Transpersonal Psychology and Holotropic Breathwork

Abraham Maslow was one of the main precursors of Humanistic Psychology. Maslow noted the possibility of reaching a state of being beyond the self. This state represents the transcendence of the boundaries of identity and experience, reaching higher levels of consciousness that have very positive effects and that are above the needs and material interests.

The transpersonal approach gives priority to the study of the whole rather than the party. It is a holographic process, where he selected and researched generalizable principles can provide a significant portion of the population.

Transpersonal Psychology is born in the 60's.

In 1969 the U.S. was established in the Association of Transpersonal Psychology, which focuses its interest in the following areas: Psychology and Psychotherapy, Personal Growth and Transformation, Research on states of consciousness, Addiction and Rehabilitation, death and near death experiences; Studies processes, values ​​and transpersonal states, peak experiences, The Self Transcendence, Theory and practice of meditation, transpersonal cooperation.

Transpersonal is understood that involves an inquiry into the essential nature of Being.

Transpersonal Psychology is not engaged in solving a specific problem encourages the patient to develop their own internal resources that allow you to solve problems.

It is based on the idea of ​​the transcendence of ego or self. The ego tends to identify with the emotions, roles, relationships, whereas disidentification favors transcendence. Transpersonal field does not depend on dogmas or creeds or require any religious conviction but takes a philosophical attitude and open science.

Among the pioneers of this discipline can consider:

William James: He was interested in the study of free will. Concluded that our choices are creative and sometimes have to give up our will.

He acknowledged the existence of a deeper spiritual self, subjective and dynamic than the material or social self.

Carl G. Jung: His contributions to this field have been very important.

It highlights his studies of myths, dreams, the various symbolic systems (alchemy, tarot, astrology, I Ching), the idea of ​​collective unconscious (which he identified with the transpersonal).

Transpersonal it is now understood as a different field of the collective unconscious.

Perhaps his most important contribution is the idea of ​​archetypes, defined as "universal images that reflect patterns of human behavior and experience?. The images also called primary. Its features are universal and are autonomous and deep patterns.

These archetypes emerge from the collective unconscious, which have accumulated as a result of the life experiences of our ancestors throughout our phylogenetic heritage. Imprinted in our psyche and manifest as behavioral patterns inherent in every human being. Actions can be described symbolically as mythological characters and situations that evoke feelings, images and universal themes.

Roberto Assagioli was the first to use the term Transpersonal (1965) in the modern sense. Differentiated the Higher Unconscious (with contents of the Transpersonal Self superconscious or transpersonal and archetypes) of the collective unconscious (with pre-personal archetypes).

Abraham Maslow: He founded the Journal of Transpersonal Psichology in 1968.

Their contribution is related to peak experiences are the key to go into the transpersonal. They are "one experience where time vanishes and all the needs are filled?. His concept of self-realization and fulfillment is approaching a state of unity of mystical properties.

In 1977 Ken Wilber raised in a very illuminating their "maps? of different levels of consciousness and its evolution from a transpersonal perspective. Psychotherapies also are appropriate in each level. In his book The Atman Project (Ed. Kairos, 1980) explores the conceptual and theoretical framework of Transpersonal Psychology. It is one of the brightest thinkers in this field.

Stanislav Grof: One of the most important authors in Transpersonal Psychotherapy. Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, started as in 1956, research on LSD.

One of his most important contributions is that of the perinatal matrices. With these offers invaluable insight to the different stages of the birth process and traces this process prints in the human psyche as well as psychopathology. (S. Grof Transpersonal Psychology: birth, death and transcendence in psychotherapy, Ed Kairos, Barcelona, ​​1985)

In general transpersonal techniques relate to the provision of non-ordinary states of consciousness. These experiences have allowed to observe the psyche not only contains a biographical level field but transbiográficos includes two fields: the domain of perinatal related to the birth experience and the transpersonal field that deals with phenomena of experiential identification with other people animals, archetypal visions, or ancient mythological

The memories of physical and emotional experiences are stored in the psyche, not as isolated fragments but as complex constellations Grof called COEX (Condensed Experience Systems).

Grof's COEX understood as general organizational principles of the human psyche. They play an important role in our psychological life and can influence the way we perceive or perceive others and how we feel about them.

There is a dynamic between external facts and COEX systems. The events outside our systems can be activated by COEX COEX and in turn can make us perceive and behave in a way we recreate the essence of them in our daily lives.

Grof developed Holotropic Breathwork, a technique that uses breathing intensified, music, body work, design and integration shared with those who make up the workshop.

Here, the therapist provides a useful method for interior work, a non-ordinary states of consciousness. Create a safe environment, emotional support and confidence for the development of the process that results in a powerful effect on the balance of emotions and healing. It is a high potential for personal development. Can be worked and release emotions of shame, guilt or anger. This is because it automatically bring to consciousness the unconscious contents that have a strong emotional charge and are psychodynamically most relevant at that particular time and will be available to be integrated and tested in its entirety.

It is also a useful technique to be used with various psychosomatic disorders or people with other organic diseases.

Dr. Eduardo Szwarcer