcendent

Theory of Consciousness. Psychology. Retrieved from
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/kingspsychologypub/15
Baetz, M., Griffin, R., Bowen, R., & Marcoux, G. (2004). Spirituality and
Psychiatry in Canada: Psychiatric Practice Compared with Patient
Expectations. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49(4), 265–271.
Beauregard, M., Schwartz, G. E., Miller, L., Dossey, L., Moreira-Almeida, A.,
Schlitz, M., Sheldrake, R & Tart, C. (2014). Manifesto for a Post-Materialist
Science. EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing. 10(5). 272–274.
Bell, B. (n.d). What is a hallucinogen? In The Dawn of Psychedelics. Massive

Science. Retrieved from https://massivesci.com/reports/drugs/dawn-of-
psychedelics/
Bell, B. (2017). The psychedelic rennaissance is here. Will it last this time?
Massive Science. Retrieved from https://massivesci.com/articles/psychedelic-
research-renaissance-culture/
Blaszczak-Boxe, A. (2015, February 2). Prehistoric High Times: Early Humans

Used Magic Mushrooms, Opium. Live Science. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/49666-prehistoric-humans-psychoactive-
drugs.html
Bouso, J.C., Dos Santos, R.G, Alcazar-Corcoles, M.A. & Hallak, J.E.C. (2018).
Serotonergic psychedelics and personality: A systematic review of
contemporary research. Neuroscience Behavioral Review. 87. 118–132.
Carhart-Harris, Erritzoe, E. Haijen, E. Kaelen, M. & Watts, R. (2017).

Psychedelics and Connectedness. Psychopharmacology. 235(2). 547–550.
Carhart-Harris, R.L. & Friston, K.L. (2010). The default-mode, ego-functions

and free-energy: a neurobiological account of Freudian ideas. Brain. 133(4).
1265–1283.
Chalmers, D. J. (1995). Facing up to the problem of consciousness. Journal of

Consciousness Studies. 2. 200–19.
Chavez, N. & Prior, R. (2019, May 9). Denver becomes the first city to
decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms. CNN. Retrieved from
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/08/us/denver-magic-mushrooms-approved-
trnd/index.html
Chopra, D. (2014). Live, Learn, Evolve. The Merging of Science and Spirituality.
Retrieved from https://livelearnevolve.com/merging-science-spirituality-
chopra/.
Cooper, M. (2012). The Psychedelic Renaissance: Horizons, the Fifth Annual

Conference on Psychedelic Research. Einstein Journal of Biological Medicine.
28. 36–38.
Dangeli, J. (n.d.). Transpersonal Coaching Model. Authentic Self

Empowerment. Retrieved from https://jevondangeli.com/transpersonal-
coaching-model/
Diamond, S. A. (2008). The Psychology of Spirituality. Psychology Today.

Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evil-
deeds/200812/the-psychology-spirituality
Diener, E., Suh, E., Lucas, R. E. & Smith, H. L. (1999). Psychological Bulletin.
125(2). 276–302.
Dodge, R., Daly, A., Huyton, J., & Sanders, L. (2012). The challenge of
defining wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing,2(3), 222–235.
Guerra-Doce, E. (2014). The Origins of Inebriation: Archaeological Evidence

of the Consumption of Fermented Beverages and Drugs in Prehistoric
Eurasia. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. DOI: 10.1007/s10816–
014–9205-z
Griffiths,, R.R., Richards, W.A., McCann, U. & Jesse, R. (2006). Psilocybin can
occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained
personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology. 1–16.
Grof, S., Goodman, L.E., Richards, W.A. & Kurland, A.A. (2017). International
Pharmacopsychiatry. 8. 129.144.
Goldhill, O. (2018, January 27). The idea that everything from spoons to
stones is conscious is gaining academic credibility. Quartz. Retrieved from
https://qz.com/1184574/the-idea-that-everything-from-spoons-to-stones-are-
conscious-is-gaining-academic-credibility/
Goswami, A. (1993). The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the

Material World. New York, USA. Penguin Books.
Gritz, J. R. (2015). The Evolution of Alternative Medicine. The Atlantic.

