Transpersonal psychology: what sex, drugs and religion have in common

Recently, transpersonal psychology has become increasingly popular. A new direction in psychological science explores the superpowers of the individual and his relationship with the Universe. The transpersonal discipline not only studies altered states of consciousness, but also seeks ways to solve the psychological problems of humanity.

What is transpersonal psychology?

Transpersonal psychology is a science that studies transpersonal, that is, beyond the boundaries of the simple “I,” states of the psyche and consciousness of an individual. The scientific direction appeared at the end of the sixties of the last century on the basis of the psychoanalytic postulates of K. Jung and the humanistic worldviews of A. Maslow. Scientists about solving personality problems have also noticed that there is a kind of collective unconscious and that all individuals unconsciously influence each other to varying degrees.

The roots of transpersonal science lie in the history of various religions and cultures, as well as in many well-known spiritual practices. Stanislav Grof, Alan Watts, Anthony Sutich, Abraham Maslow, K. Wilber, A. Mindell, C. Tart, S. Krippner and others are rightfully considered the founders of this trend in psychology. Each scientist added to the treasury of knowledge of transpersonal psychology, and some psychologists developed their own direction and conducted a number of new experiments.

Transpersonal psychology offers its explanation for parapsychological phenomena. Science studies superhuman experiences that do not exist within the normal state of the Ego, as well as experiences associated with death, spiritual crisis, personal resources, the emergence of intuition, and the transition to higher spiritual states.

Areas of transpersonal psychology:

• altered states of consciousness;
• parapsychology;
• various spiritual practices, including religions;
• the effect on the consciousness of an individual of psychedelic substances;
• methods of respiratory influence on the psycho-emotional state of an individual;
• yoga and various methods of meditation;
• aging processes;
• experiences closely related to death;
• spiritual growth.

History of origin

The beginning of the formation of this current of psychology dates back to the late 60s of the 20th century. Transpersonal psychology takes its roots from the psychoanalytic direction (K. Jung) and humanistic psychology (A. Maslow). The works of these researchers on the existence of the collective unconscious, on the fact that people unconsciously (unconsciously) influence each other, on the role of “peak experiences” in the formation of personality served as the impetus for the discovery of this new trend in psychology.

Researchers of that time became increasingly aware of the fact that psychology had not yet taken into account the spiritual layers of the human personality. The founder of humanistic psychology, A. Maslow, was not satisfied with the categorical apparatus that they had at the moment. From his point of view, it was necessary to study the transpersonal, which goes beyond the ordinary consciousness of a person, the “suprahuman”, cosmic consciousness and psychedelic experiences. So in 1967, a group of psychologists was organized in the USA, creating a new psychology that studies unusual special states of consciousness, taking into account the entire breadth of human experiences. The new trend in psychology is called “transpersonal psychology” from the word “transpersonal” - going beyond the boundaries of the usual Self, beyond the boundaries of time and space. Representatives of this direction were A. Maslow, E. Syutich, S. Grof, J. Fadiman, M. Wich, S. Margulis.

These representatives created the “Association of Transpersonal Psychology” and also published the “Journal of Transpersonal Psychology”. Later (in 1975), Robert Frager created the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California. However, transpersonal psychology did not gain recognition in scientific circles for a long time. This direction of psychology was considered parascientific. In 1996, the department of transpersonal psychology was opened at the British Psychological Society. Due to this, transpersonal psychology has still gained limited recognition in scientific circles [1].

Basic ideas of transpersonal psychology

Transpersonal psychology is based on the existence of an unconscious component of the psyche of any individual. Unconscious components influence the way an individual thinks, views, reacts, acts and behaves throughout his life. The unconscious layer of the psyche includes life experiences that are repressed from consciousness for various reasons. The individual’s subconscious also contains memories that are in no way tied to his life, for example, various incarnations of himself or the collective unconscious.

Transpersonal discipline emphasizes important psychological aspects of personality. However, the dominant role is given to spirituality. This psychological science studies consciousness, which in certain states is capable of going beyond its own Ego. Expanding the boundaries of the Ego occurs when an individual is immersed in an altered state of personal consciousness.

There are various techniques that help a person understand himself and his own inner world. At the moment of transpersonal experiences, the individual’s psyche undergoes various changes. A person begins to feel unity with the cosmos and resolves his accumulated psycho-emotional problems.

