from a research perspective. For example, in his own study, Adams examined the experience of the sacred using empirical research methods with a sample of two males and two females between 33 and 39 years of age. Subjects were from diverse cultures.
Methods involved conducting in-depth interviews and analyzing data using phenomenological methods. Based on findings, it was noted that the experience of the sacred, even across diverse cultures, contains certain common components including: revelation and awareness of an essential, and inter-permeating communion between self and world. In all cases, there was said to be a metamorphosis from an egoic to transpersonal self-sense and way of being.
One particularly interesting trend in contemporary transpersonal psychology has been its increasing connectedness with information technology. In this regard, Lukoff, Lu, Turner and Gackenbach (1995) report that transpersonal practioners and researchers are more and more often using the Internet in their research on religious and spiritual problems. As a research and information tool, several methods associated with internet usage are said to be increasingly used by practioners and researchers as data sources.
These methods include: conducting searches of the World Wide Web, the use of newsgroups and mailing lists, the use of online library catalogs and reference databases. Further, there many uses of related World Wide Web cites such as sites pertaining to Buddhism, spiritual practices, mysticism, dreams, and myth.
Hunt (1995) reports that one current development in transpersonal psychology has been to more clearly incorporate in theory and to implement in practice maturational processes and effects. In this regard, Hunt states that transpersonal psychologists are attempting to understand "higher states of consciousness" as a developmental effect of meditation. In other words, the theoretical postulate frequently being ass...