Retreived from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/the-
evolution-of-alternative-medicine/396458/
Heisenberg, W. (1958). Physics and Philosophy. New York. Harper & Row.
“Harvard Psilocybin Project” (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Psilocybin_Project.
Hofmann, (1980). LSD — My Problem Child. New York: McGraw-Hill
Inglehart, R. & Welzel, C. (2005). Modernization, Cultural Change, and

Democracy: The Human Development Sequence. Cambridge University Press.
Ivtzan, I. (2016, December 22). Psychology and Spirituality: BFF’s or Rivals?

Psychology Today. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindfulness-
wellbeing/201612/psychology-and-spirituality-bffs-or-rivals
Jones, A.Z. (2018). Quantum Physics Overview. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/quantum-physics-overview-2699370
Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P., & Griffiths, R. R. (2014).

Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco
addiction. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 28(11), 983–992.
Kolp, E., Young, S.M., Freidman, H., Krupirsky, E. & Jansen, K. (2007).
Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy: PreliminaryClinical Observations on its
Effects in TreatingDeath Anxiety. International Journal of Transpersonal
Studies. 26(1). 1–17.
Krebs, T. & Johansen, P.O. (2013). Over 30 million psychedelic users in the
United States. F1000Research. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3917651/
Koch, C. (2014, January 1). Is Consciousness Universal? Scientific American.

Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-
consciousness-universal
Koltko-Rivera, M. (2006). Rediscovering the Later Version of Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs: Self-Transcendence and Opportunities for Theory,
Research, and Unification. Review of General Psychology, 10(4). 302–317.
Kuhn, T. S. (1962). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of

Chicago Press.
Lama, H. D. (2005). The Universe in A Single Atom: The Convergence of Science

and Spirituality. New York. Morgan Road.
Leins, C. (2019, June 14). States Consider Decriminilizing Magic Mushrooms.

US News. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-
states/articles/2019-06-14/states-consider-decriminalizing-magic-mushrooms
Ly, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P., Wong, J. M., Barragan, E. V., Wilson, P. C.,
… Olson, D. E. (2018). Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional
Neural Plasticity. Cell Reports, 23(11), 3170–3182.
Maslow, A. (1971). Farther Reaches of Human Nature. New York: Penguin

Books.
Mann, A. (2018). How science is bringing psychedelic mushrooms out of the

shadows. Macleans. Retrieved from
https://www.macleans.ca/society/science/researchers-think-psychedelics-
could-help-cure-addiction-depression-and-ptsd/
“MDMA” (2018, August 21). History Channel. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-mdma
McKenna, T. (1993). Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of
Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution. Bantam
Books: New York.
McMillen, M. (2011). Complementary and Alternative Medicine on The Rise.

WebMD. Retreived from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-
guides/news/20110201/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-on-the-rise
Nguyen, T.C. (2017, December 11). A Short History of the Scientific

Revolution. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/scientific-revolution-history-4129653.
Nichols, D.E, Johnson, M.W. & Nichols, C.D. (2016). Psychedelics as

Medicine: An Emerging Paradigm. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
101(2). 209–219.
Partington, R. (2019, May 24). Wellbeing should replace growth as ‘main aim
of UK spending’. The Guardian. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/24/wellbeing-should-
replace-growth-as-main-aim-of-uk-spending
Palhano-Fontes, F., Andrade, K. C., Tofoli, L. F., Santos, A. C., Crippa, J. A. S.,
Hallak, J. E. C., … de Araujo, D. B. (2015). The Psychedelic State Induced by
Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode
Network. PLOS ONE. 10(2). e0118143.
Polito, V., & Stevenson, R. J. (2019). A systematic study of microdosing