If an adult is not able to cope with his psychological problems on his own, we recommend turning to a specialist.

The difference between transpersonal psychology and other sciences

Many areas in psychology are scientific and objective. For traditional psychological disciplines, it is important to obtain reliable facts through research and experimentation. However, modern psychology ignores the phenomenal manifestations of personality, that is, transpersonal experience.

Principles of transpersonal psychology:

• the consciousness of an individual is commensurate with the cosmos and cannot be limited by anything;
• personality is considered in a variety of contexts;
• the consciousness of the individual is studied in combination with the mind of the cosmos;
• soul and reason constitute the whole and determine personality;
• covers a wide range of knowledge, even from diametrically opposed sciences.

However, scientific communities criticize transpersonal psychology. The fact is that for many years scientists in this direction have not been able to provide scientifically proven facts or present to the world the results of the methods used during the experiments. True, according to the established scientific approach, transpersonal psychology can combine psychophysics and psychophysiology.

Introduction

Transpersonal psychology emerged in the 60s. XX century, and began to actively develop. In the early 90s. transpersonal psychology came to Russia, and then the first university courses appeared that taught transpersonal psychology. At the moment, there are only two universities in Moscow that teach transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy. The problem is that there are practically no textbooks or teaching aids in this area. In 2010, a textbook by V.V. Kozlov was published, which was called “Transpersonal Psychology” - it was the first and only textbook on transpersonal psychology in Russia.

The author made an attempt to create a textbook on transpersonal psychology for university students who chose transpersonal psychology as one of the areas of psychology to study. At the same time, the textbook will be of interest to teaching staff who can use this manual to help teach their course on transpersonal psychology.

The textbook consists of 11 parts, which are devoted not only to transpersonal psychology, but also to methods of conducting experiments. The textbook describes in detail how to conduct scientific research, what is the object and subject of research, what is a scientific paradigm, etc. This was given with the goal that the future transpersonal psychologist would not only conduct training on holotropic breathing and other practices, but also be able to conduct experiments and research in the field of transpersonal psychology and related areas.

The first part of the textbook is devoted to experimental psychology: what psychology is as a science, what the object and subject of research are, how to draw up a research program, methods of psychological research.

The second part is devoted to the scientific paradigm, what methodology is, what classical, non-classical and post-non-classical science is, it talks in detail about quantum theory and the paradigm of transpersonal psychology.

The third part tells about the history of transpersonal psychology from the era of LSD to the creation of the transpersonal direction in humanistic psychology, both abroad (Maslow, Sutich, Grof), and by our compatriots - scientists of the USSR and Russia.

The fourth part is devoted to modern transpersonal psychology and its methods and psychotechnics, which have spread widely throughout the world and are practiced in Russia and abroad.

The fifth part discusses the issue of different religions and traditions of the East such as Shaminism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism and Christianity.

The sixth part is devoted to spiritual practices that are used in transpersonal psychotherapy, such as holotropic breathing, vibration, rebirthing, transpersonal breathing or pneumosynthesis and meditation.

The seventh part is devoted to altered states of consciousness as an object of study in transpersonal psychology. It outlines the history of the study of ASC, and pays attention to modern research, both abroad and in Russia.

The eighth part talks about mystical experiences and mystical experiences. In this section, I will provide a detailed classification of mystical experiences and share my opinion about mystical experiences.

The ninth part will talk about states of consciousness, which, according to the author, have six levels, each of these levels determines the depth of the underwater iceberg of the human psyche. The graphic cartography of consciousness is described in detail.

The tenth part talks about clinical transpersonal psychology, a topic that is rarely covered in transpersonal literature. In this part we will talk about the emergence of mental illness as a result of mystical experience.

The last eleventh part is devoted to a new direction - transanalysis, its significance for transpersonal psychology. Transoanalysis explores the deep structures of the psyche and analyzes mystical states of consciousness.

At the end of each part, to help the student, there is a checklist and a small glossary of terms that were used in this chapter.

In 2012, the author created a curriculum called “Transpersonal Psychology: History and Current State”; in the same 2012, a course on transpersonal psychology was successfully taught to students at one of the universities in Moscow. The course program can be found in the author’s textbook “Introduction to Transpersonal Psychology”, published by Rusigns, 2020.

I hope that this textbook will serve as a good basis for studying a course on transpersonal psychology for students and their teachers.

