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Want to know more
about Psychosynthesis?
Psychosynthesis brings together the two traditions of psychology and mysticism.
Psychology is then infused with a sense of soul and meaning, whilst the
mystery traditions benefit from the grounding and reflective qualities of
psychology.
Psychosynthesis is a practical system which is not about the application
of techniques, but learning to live with a vision that comes from deep within
oneself.
What is Psychosynthesis?
(a longer answer)
What group based courses do you offer?
What books can I read about Psychosynthesis?
Do you have any articles I can read
about Psychosynthesis topics?
Can I have Psychosynthesis counselling
or therapy?
Do you have links to other Psychosynthesis
sites?
Anything we haven't covered, please let us know
Available Now!
Psychosynthesis:
The Elements and Beyond
everything ypu need
to understand and use
the visions and technques
of psychosynthesis
Has Psychosynthesis been appropriated by spiritual psychologists and
made into a pseudo-mystical system with guides who take their clients up
and down imaginary mountains? Will Parfitt argues that it has, and suggests
a new Integrative Approach to Psychosynthesis that more closely follows
its founder's original intentions.
Most people who have heard of Psychosynthesis think it's some kind of therapy
that includes spiritual or 'transpersonal' things. And let's face it - most
people haven't even heard of it. So what is Psychosynthesis? If you ask
nine out of ten graduates from one of the Psychosynthesis training courses,
they won't seem able to give you a straightforward answer. No wonder that
most people who have heard of it cannot tell you much about it. It's a bit
premature, therefore, to start asking fancy questions about it, like the
one in the title. To start with, let's stick to trying to find out some
idea of what Psychosynthesis is all about. We can do that by considering
its founder, Roberto Assagioli, and the reasons why he created it.
When Assagioli formulated Psychosynthesis in the early part of this century,
he was an eager young psychiatrist who felt he had discovered what was lacking
in psychoanalysis. He already had a deep interest in esoteric and occult
subjects, particularly the works of Alice Bailey. Returning to Italy after
his training with Freud, he had the vision of bringing together his spiritual
pursuits and his interest in the workings of the human psyche. Freud's psychoanalysis
delves into the past, looking for events, particularly from childhood, that
have affected how the individual relates to the world. Assagioli had no
problem with this, he clearly saw how important such work was. In an attempt
to be 'scientific', however, Freud had cut out all reference to spiritual
or mystical matters. They could not be quantified so were best avoided.
Assagioli reckoned that by cutting out these aspects of the human psyche,
the whole person was not being addressed. As well as the 'basement' of the
past, we all also have an 'upstairs' of potential, of future possibilities.
Wanting to put together psychoanalytical concern with the past events of
our lives, and our future potential for living life to the fullest, Assagioli
formulated Psychosynthesis. As an antidote to the over-rationalised world
view held by psychoanalysis, Assagioli's work was a vital presage to the
opening up of spiritual and esoteric realms that we almost take for granted
now. For the age in which he was working, he took the best possible course:
putting together the psychological and the spiritual, then somewhat disguising
the esoteric background of some of his ideas so as not to put off the straight,
scientific community who, in the early stages of this century, were still
deeply rooted in Victorian, materialistic scientific values.
As the century has progressed, however, things have changed. Whilst there
are still some 'old fashioned' analysts who will have no truck with the
spiritual in people's lives, the idea of soul and spirit is included by
the majority of psychotherapists in one form or another (even if it is not
openly addressed as such). The acceptance of the transpersonal in the human
psyche is more the norm rather than taboo. Of course, the work of Jung has
played a large part in this.
To understand Psychosynthesis, it is important we distinguish the 'spiritual'
from the 'transpersonal'. Spiritual psychology is concerned primarily with
the accessing of 'mystical' or 'transcendent' states of being and then,
equally, with the effect these states have on the individual psyche. The
concerns of transpersonal psychology are wider that this. It includes all
events that are more than just the everyday experiences of the personality.
As well as spiritual experiences, it includes psychic and interpsychic events,
and all aspects of the working of the unconscious, whether brilliantly lighted
with spiritual energy, or endarkened by the repressions that characterise
the shadow.