psychedelics. PLOS ONE. 14(2). 1–26.
Pollan, M. (2015, February 2). The Trip Treatment. The New Yorker. Retrieved
from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/09/trip-treatment.
Post, B.C. & Wafe, N.G. (2009). Religion and spirituality in psychotherapy: a
practice-friendly review of research. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 65. 131–
146.
Plumb, A. M. (2011). Spirituality and Counselling: Are Counsellors Prepared

to Integrate Religion and Spirituality into Therapeutic Work with Clients?.
Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 45(1).
Prochazkova, L., Lippelt, D. P., Colzato, L. S., Kuchar, M., Sjoerds, Z., &
Hommel, B. (2018). Exploring the effect of microdosing psychedelics on
creativity in an open-label natural setting. Psychopharmacology.
Pruett, D. (2017). Toward a Post-Materialist Science. Huffpost. Retrieved

from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/toward-a-postmaterialistic-
science_b_5842730
Rao, K.R. (1998). Two faces of consciousness: A look at eastern and western
perspectives. Journal of Consciousness Studies. 5(3). 309–327.
Ramirez, V.B. (2019). The New Science of Psychedelics: A Tool for Changing
Our Minds. SingularityHub. Retrieved from
https://singularityhub.com/2019/03/31/the-new-science-of-psychedelics-a-
tool-for-changing-our-minds/
“Renaissance”. (2018, August 21). Renaissance. History Channel. Retrieved

from https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance.
Rivera, A. (2016). Why Holistic Health Careers Are on the Rise. Acupuncture
Massage College. Retrieved from https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/why-
holistic-health-careers-are-on-the-rise
Roberti, d.S. (2007). The Social Demand for a Medicine Focused on the
Person: The Contribution of CAM to Healthcare and Healthgenesis. eCAM.
4(s1). 45–51.
Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). Electronic discovery proves an effective

legal weapon. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
Roberts, J. (2011). Science and Religion. In Shank, Michael; Numbers,

Ronald; Harrison, Peter (eds.). Wrestling with Nature : From Omens to
Science. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 254, 258, 259, 260.
Sheldrake, R. (2012). The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry. United
Kingdon: Hodder & Stoughton.
Stratton, A. (2010). David Cameron aims to make happiness the new GDP. The
Guardian. Retreived from
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/nov/14/david-cameron-
wellbeing-inquiry
“Seeking The Magic Mushroom” (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeking_the_Magic_Mushroom
Sessa, B. (2017). MDMA and PTSD treatment: PTSD: From novel

pathophysiology to innovative therapeutics. Neuroscience Letters. 10. 176–180.
Sloat, S. (2017, July 14). The ‘Stoned Ape’ Theory Might Explain Our
Extraordinary Evolution. Inverse. Retrieved from
https://www.inverse.com/article/34186-stoned-ape-hypothesis.
Stork, J. (2018). The Evolution of Coaching Psychology. Alef Trust Blog.

Retrieved from https://www.aleftrust.org/evolution-coaching-psychology/
Suravi, P. (2016). Return of the psychedelics: Psilocybin for treatment

resistant depression. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 24. 51–52.
Tadmor, N. (2019). Towards a Transpersonal Psychiatry. Alef Trust Blog.

Retrieved from https://www.aleftrust.org/towards-a-transpersonal-
psychiatry/.
Taylor, E. (1994). Desperately Seeking Spirituality. Psychology Today.

Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/articles/199411/desperately-seeking-
spirituality
Taylor, S. (2012). Spontaneous Awakening Experiences: Beyond Religion and

Spiritual Practice. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. 44(1). 73–91.
Taylor, S. (2019). What is Panspiritism? Philosophy Now. Retrieved from

https://philosophynow.org/issues/131/What_is_Panspiritism
Taylor, V. A., Daneault, V., Grant, J., Scavone, G., Breton, E., Roffe-Vidal, S., …
Beauregard, M. (2012). Impact of meditation training on the default mode
network during a restful state. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 8(1),
4–14.
Tupper, K.W., Wood, E., Yensen, R. & Johnson, M.W. (2015). Psychedelic
medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm. CMAJ. 187(14). 1054–1059.
Tofoli, L.F. & Araujo, D.B. (2016). Chapter Seven — Treating Addiction:
Perspectives from EEG and Imaging Studies on Psychedelics. International
Review of Neurobiology. 129. 157–185.
Thompson, D. (2016). Report: Americans spending billions on alternative