Methods of transpersonal psychology

Transpersonal psychology uses the following techniques:

• breathing psychotechnics;
• psychophysiological study;
• techniques using psychedelic substances;
• psychodiagnostic methods;
• effects on the senses and touch;
• visualization and practice with imagination.

Separately, techniques are used to initiate changes in consciousness:

• At first, attention focuses on some object, then suddenly switches to another object;
• stimulation through restriction of drinking during intense physical activity;
• increased activity (running without stopping);
• exposure to low and high temperatures (swimming in cold water, walking on hot coals);
• exposure to sounds and melodies (constant chanting);
• solitude and limitation of physical activity;
• creating conditions under which it is impossible to sleep;
• holotropic breathing;
• rebirthing;
• ThetaHealing.

Transpersonal psychology: research methods

Research methods in TP are based on the use of established and advanced approaches. Traditionally psychological methods in TP include: psychophysiological (brain activity is studied through EEG - electroencephalography), psychodiagnostic (test methods and questionnaires are used - the index of basic spiritual experiences, the SAN technique).

The following can be called purely transpersonal:

• psychedelic methods (use of pharmacology - psychostimulants);
• breathing psychotechnics;
• work with the senses (impact on analyzers - visual, auditory);
• visualization and work with imagination.

Separately, there are techniques for initiating an altered state of consciousness (ASC). Several techniques are used in practice, which are taken from various fields (religious, shamanism, mysticism):

The most established and most frequently used methods in TP are: holotropic breathing, rebirthing, and theta healing.

Holotropic Breathwork

The peculiarity of holotropic therapy is the awakening of the unconscious component of the psyche through holotropic breathing (deep, with high intensity and frequency), bodily exercises and special musical compositions. Under such influence, blocks are removed and the energy of life experiences in the human psyche, which were previously suppressed, is replenished.

A person should move in the flow of activated energy; spontaneous actions (movements, postures, sounds) should not be restrained during the session. This is how the path to transformative healing will be found, the energy will flow in the necessary direction. The practice of breathing should continue until the flow of energy subsides and the body completely relaxes.

The result of the session should be the acquisition of the integrity of the Self. Any images can appear in the altered reality: an indecisive man looks into the eyes of the woman he likes, overcoming his complexes; a woman who has lost her identity due to a life crisis regains the charm of femininity and seems to be reborn. Or a person who is confused about life’s priorities gains the ability to understand that he loves his family, that it is she who now needs to be given maximum attention.

The main thing is that the reality of the individual really changes.

Rebirthing

The technique seems to force you to relive the birth process, thereby working through the birth trauma and throwing out negative experiences. The rebirthing implementation sequence includes 5 elements:

1. breathing organized according to a specific cycle (alternating inhalation and exhalation without pauses);
2. achieving a relaxed state (muscles, psyche in general);
3. special attention (total, not missing the smallest nuances);
4. positive integration (change of context - from negative to positive in everything);
5. trust in the rebirthing session.

Theta healing

Changing brain activity by focusing and working on a specific wave (theta) has become the basis of theta healing. Through training and a meditative state, a person learns to feel an energy field of a special order. Here visual images, sensations of floating in the air, and creative insights can arise.

The simplest technology for transitioning to the theta state begins with imagining a clot of light pulsating in your chest. Next, you need to imagine that the light flux rises upward (2.5 m above your head). After a short time, the flow must be returned back. There are practices in which you need to imagine how a column of energy rises from the center of the Earth, enters a person and then a ball appears above the head, representing the person himself. This ball then rises up, passing through many layers. Reaching the last layer, consisting of the energy of the Universe, the ball dissolves with everything that exists - with the energy of God. In this state healing and problem solving comes.

The result of such visualization should be a feeling of unusual calm combined with concentrated attention. The pattern must be repeated until there is a complete absence of thought processes - this is called the theta state.

Transpersonal psychology of Grof

The subject of S. Grof's research was the unconscious in the psyche of an individual in a state of altered consciousness. The scientist learned to penetrate the realm of the unconscious through psychedelic drugs. Soon these psychoactive substances were banned, and the researcher developed a new method of penetrating an altered state of consciousness. We are talking about holotropic breathing.

True, before moving to the level of the unconscious, the individual faces a number of obstacles:

• sensory (the senses are activated at the moment of penetration into the unconscious);
• unconscious of an individual nature (psychotrauma and other memories from the past that are repressed into the subconscious);
• perinatal matrices (death and birth related experiences);
• the transpersonal component of the psyche that goes beyond space and time (the relationship of the individual with the Universe).