Psychosynthesis has been appropriated by the spiritual psychologists and
made into a pseudo-mystical system with guides who take their clients up
and down imaginary mountains. Assagioli's intention was far it to deal with
much wider issues - to include analysis itself, deep personal psychotherapy
that includes all aspects of the psyche, and of course, access to and expression
of creative and spiritual energies. It sounds like Psychosynthesis has the
potential, therefore, to be a truly integrative and holistic psychology
for the next century. Perhaps it depends upon who is using it, and for what
aims?
Assagioli's original intentions are clearly eclectic and a serious attempt
at the integration of different realms of human experience. His ideas about
and methods of presentation have become outmoded, however. Psychosynthesis
is too easily taken on and used superficially by people rather over-identified
with the mystical side of their nature. We all have a mystic within us,
a part of our personality that prefers to transcend everyday life, to `slip
out' of ordinary realms of relating and at its most ungrounded, float around
with its head in the clouds. At appropriate times, this part of us can soar
to great heights and bring us genuine (if partial) experiences of the spiritual
aspects of our natures. If sometimes we choose to give space to this part
of us, all well and good. The problem comes when the mystic within us 'takes
over' and we become so attached to it we never really get our feet on the
ground. We become 'astral junkies', 'spiritual side-steppers' or 'new age
trippers'. We all know people who live large parts of their lives in this
state.
Psychosynthesis can be presented in a one-sided way that is ideal for the
mystic aspects of ourselves. This `psychosynthesis' puts its emphasis on
the light, on ascension, on dealing with love and light through the denial
of the darker, shadowy aspects of our being. It could almost be the ideal
psychology for the love and light brigade of the so-called new age. But
even the new age is growing up and unless Psychosynthesis can move out of
this side-track and find itself a direction that includes the dark as well
as the light, perhaps it has no future.
For Assagioli, the psychological pendulum had swung far too far away from
the spiritual, thus giving him his raison-d'etre for Psychosynthesis. Now,
near the close the century in which he founded it, the Psychosynthesis pendulum
has swung too far towards the pseudo-spiritual realm of the mystic, the
avoider of the true spiritual practices that require real work on the earthly
plane. We need ways that do not encourage us to slip out of reality, but
which force us to come back into life, bringing our spiritual energies to
earth where they are needed. The soul energy within us all has to be made
manifest, and used to help us discriminate and ground ourselves in a true
spiritual perspective that honours life in all its aspects. An 'integrative'
Psychosynthesis that includes our darker aspects as well as our lighter
ones can help us to create a more holistic world
A key concept in Psychosynthesis has always been the central importance
of the act of will. Assagioli's greatest contribution to psychology has
to be his formulation of the will not as a rigid Victorian power that forces
its way forward no matter what, but as a fluid energy that is both easy
to operate and yet mysteriously undefinable. Indeed, Assagioli maintained
there is no such thing as 'the will' - rather we should talk of the act
of willing, which can only take place through the agency of the individual
being, the willer. When we stop trying, when we cease struggling, shoving,
making things happen, when we relax into our own being, the act of willing
happens. We can learn to honour our authentic totality: this means we are
not just perfect beings of light, but also a mess of complex parts many
of which we would rather not acknowledge let alone own as part of ourselves.
When we are willingly on earth, not trying to mystically side-step painful
issues, we then move into the realm that includes but is not controlled
by the mystic. We can use the energy of willingness to move closer to who
we really are. We can choose the responsibility of incarnation rather than
attempting to trip off somewhere else. This is the true goal of Psychosynthesis,
which can help bring about the manifestation of soul-filled energies onto
our planet at this crucial time. This renewed Psychosynthesis is integrative
through including the dark as well as the light, through accepting our limitations
as well as our potentials. This acceptance allows us to be ourselves naturally
and with ease. There is no need to deny the shadowy aspects of ourselves
or to project them onto other racial, social, political, or ethnic groups
originally published in "I-to-I" magazine, U.K. Issue 15,
July 1993
Will Parfitt is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and an experienced
and innovative group leader. Trained in Psychosynthesis, he has more than
thirty years experience of working with psychospiritual development, and
he travels internationally to run courses on a variety of subjects including
kabbalah and psychosynthesis. Will is author of several books
including 'Kabbalah for Life' and 'Psychosynthesis: the Elements and Beyond'.
© Will Parfitt 2006 (v7.1)