medicine. UPI. Retrieved from
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/06/22/Report-Americans-spending-
billions-on-alternative-medicine/2731466603248/
Tischler, L. (1999).The growing interest in spirituality in business: A long-

term socio-economic explanation. Journal of Organizational Change
Management. 12(4). 273–280.
Tudge, C. (2012). The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry, By

Rupert Sheldrake. Independent. Retrieved from
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-
science-delusion-freeing-the-spirit-of-enquiry-by-rupert-sheldrake-
6285286.html
Vernon, M. (2012, January 28). It’s time for science to move on from
materialism. The Guardian. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jan/28/science-move-
away-materialism-sheldrake.
Vikas, Y. (2015). Critical Inquiry into Eastern and Western Perspectives of

Consciousness. International Journal of Education and Management Practices.
Wasson, G. (1957). Seeking The Magic Mushroom. Life Magazine. 42(19). 100–
102, 109–120.
Walsh, R. (1985). Psychedelics and Psychological Well-Being. Journal of

Humanistic Psychology. 22(3). 22–32.
Weizmann Institute Of Science. (1998, February 27). Quantum Theory

Demonstrated: Observation Affects Reality. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 13,
2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980227055013.htm
Young-Powell, A. (2019, May 31). New Zealand unveils new ‘wellbeing budget’
with a focus on mental health over economic growth. Independant. Retreived
from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/new-zealand-
budget-wellbeing-mental-health-jacinda-ardern-economy-a8938226.html
Zaidi, D. (2018). Influences of Religion and Spirituality in Medicine. AMA

Journal of Ethics. 20(7). 609–612.
Originally published at Scribbles of a Jolly Mystic Dude.
Consciousness Psychedelics Psychology Spirituality
Transpersonal Psychology
Written by Johnny Stork, MSc Follow
82 Followers
Transpersonal Wellness Coach | Digital Wellness Coach | Psychedelic Advocate
More from Johnny Stork, MSc
Johnny Stork, MSc Johnny Stork, MSc
WHAT IS TRANSPERSONAL THE TRANSPERSONAL

PSYCHOLOGY & CAN IT CHANGE… PSYCHOLOGY OF SPIRITUALITY
Transpersonal (beyond-ego/self) psychology The transpersonal (beyond self) study of
— also known as the Fourth Force of… human psychology and most spiritual and…
10 min read · Nov 13, 2019 10 min read · Oct 15, 2019
-- 1 --
Johnny Stork, MSc Johnny Stork, MSc
Why You Shouldn’t Vent About Your Transpersonal Coaching Models

Employer/Organization Online For Transformation
Venting about your employer or organization Theories and models of transpersonal
online can cause you more harm than good. psychology are beginning to transform the…
5 min read · Nov 12, 2020 16 min read · Jan 13, 2021
-- --
See all from Johnny Stork, MSc
Recommended from Medium
Unbecoming Jules Evans
10 Seconds That Ended My 20 Year Does psychedelic ‘medicine’ always

Marriage give you what you need?
It’s August in Northern Virginia, hot and How risky are psychedelic drugs? How well do
humid. I still haven’t showered from my… psychedelic trials report risks?
· 4 min read · Feb 16, 2022 · 17 min read · Apr 21
-- 980 -- 13
Lists
How to Give Difficult Stories to Help You Live Better

Feedback 19 stories · 679 saves
7 stories · 272 saves
Self-Improvement 101 6 Science-Backed Health

20 stories · 786 saves Stories on Covid, Sleep, and…
6 stories · 50 saves
Barack Obama A. M. Champion
Thoughts on Israel and Gaza How to Identify a Narcissist: The