According to the scientist, many unresolved problems of an individual are rooted in his subconscious. A person can get rid of traumatic experiences if, at some level of the subconscious, he encounters them and experiences them again. It is for this purpose that the holotropic breathing method exists.

Using deep breaths, the individual “moves” into an altered state of personal consciousness. Relaxing music is also used. Through such techniques, the flow of energy within is activated and the individual follows it. The flow of a depressed state is transformed into a flow of experiences. At such a moment, the individual’s psyche is malleable, and he himself can scream, take a variety of involuntary poses, and also experience a wide range of emotions. The energy of the flow is healing. The negativity accumulated in the subconscious is released and the individual relaxes.

The Grof method is applicable for the treatment of psychological disorders, as well as the treatment of a number of mental illnesses. Using the holotropic method, you can achieve the development of your own abilities and activate hidden talents. Grof's research helps people overcome their severe crises and solve all sorts of problems.

Transpersonal psychology. New approachesAlexey Tulin, 2020

LSD era

As you know, LSD was first obtained by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in 1938; its psychoactive properties were accidentally discovered in 1943, and from that moment the so-called LSD era, or psychedelic revolution, began.

Quite a lot of articles and books have been written about the psychedelic revolution both in Russia and abroad, and here I will only express my opinion about the era of LSD and its main participants. This is primarily the chemist Albert Hoffman, the rowdy Timothy Leary, the psychoanalyst John Lilly, the psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, the writers Ken Kesey and Aldous Huxley. All of them, in their own way, were leaders of the psychedelic revolution, some as a creator, others as a popularizer, teacher, lecturer, “guru,” researcher, but at the same time, all of them together and each in their own way created a new movement.

The psychedelic revolution of the 60-70s of the XX century, I believe, is one of the most controversial phenomena in history. On the one hand - new research into consciousness, a possible breakthrough in psychology and psychiatry, personal mystical experience, freedom, pleasure, entertainment, carelessness, on the other hand - madness and suicide, criminal prosecution and drug addiction. The scale of this cultural phenomenon is enormous, as is the emotional resonance, but still the experiment was very dangerous.

It is unlikely that Albert Hoffman, when creating a substance called LSD-25, thought about such serious consequences that would later arise. “Hofmann, who initially did research on Mediterranean sea onions, after a while also switched to ergot. Over the course of eight years, he methodically synthesized one molecule of ergotamine derivatives after another, tested them on animals and, having received unfavorable results, moved on to the next. Theoretically, he wanted to discover a new analeptic - a cure for migraine...” [16]. And in the end he received the most powerful hallucinogen LSD-25, which almost changed the whole world. Hofmann himself recalled: “For the study of sea onion glycosides and the first work on ergot, I still used the old methods of separation and purification from the time of Liebig: partial extraction, partial precipitation, partial crystallization and the like. <…>

Lysergic acid turned out to be a very unstable substance, and its binding to basic radicals caused difficulties. I eventually found a way, a method known as the Curtius synthesis, that worked to combine lysergic acid with amines. <…>

I subsequently applied my synthesis procedure to obtain new lysergic acid compounds that did not exhibit uterine activity, but which, based on their chemical structure, could be expected to have other interesting pharmacological effects. In 1938 I obtained the twenty-fifth substance in this series of lysergic acid derivatives: lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated as LSD-25 in laboratory records .

. Lyserg-saure-diaethylamide).

I synthesized this compound, planning to obtain a stimulator of blood circulation and respiration (analeptic). Lysergic acid diethylamide could have a similar stimulating effect, since its chemical structure is similar to another analeptic already known at that time, namely nicotinic acid diethylamide (coramine)” [55].

Hofmann lived a long life and died at 102, going down in history as a great chemist and the father of LSD.

LSD continued to be researched; it was primarily of interest to psychologists and psychiatrists and was used to study consciousness. A person who took LSD fell into a state similar to schizophrenia, lost orientation in space, and experienced vivid hallucinations, which followers of the psychedelic revolution sometimes considered a mystical experience or even enlightenment.

