Unlocking You 2, Above Self Actualization, Transpersonal Psychology, Mind Control (Remastered)

We did a series of videos on self-actualization or reaching your full potential. But could there be something above self-actualization? How could someone possibly achieve more than their full potential? You know that saying, be all that you can be? Well, in this video we are going to be talking about being more than you can be. This video is an introduction to the school of psychology of transpersonal psychology. The purpose of this video is to give you a clear understanding of what transpersonal psychology is, its relationship to other schools of psychology, and to introduce the subject of theories of consciousness. If you're not sure what transpersonal psychology is, that's okay. I'm going to explain it, but it's a little bit complex, so just bear with me. Remember this? Maslow's chart of the hierarchy of human needs? Well, at the top you have self-actualization, right? Now this is the old pyramid. In a later edition, Maslow added another level above self-actualization, and he called this level self-transcendence. So what exactly is self-transcendence? Well, transcendence comes from the Latin word trans, which means beyond or above, and scendere, which means to climb. So self-transcendence literally means to climb above or beyond oneself. Transpersonal psychology means above or beyond the personal. So transpersonal psychology literally means to go above or beyond personal psychology. So that's what the words mean, but that still doesn't give a person a clear picture of what this school psychology is about. To better understand the subject, let's talk about experiences. Imagine the most desirable, illuminating, life-changing experience possible. This is called a transpersonal experience. Now not everyone has transpersonal experiences, but they are real experiences, and many people do have them. One characteristic of a transpersonal experience is that they are the most desirable experience period. To illustrate this point, you only have to look at the extreme things people will do in order to have one of these experiences. People will meditate for tens of thousands of hours in order to have these experiences. People will poison themselves with psychoactive drugs in order to have these experiences. And people will fast to the point of near starvation to have these experiences. People will give up all worldly possessions and live in Buddhist monasteries in order to have these experiences. People will engage in acts of self-mutilation to have these experiences. The Mayans would even bleed themselves until they had these experiences. The point is that these experiences are highly desirable, and people will do extreme things in order to have these experiences. So let me read you a definition of transpersonal experiences. States of consciousness in which the sense of self is expanded beyond the ordinary definition and self-images of the individual personality. Self-transcendence refers to the direct experience of a fundamental connection, harmony, or unity with others in the world. So it's a direct experience of a fundamental connection, harmony, or unity with others in the universe. These experiences are described as being illuminating and enlightening. They change a person's perception of their relationship with the universe and with other beings. This is what the Buddhists mean by being one with everything. So the next characteristic of transpersonal experiences is that they are life-changing. And there's an example of a, there's a real example of a man that was in the mafia and he was raised in organized crime. He even murdered people and he had a transpersonal experience and it made him aware of the connection that he had with other people and the suffering he had caused other people. He then immediately quit the mafia. After this experience, he started to dedicate his life to helping others, even volunteering at orphanages. So imagine an experience so powerful that it could rehabilitate a career criminal in seconds. So three characteristics of transpersonal experiences is that they're highly desirable, they're enlightening, and they're life-changing. I really want to emphasize that we're talking about experience and the study of experience. Let me demonstrate how transpersonal psychology relates to other schools of psychology. Imagine we have a scale of human experiences and this represents all possible human experiences. And the scale is divided into three parts. At the top, you have the most desirable experiences. At the bottom, you have the least desirable experiences or the worst experiences. And in the middle, you have your everyday average experiences that most people have. So at the bottom of the scale, you have things like depression, hallucinations, compulsions, sexual dysfunction, trauma, or fears. And at the top of the scale, we have things like empathy, bliss, happiness, unconditional love, joy, the experience of beauty, and a supreme feeling of connection with other people in life in general. In philosophy, the study of this upper level is called metaphysics. And in religion, the study of this upper level is called mysticism. Transpersonal psychology studies that upper level, the most desirable experiences. Now what branch of psychology do you think studies that lower level, the least desirable experiences? If you guessed abnormal psychology, then you're right. And this book, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is nothing more than an attempt to describe that lower level of undesirable experiences. Now notice, I use average for that middle section. I don't use the word normal. And there's a reason why. One problem with abnormal psychology is the concept of normal. The implication is that if something doesn't fit into that middle section, that it's somehow not normal, unnatural, or a disease state. There's literally a tendency in certain schools of psychology and psychiatry to label any experience or behavior that isn't average as a disorder. It's as if that upper level, or the transpersonal experience, doesn't exist for abnormal psychologists. There's only average behavior. Anything else is a disease. So sometimes these transpersonal experiences, which people feel are meaningful and life changing, are considered by psychiatry symptoms of mental illness. When someone is having a transpersonal experience, it's not an average experience. So they tend to view the world in a different way. This can be confusing to both the person having the transpersonal experience and to the people surrounding that person having that experience. For example, a person may have a transpersonal experience and it be interpreted as mania. Or the word transpersonal means to go above the person. And this can be labeled in psychiatry as something called depersonalization. You see, the goal of Zen Buddhism is for a person to be able to control their mind so that they can let go of themselves, in other words, depersonalize. So in Zen, this experience is highly desirable and worth many years of hard work and meditation. But to the American Psychiatric Association, this experience is considered a symptom of mental illness. There's an old joke, what's the difference between a mystic and a schizophrenic? Well the mystic is smart enough not to tell the psychiatrist about his experiences. So I showed you this little scale of the most desirable experience, the average experience, and the least desirable experience. Well, this is a very simple model of human consciousness. People have attempted to plot out or map the range of human experiences since before recorded history. In fact, some of the most ancient writings describe the different levels of consciousness. Sometimes these models are linear, like a stairway or ladders. And sometimes they're more complex, like a spiral or concentric circles. One of the most recent well-known models of levels of consciousness is spiral dynamics. And this was popularized by Ken Wilbert. And yes, Ken Wilbert is a transpersonal psychologist. Another recent model was proposed by psychologist Timothy Leary, and it's called the Eight Circuit Model of Consciousness. So just to show you that these levels of consciousness have been studied for a really long time, this is a picture of the levels of consciousness in Hindu Veda. And this is a picture of levels of consciousness in the Kabbalah. In a future video, I'll be talking about ADHD. Is it a disorder? Or is it a high level of boredom? You will be surprised at the answer. And in another video, I've recently gotten an email from someone asking me if psychology is bullshit. So I know you are going to be surprised at my answer. Is psychology bullshit? So thank you for watching my video. And if you haven't already rated it, please do. And I really appreciate all you guys' comments. So keep doing it, and I'll see you next time. Welcome to Yoga Plus, courses available from pupil to yogi. Sort by yoga, fitness, and instructors. Create your own routines. Access the Pose Library. Yoga Plus by Psyche Truth, available on Google Play and the App Store. Join us for 14 and 30-day programs, hour-long classes, and much more on our yoga app, Yoga Plus by Psyche Truth. It's free to download and features a variety of wellness content, including yoga, fitness, Pilates, guided meditations, and interviews with dozens of wellness experts.