According to Davis, transpersonal psychology represents an integration of certain psychological concepts, theories and methods with an emphasis upon spiritual disciplines. As Davis puts it, the key concept and interests of transpersonal psychology include:
...spiritual experiences, mystical states of consciousness, mindfulness and meditative practices, shamanic states, ritual, the overlap of spiritual experiences and disturbed states such as psychosis and depression, and the transpersonal dimensions of relationships, service, and encounters with the natural world. The central concept in Transpersonal Psychology is self-transcendence, or a sense of identity which is deeper, broader, and more unified with the whole. The root of the term, transpersonal or literally "beyond the mask," refers to this self-transcendence. (p. 1)
Although transpersonal psychologies are tied together by their central concept of self-transcendence, they are diverse which is to say that there are many transpersonal psychology orientations and perspectives (Sovatsky, 1998). This diversity, according to Davis (2000), is because the field is not a religion despite its emphasis upon spirituality. Rather it is a field of inquiry aimed at examining human consciousness and experiences that transcend or transform people. Determining those factors that contribute to human healing and growth is its primary goal.
The purpose of this paper is to examine diverse types of transpersonal psychology and so provide an overview of the major schools of thought in the field. The last section of the paper presents an analysis of each school of thought and the field in general.
As noted earlier, there are many schools or branches of transpersonal psychology. The theoretical perspectives of transpersonal psychology that are examined in the paper are those of Ken Wilber which emphasize spiritual disciplines, those of Charles Tart, and John C. Lilly which focus on altered...