One of the pioneers in experimenting with LSD was Timothy Leary, who conducted research on students at Harvard University, as a result of which he was expelled from the university. It is difficult to say now whether the reason for the dismissal was LSD or the rebellious nature of Leary himself. Thus, Stevens, author of Storming the Sky, writes: “When Harvard learned about the “miracle in the chapel,” it became completely clear to them that Leary was not going to obey the rules. There was even a rumor that the Faculty of Theology would reject Pahnke's dissertation. Some called for the immediate dismissal of Walter Houston Clark of Andover Newton. <…> The fact that the poor young people had a wonderful time, and nine of them saw God or discovered other evidence of the existence of a higher life, was completely ignored” [16].

Timothy Leary

“To hell with Harvard psychology,” Leary wanted to shout, to hell with all your bourgeois science! To hell with your bourgeois religion! Drugs that expand consciousness are the religion of the future of the 21st century. Researching religion now without using drugs is like making astronomical observations with the naked eye,” noted Tim, who would become one of the main innovators.

“He began to turn into a mystic and a poet,” recalls Walter Huston Clarke. “Tim felt like Prometheus—after having a deep religious experience himself, he began to feel called to change others.” Harvard had become too narrow for him, and so had academics. As Kahn recalls, Tim “wanted to leave science. I told him, as I said before, and I think everyone felt it then: “Wherever you go, I will go there.” Go ahead and I will follow you.’” [16].

Perhaps Timothy Leary should have been a little more restrained, but I can't judge him for that. What was destined to happen happened. Timothy Leary became the "LSD Guru". However, from my point of view, nothing good came of this, because after some time Tim was arrested, put in prison, and LSD was banned. This was the end of his personal psychedelic revolution.

However, at the same time, LSD became widespread among the youth of that time. Not knowing the safety precautions, young people began to use it left and right, which sometimes ended very badly, including death quite often. Apparently, Leary himself did not care about these suicides, and he did not stop his activities as an LSD preacher. And although some, while taking LSD, fell into insanity or acquired real psychological dependence, and even more often simply walked out of the window of their own apartment, none of the leaders of the LSD movement cared.

John Lilly can rightfully be considered the second LSD researcher. Psychoanalyst, biologist, neurophysiologist, he studied consciousness using LSD and created his own multi-level numerical cartography of consciousness. Lilly, like Leary, considered LSD a breakthrough in the study of the conscious and unconscious. But, as happens with LSD, we beat around the bush and find nothing. Of course, Lilly created the most interesting cartography, but after the ban, all his research was curtailed and he became interested in dolphins, but this is another story, and it does not relate to our topic. Mapping the consciousness altered by LSD must have been an interesting but unpromising endeavor, since all the “higher” states that hallucinogens induce are false.

John Lilly

Ken Kesey and Aldous Huxley can rightfully be considered, if not brilliant writers, then certainly major figures in the literary world. Ken Kesey is the author of the legendary novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which brought him worldwide fame.

Ken Kesey

Aldous Huxley is the author of the dystopian novel Brave New World. Both famous books were written in the wake of the LSD revolution, which greatly influenced both their authors and those around them at the time. Ken Kesey formed the Merry Pranksters commune of LSD enthusiasts, whose members researched consciousness, created a new philosophy, and promoted free love. After some time they bought an old International Harvester

1939, painted in bright colors and traveled around America, telling the world about the new LSD philosophy and making a film about this journey.

Aldous Huxley

I believe it was one of the most romantic and fun experiences of the entire LSD era.

1939 International Harvester school bus. The Merry Pranksters named him Further. The “Next” bus was the only means of transportation for the members of the commune, appearing in almost every significant event during the period of its existence. The last trip was made in 1969.

Unlike Kesey, Aldous Huxley wrote his novels at home, while also reflecting the philosophy of the LSD revolution in them. In his main novel, Brave New World, people solve most psychological problems with the help of a harmless drug - soma. Apparently, Soma was the prototype for LSD. Huxley was one of the most passionate adherents of the new philosophy. It would not be a mistake to say that it was the LSD culture that had the greatest influence on his literary work, and he was a truly gifted writer. The shadow of LSD lies over Huxley's entire worldview, and this can be seen by reading his books. The writer died of laryngeal cancer, before his death he asked his wife Laura Archer to give him an intramuscular injection of LSD - 100 mcg...

