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So begins my brief essay:

“I loved reading Eben Alexander’s book Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife. When it was first published, I mentioned the book to a friend who is both a theological school professor and a minister. Although I strongly endorsed the book and assumed she would be eager to read it as well, she gave me reason to pause when she said, ‘I do not need to read a book to know Heaven is real.’

In a sense, she was right—not only about her own belief, but about mine as well.”

To read further, click on the link below to visit Passages Beyond the Gate.

Transpersonal Psychology has Contributed to American Pychology But It Has Much More to Offer

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The questionable concepts advanced by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875– 1961) have actually had massive impact on modern psychology, particularly the branch referred to as transpersonal psychology. In 1932, Jung gave a seminar on the psychology of kundalini yoga to the Psychological Club in Zurich. He believed that the philosophy and images behind this extreme type of Eastern reflection offered the ideal framework for clarifying and illustrating his own ideas on the importance of including the spiritual energy in the unconscious mind into the reason-dominated world of the ego.

Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

Jung theorized that all humans possess an innate layer of typical knowledge, which he called the cumulative unconscious, that assists them understand and translate experiences. This layer can’t be accessed directly by the conscious mind however communicates with it indirectly by symbols, called archetypes, manifesting themselves as people or animals in dreams, visions, mythology, art and literature. The most vital archetype is the Self, often appearing as a hero or heroine struggling to complete a tough and hazardous journey. The objective of Jungian psychology is to bring the Self, the center of the whole psyche, into balance with the ego, the center of awareness, a process called individuation.

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The Chakra System

In Kundalini yoga, a coiled snake lying inactive at the base of the spine stands for the universal life force. When this snake is ‘awakened’ with mind-calming exercise, it begins advancing up the spine along 7 energy centers called chakras, unblocking every one as it goes and launching the formerly concealed components into the conscious mind. Jung thought that Western civilization over-emphasized the value of rational idea and experience and by so doing, its energy had become trapped in the lower 3 chakras rooted in the physical world. In order to become mentally whole and healthy, Westerners had to use the spiritual energy of the upper chakras and integrate it into ideas and actions.

Mandalas and the Snake Archetype

The mandala, a shut geometrical shape usually represented by a circle, a square, or a square within a circle, plays an essential part in Jungian psychology and Jung himself both gathered and painted mandalas. In Eastern custom, mandala images are often made use of as overviews of mind-calming exercise. The Ouroboros is an old symbol showing a basilisk with its tail in its mouth. By signing up with the kundalini snake energy with the mandala shape, the Ouroboros presumes double the power, signifying unity in all its types: physical, spiritual, collective, and person.

The Ultimate Objective: Individuation

I’ve been reflecting on how mainstream psychology embraces some of the tools, kindred ideas, and practices of transpersonal psychology—while still holding distance from the worldview behind them. This chart seeks to capture that tension.

Largely rejected and seen as a problem by mainstream psychology--Transpersonal psychology has much to offer. Read a brief account of its history and a way--based on Jungian theory--this psychology can help move American psychology significantly closer to becoming a complete psychology. The topic is discussed in the essay Transpersonal Psychology: A Problem Inseparable from Its Promise. View the reflection at the link below.

"Over the past decade, fragmentation within American psychology has only intensified. Compounding this condition is the growing influence of AI-driven, algorithmic reductionism—the view that a human being may be understood as little more than the sum of predictable data points. The field now finds itself stretched across neurobiological reductionism, algorithmic behavioral prediction (the application of mathematical models and data to forecast behavior), positive psychological approaches to flourishing, trauma-centered practices—which, while invaluable, can at times risk organizing identity around injury rather than possibility if not held within a broader developmental frame—and a renewed, though not widespread, interest in spirituality and meaning-making.

Each of these movements carries genuine insight; yet, in their relative isolation from one another, they have contributed to a profession that struggles to articulate a coherent vision of the human being. The modern psychologist—unless choosing to privilege certain roles over others—is thus called upon to be scientist, healer, technician, and, at times, a spiritual companion—often without a unifying framework capable of holding these roles together." Explore the full essay at the link below

Mainstream American psychology frequently relegates transpersonal psychology to the role of the "problem child," yet this label reveals more about the observer’s limitations than the subject's maturity. What mainstream psychology often misinterpreted as youthful defiance, confusion, or a flawed understanding of reality is, in truth, a failure to acknowledge the sage-like wisdom standing before it. Explore the full essay at the link below.

What if the fragmentation within American psychology reflects a deeper uncertainty about what it means to be human?

Today, the field stretches across neuroscience, algorithmic prediction, positive psychology, trauma-centered care, and a renewed interest in spirituality. Each offers insight—yet together they remain largely unintegrated.

The modern psychologist is now asked to be scientist, healer, technician, and spiritual companion—often without a unifying framework to hold these roles together.