It’s been 17 days since Hamas launched its Two Question Narcissist Test
horrific attack against Israel, killing over 1,40…
5 min read · 4 days ago · 7 min read · Jun 22
-- 726 -- 59
Daniel Hannah Isaac Saul
TRANSCENDING REALITY WITH A personal, non-partisan

PSYCHEDELICS: WHAT REALLY… perspective on the Israel-Hamas…
The psychedelic experience is so much more To understand this war, we must understand
than simply a trip. They’re portals of… the thousand-year history that led us here
12 min read · Aug 18 11 min read · Oct 12
-- -- 464
See more recommendations

The Fourth Force - Why Interest in Transpersonal Psychology Is Growing - by Johnny Stork, MSC - Medium

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

The Fourth Force - Why Interest in Transpersonal Psychology Is Growing - by Johnny Stork, MSC - Medium

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Fourth Force - Why Interest in Transpersonal Psychology Is Growing - by Johnny Stork, MSC - Medium

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

10/28/23, 12:19 PM The Fourth Force — Why Interest In Transpersonal Psychology Is Growing | by Johnny Stork, MSc | Medium

The Fourth Force — Why Interest In

Growing interest in spirituality, well-being, consciousness and psychedelics

“The renaissance of interest in Eastern spiritual philosophies, various mystical

In Maslow’s original and iconic Hierarchy of Needs pyramid of personal

relationship. In his later years Maslow revised his Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Final Model

Abraham Maslow, Anthony Sutich, Stanislav Grof, James Fadiman, Miles

Although the field of transpersonal psychology is considered by many to be

1. Spirituality, Happiness & Well-Being are in Vogue.

2. Demand for Integrative Medicine is Growing.

4. Science and Spirituality are Merging

5. Explosive Growth of Interest in Psychedelics.

This article will attempt to argue why interest in transpersonal psychology

psychedelics, life coaching and the merging of science and spirituality.

Integrating these three main themes (and underlying sub-themes),

“ An approach to psychology that 1) studies phenomena beyond the ego as

(1) SPIRITUALITY, HAPPINESS & WELL-BEING ARE IN VOGUE!

This growing trend in the number of articles published around spirituality

spirituality as a tool to foster employee health. Employees and managers

And when it comes to the practices typically associated with mental-health,

“ We are witnessing a spiritual awakening unprecedented in modern times,

Happiness & Well-Being

Well-Being and Public Policy

development is best defined by a more holistic approach where equal

These announcements from multiple countries have demonstrated that well-

Taken as a whole, the steady growth of interest into the science of

(2) DEMAND FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IS GROWING

“ Integrative Medicine (IM) is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of

Although the acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

(3) CONSCIOUSNESS IS EVERYWHERE!

Another category of models of consciousness comes to us from ancient

One particular form of universal consciousness is called panpsychism

A relatively new version of universal consciousness — also with roots in

consciousness, transpersonal psychology may be leading the way towards a

(4) SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY ARE MERGING!

During the 15th to 17th century (roughly) there was an explosion of

The Renaissance — a period of renewed interest in literature, arts,

The Scientific Revolution

Science & Materialism

During this same period in history, the inductive approach to acquiring

Enter a New POST-MATERIALISM World

One of the more outspoken and recognized proponents exposing the

In the Science Delusion, Sheldrake excoriates 10 of the most fundamental

In a previous section I discussed some of forms of idealism like panpsychism

“ It goes without saying that panspiritism is a much healthier perspective than

With a Little Help from Quantum Physics

We simply cannot possibly expect to answer fundamental questions about

“materially & reductionist oriented” science we have, quantum physics.

Even Werner Heisenberg, considered one of the founding fathers of

Another respected physicist, Amit Goswami (1993) argues that “the

“The shift from materialistic science to post-materialistic science may be of

Where this shift in thinking and scientific paradigms — from a materialist

“It is time to move beyond scientific materialism and develop transcendent

When we consider the breakdown of the materialist paradigm brought about

“Something is definitely happening in modern culture when the topic of

If we re-label “science” as the field of inquiry aligned with the study of