Stanislav Grof is one of the last living representatives of the generation of LSD researchers. Grof studied perinatal psychology, and, apparently, this topic interested him very much. He transferred some of his ideas to the future transpersonal psychology. The basic perinatal birth matrices are one of the most important parts of his theory. Here is what Grof wrote about LSD: “It [LSD] appeared even before scientists had developed a certain theoretical system of views capable of reconciling mystical experience with perinatal experience. In the process of creating and developing this system of views, LSD, unfortunately, was lost by us” [16].

Despite the fact that Grof was not as famous as Timothy Leary or Ken Kesey, he was close to them in his views and created his holotropic theory based on research on LSD and perinatal psychology. Back in his first book, “Areas of the Human Unconscious: Data from LSD Research” (1976), Grof described the basic perinatal matrices, the system of condensed experience, and transpersonal experiences - everything that we know today as S. Grof’s cartography of the unconscious. Subsequently, this cartography formed the basis of the theory of holotropic breathing, which I will talk about below. Grof studied the effects of LSD on patients dying of cancer; it was believed that the hallucinogen alleviated their mental suffering. As a result, he managed to collect truly extensive material, which Grof used to write his future books. After LSD was banned, Grof created the technique of holotropic, or deep, breathing in 1975. The method itself was not new. In the early 1970s, Leonard Orr developed the rebirthing

, which also involved deep breathing. Therefore, we can say that Grof did not invent anything fundamentally new and only supplemented rebirthing with his cartography of the unconscious, created during experiments with LSD. Now Stanislav Grof is considered by many followers to be the creator of transpersonal psychology, and the method of holotropic breathing is the main one in this direction. For example, in Russia, participation in holotropic breathing training from leading masters costs several thousand rubles. This method of “exploring the unconscious” is quite popular.

On October 6, 1966, the law prohibiting LSD in the state of California came into force, followed by a ban on LSD therapy in other US states. Thus ended the era of the most famous hallucinogen.

Currently, among representatives of the New Age, the holistic movement of transpersonal psychology, LSD is rarely remembered. At the same time, the magazine “MARS” is published in the USA, dedicated to the promotion and research of LSD. Now its translated version in Russian is freely available on the Internet; it can be found on the website of Gennady Shirokov and Tatyana Ginzburg (https://prosvetlenie.daism.ru/zhurnal/maps).

Tatiana Ginzburg

Gennady Shirokov

Transpersonal psychologist Tatyana Ginzburg, Doctor of Psychology, is probably one of the last, at least known to me, LSD promoters. This propaganda is criticized by her colleagues, transpersonal psychologists. LSD is completely prohibited in Russia.

My personal attitude towards LSD is twofold. It must be interesting to explore your "Other World" with such a potent substance, but there's really no telling where it all might end up. In addition, in transpersonal psychology, more legal and safe methods of studying the subconscious have appeared, which is why there is no longer any point in returning to LSD.

Rebirthing technique

American scientist Leonard Orro developed a breathing technique 40 years ago and called it rebirthing. Thanks to breathing exercises, the individual seems to be reborn. He gets rid of negative experiences that are in his subconscious in a depressed state.

At the moment of birth, as well as throughout life, an individual experiences a number of traumatic events that negatively affect his mental and physical state. Painful memories are consciously suppressed and repressed into the unconscious. The individual develops complexes, phobias and fears.

The rebirthing technique can eliminate the consequences of individual suppressed mental suffering. The individual plunges into a state that can even be called a second birth. Thanks to breathing techniques, an individual displaces negative emotions from the subconscious, relives all the unpleasant moments of his life and transforms experiences into positive energy. The individual is immersed in a state of euphoria and harmony. Breathing practice helps to get rid of problems accumulated in the depths of the subconscious, and also releases psychoenergy that previously “nurtured” these suppressed experiences.

Rebirthing has much in common with holotropic breathwork. Both of these breathing techniques allow you to penetrate into the layer of the unconscious.

Rebirthing elements:

• the individual breathes through the nose or mouth, and the inhalation can be different, but the exhalation is always ordinary;
• at the moment of relaxing breathing, the body should be completely relaxed, while the individual lies on his back, does not cross his legs and does not think about anything;
• attention should be focused on the sensations in your own body; if pain or tingling appears, it means that a negative memory has been activated, it needs to be felt;
• negative experiences should be transformed into positive emotions (treat the past with humor or simply enjoy the release of negativity);
• have confidence in breathing practice and the processes occurring in the body and consciousness.

