Transpersonal psychiatry

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Transpersonal psychiatry is a subfield of psychiatry that integrates the spiritual and transcendent aspects of the human experience with the framework of modern psychology. It is also known as spiritual psychiatry or spirituality-based psychiatry.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Transpersonal psychiatry is a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the study of transpersonal, self-transcendent or spiritual aspects of the human experience. Transpersonal psychiatry includes the study of mysticism, spirituality, and religion, and their relationship to mental health and well-being.

History[edit | edit source]

The term "transpersonal" means "beyond the personal" and was first used by psychologists such as Abraham Maslow and Stanislav Grof in the 1960s. The field of transpersonal psychiatry grew out of the humanistic psychology movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and has been influenced by various spiritual and mystical traditions from around the world.

Approach[edit | edit source]

Transpersonal psychiatry seeks to explore and understand the spiritual dimension of human experience, which is often overlooked in traditional psychiatric practice. This includes experiences of mysticism, spirituality, and religion, as well as experiences of self-transcendence and personal transformation.

Transpersonal psychiatry also seeks to integrate these spiritual experiences into a broader understanding of mental health and well-being. This includes understanding the role of spiritual experiences in promoting mental health, as well as understanding how spiritual experiences can sometimes lead to mental health problems.

Criticisms[edit | edit source]

Critics of transpersonal psychiatry argue that it lacks a solid empirical basis and that its concepts are often vague and poorly defined. They also argue that transpersonal psychiatry can sometimes blur the line between psychiatry and religion, and that this can lead to ethical issues.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Transpersonal psychiatry Resources

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD