Transpersonal Psychology (Doctoral)

This course examines the transpersonal psychology’s historical influences at its founding in the 1960s, all the way up to the present day. Psychoanalytic, Jungian, behavioral, existential, cognitive, and humanistic schools of thought will be examined in order to trace their initial and ongoing influences in the field. The course also examines the theories and applications of transpersonal psychology, especially how nonduality, integral holism, and transformational studies have influenced human developmental ideas that utilize the spiritual dimensions of the self to catalyze and quicken the process towards optimal mental health in ways that have proven to benefit individuals, societies, and the environment.

Today there are several main approaches to transpersonal psychotherapy with key differences in their foundations and therapeutic processes; however, they all place central emphasis on the spiritual dimension in human life and its interaction with physical, emotional, and mental dimensions covered by traditional psychotherapies. This course provides a basic introduction to the fundamental features of these diverse approaches as well as their relationship with other Western schools of psychotherapy and traditional Eastern and Indigenous healing practices influencing the field.

This symposium provides an overview of the major theoretical underpinnings of the field of transpersonal psychology. It focuses on the participatory turn in spirituality, mysticism, and religious studies in Transpersonal Theory.

This course uses multi-media to consider diverse worldviews, cultural perspectives, beliefs, and ways of engaging reality surround death and the afterlife. Grief practices will be considered as both personal and social actions. The work builds on Terror Management Theory, human transformation, and transpersonal psychology. It weaves together experiential practices, video, lectures, readings, writing, and thematic analysis. Students will be expected to consider their own worldview and its implications.

Seminars provide students with opportunities to get to know classmates, faculty, and staff, and learn about key aspects of the program. Presentations by transpersonal speakers are interspersed with meditation, movement, body awareness processes, group interaction, creative expressions, and ritual. Courses begin at the seminar. These seminars take place online in the Spring, and at our Costa Mesa campus in the fall. These synchronous in person or online seminars deeply support our learning objectives. Attendance at the seminars is required. Successful completion of the seminar is a prerequisite for entering the first year of study. May be repeated to fulfill total seminar requirements for PhD in Transpersonal Psychology.

The purpose of this course is to explore the philosophical, practical, theoretical, and spiritual literature as well as the experiences surrounding the evolving nature of transpersonal leadership. The investigation into the characteristics of personal philosophies concerning the nature of leadership, peer evaluation of leadership approaches, and development and presentation of models of potentiating leadership held within the scope of transpersonal psychology. The potentiating arts will be introduced resulting in action research aimed at building a community of potential.

Be introduced to the field of ecopsychology, ecoshamanism, and related fields. Explore the illusion of separation between humans and nature through scholarship, nature encounters, practices, and reflective discussions. Consider how to shift consciousness to a more reciprocal, intimate relationship with the natural world. Discover practical ways to actively bring ecological consciousness into personal, service, and professional life.

Although dream science can explain many important aspects of dreams and dreaming, experiencing dreamwork and dream-arts are helpful doorways to individual and group creativity, which leads to healing and personal growth. This course offers various methods of dreamwork and creative dream expression for both individual and group work. Lectures and discussions will lead to experiential group and individual activities. Over the term we will cultivate a respectful, ethical space for creative dream exploration, and you will gain valuable new tools for dreamwork. Background for this course includes an overview of dream studies drawing upon the International Association for the Study of Dreams, Kilton Stewart’s contributions and Senoi-inspired dreamwork, Montague Ullman’s Appreciating Dreams group method (aka The Ullman Method), Fritz Perls’ Gestalt Dreamwork, Gayle Delaney’s Dream Interview Method, Wilma Scategni’s Dream Psychodrama, and Angel Morgan’s Dream-Bridging Method with Dream-Arts.

This course applies psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to religious traditions, as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals, describing and explaining the details, origins, and uses of religious beliefs and behaviors.

To conclude the Dream Studies certificate, students will write an integration paper and give an artistic presentation in this course. One Zoom session will be scheduled at the beginning of the course where students will have the opportunity to share their insights and experiences in the Dream Studies Certificate program and discuss their ideas for artistic presentations. Students will work on their integration papers and artistic presentations independently during the term. At the end of the term the final Zoom gathering will include all DSC students sharing their artistic presentations. The integration papers and artistic presentations will uniquely express what the students have learned about studying dreams throughout this certificate program at Sofia.  

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and experience. Psychological trauma can lead to a constellation of persistent disorders including anxiety, depression, and recurring nightmares. This constellation, labeled Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), is a condition that follows experiencing or witnessing life- threatening events that exceed one’s coping capacity, emotional resources, and/or existential worldviews. Western mental health workers apply this socially constructed label to noticeable changes in someone’s behavior, attitudes, and/or values after an accident, natural disaster, armed combat, rape, torture, abuse, or a variety of other assaults. When the person who suffered the trauma has not been able to recover, gain equilibrium, and “get on with life,” this dysfunction is typically attributed to the traumatic experience. The problem of PTSD has increased, as an increasing number of combat veterans return to the United States in need of healing and re-integration with society. However, PTSD survivors extend well beyond combat veterans. The phenomena of cultural PTSD and intergenerational PTSD persist around the globe accompanied by a great need for transpersonal healing. There are many effective treatments for PTSD survivors, ranging from conventional to transpersonal and various combinations. This course will emphasize both the current scientific “evidence based” treatments for PTSD, and other healing methods for PTSD including alternative, holistic, cross-cultural, creative, arts-based, humanistic, existential, and transpersonal approaches.

This first of a four-course sequence covers essential topics in the psychedelic sciences. Learners will explore the history of the use of psychedelics in western culture and indigenous traditions. The primary and common psychedelic substances currently in use will be presented with a focus on history, classifications, and uses. The neuroscience of psychedelic experience will be explored, and various theories of the mechanism of action will be examined with an emphasis on expanded states of consciousness. By framing psychedelic experience within the discipline of transpersonal psychology, the therapeutic use of expanded states in mental health treatment will be presented. Finally, the current discourse around the decriminalization and legalization of psychedelic substances will be discussed. After completing this course, students will enroll in Psychedelic Research Methods and Ethics.

​This second course in the four-course sequence explores the various methodological approaches used to research the use and outcomes of psychedelics. You and your cohort will continue to work together to explore issues of cultural appropriation and the role of worldviews in research. The various methods for conducting research will be explored in relation to both individual and group experiences. Special attention will be given to the challenges and ethical issues related to recruiting participants, measuring altered states, validity and reliability concerns and alternatives to control groups. Screening and harm reduction will be addressed along with discussions related to cultural, spiritual and ecological concerns. Students will collaborate as a research team to identify a topic of focus for the final practicum course in the sequence. Following completion of this course, students will enroll in Psychedelics Mysticism, and Spirituality.

The third course in the four-course sequence explores the impact of expanded states of consciousness on religious worldviews and mystical experiences and the challenges involved in measuring the effects of expanded states. You and your cohort will be presented with a variety of epistemologies and cosmologies to help you understand psychedelic experience through the lens of mysticism and spirituality. The role of shaman or guide will be explored along with personal and social transformation, the role of initiation and ceremony, and guidance in distinguishing between spiritual emergency and a so-called “bad trip”. Finally, this course will address end of life issues and their implications for a spiritual cosmology. Following completion of this course, students will enroll in Psychedelic Research Practicum.

This final course in the 4-course sequence is a culmination and application of everything learned in the first three courses. It engages students in working together to conduct an original research project. Over the ten weeks, you and your cohort will be actively involved in every phase of the research project, including creating the research topic, addressing ethical issues, collecting data, analyzing data, and summarizing the findings. Statistical and qualitative data analysis programs will be utilized in the data analysis. The focus of this course is on developing the skills and competencies to conduct original research in the psychedelic sciences. The topic of the research study will be designed in collaboration with student input during the second course of this course sequence. ​

Part I of this two-quarter Research Practicum involves faculty and student collaboration in an original research project on a topic of transpersonal interest. Students actively participate in every phase of the research project, beginning with research design and carrying through with recruiting participants, conducting interviews, administering surveys, analyzing textual data through a thematic content analysis, conduct statistical analyses using SPSS, determine findings from research data and convey them in a scholarly article.