PROGRAM

Transpersonal psychotherapy is the healing of the soul. As a result of such healing, the true personality hidden behind masks and social roles is restored.

Such work opens access to a person’s unconscious, where the causes of his problems, illnesses, and conflicts are hidden. Every problem has a solution: the unconscious also contains the source of internal transformation necessary to restore the true essence of a person. There is an appeal to the deep layers of the psyche, at the level of which it is possible to work with long-forgotten traumatic events.

Introduction to an altered state of consciousness is achieved using breathing, bodily, meditative, shamanic and other techniques. They are used as a catalyst to release internal energy, which is used to heal mental wounds and get out of painful situations.

During transpersonal sessions, a person discovers and re-experiences pain, resentment, and guilt, which were repressed by the psyche into the unconscious and caused ongoing life problems in the present. In an altered state of consciousness, your unconscious itself chooses the experience that is currently the most significant and painful for the individual. As the practices are applied, a person’s life position is adjusted, the stereotypes of his behavior and his reactions to certain life situations change.

Although the term seems new, in fact, humanity has been using the techniques that make up the transpersonal approach for several millennia. This is shamanism and meditation, dream interpretation, special breathing, known to the priests of Ancient Egypt, Indian yogis, and North American Indians; rituals used in pagan and religious rituals.

Transpersonal psychotherapy is an opportunity to go on adventures and explore unknown areas of your inner world - your “hidden space”.

For modern people, transpersonal psychology is not only of ethnographic value, but also of practical interest.

Meditations, breathing practices, and shamanic rituals were practiced in all eras and in all countries, but, as a rule, they were assessed only as esoteric exoticism.

These are endless closed worlds, spaces, depths of the soul. It contains all our memories, fantasies, life experiences, the experience of our ancestors and family lineages, the experience of all humanity, all of evolution, the world of spiritual beings and energies.

The program offered to you includes most modern transpersonal methods: holotropic breathing, rebirthing, vibration, psychosynthesis, transpersonal art therapy, dream work, trance music and much more, without a touch of mysticism.

Theta healing technique

The technique of energy healing was invented by V. Stibal at a time when she was suffering from bone cancer. With the help of its development, you can change your life for the better and heal from any disease. An individual is able to feel harmony and peace through meditation and special training.

The author of the technique offers two “routes” for getting into the Theta state:

1. First way.

You need to sit on a chair, straighten your back, and lower your feet to the ground. Then close your eyes and take several deep breaths in and out, holding your breath briefly after each. Constantly relaxing, it is important to move your thoughts to the heart area and collect all the energy there.

Then you need to take this energy clot from the heart and lower it to the center of planet Earth. At this moment, you can feel how the energy of the Earth spreads throughout the body. Then this energy needs to be mentally collected into a huge ball and raised above your head. By an effort of thought, one should lift oneself above the house, trees, city, continent, Earth and enter into space.

There you need to mentally continue to move past the glimpses of white and dim light. It is important to pass through the unsteady mass and penetrate into the white and iridescent light. You can swim in it. True, during such a flight you should avoid the color blue. You need to act quickly. The main thing is to achieve a pearly white glow.

1. Second way.

You should sit back and relax completely. Then close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. It is important to achieve relaxation while breathing. Then you need to concentrate on the heart. At this moment, you should imagine that you and the chair you are sitting on are one molecular whole. The molecules of the chair intertwine with the molecules of the body, but each object retains its own shape.

Then you need to merge with the room and imagine yourself on the same molecular plane with all the things in it. Then you need to feel the molecular unity with the house, city, forests, fields, and Earth. Don't stop. Mentally you need to go into space. It is necessary to unite with the flashes of white light, the cosmic jelly-like substance. It is important to merge with the energy of the Universe. This way you can get into the Theta state.

Transpersonal Psychology Training

You can gain knowledge from the field of transpersonal discipline at seminars on esotericism or at institutes that teach this science. The main requirement for students is the desire to gain knowledge from the field of psychology, discover the realm of the unknown and learn to use the experience gained for the benefit of themselves and those around them.

Transpersonal science will help you understand yourself and the world around you. Thanks to her methods, you can improve your condition and life in general. By getting rid of problems and releasing energy, an individual is healed from various kinds of mental illnesses and gains harmony with the world. Knowledge of transpersonal discipline can be applied to unlock your creative potential and develop personal abilities.