Psychosynthesis: Roots and Uses
Will Parfitt
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In the article Psychosynthesis: Twenty First Century Psychology,
Will Parfitt asked whether Psychosynthesis had been appropriated by spiritual psychologists and
made into a pseudo-mystical system? In this new article on the roots and uses of Psychosynthesis,
Will suggests there has been a renewal in Psychosynthesis that brings it more closely to
its founder's original intentions.
These days we all know only too well how the act of one person can and does have a profound effect on us all; equally we are all responsible for the effect we have collectively on both the planet as a whole and on each individual. In the early stages of this new century, the two areas of most concern are our individual and collective responsibility. In an article published in the early 90s, I suggested that Psychosynthesis, being truly integrative and holistic, is the most important psychology for the 21st Century as it gives us a perspective that can bring meaning to both our individual and collective acts. So does this grand claim have any validity?
It is true that many people have not heard of Psychosynthesis, of course, but amongst those that have it is usually thought of as a form of psychotherapy. Whilst this is one of its applications, Psychosynthesis is in fact a lot more than that and is applicable not just in therapy but in all levels of education, business, in social and economic arenas, in healing, parenting, medicine ñ in fact, all areas of human activity.
We have moved into a new world where each individual has their own unique way of perceiving and interacting with the world based not only on the past traumas and so on that were experienced during childhood, as is presented in the Freudian world view. We also have potential, the 'future' within us which, through proper attention, can be brought to life and manifest in ways that bring a deep sense of purpose and meaning to life. In our modern world anything that increases our sense of meaning has to be good. Psychosynthesis does just that, helping us become, as in the title of Piero Ferrucci's classic psychosynthesis book, what we may be.
Psychosynthesis was founded by Roberto Assagioli, an Italian doctor, in the early 20th century when he realised his teacher, Freud, not only ignored but actively berated spiritual beliefs. Assagioli did not want to deal with just the 'basement' of the psyche, where all our old traumas are stored, but also with the 'upstairs', as it were, where we connect to our potential. Important as it is to analyse the past so we become more effective in our lives, we also need to look to our potential and find ways to develop and grow. Psychosynthesis works to uncover the creative and spiritual energy within each of us which can illuminate whatever are our areas of interest.
For Assagioli, Psychosynthesis was a consciously inspired vision of how the best psychological and esoteric understandings of the human psyche can be applied in a relevant, meaningful way that should work for everyone whatever their beliefs. Over the course of his life Assagioli fine-tuned the system, not to create an eclectic mishmash but a potent synthesis. Thus we find in Psychosynthesis elements of various therapies, from analytical through humanistic to transpersonal, coupled with practices adapted from spiritual and esoteric traditions. To hold and nurture his vision, he always referred everything back to his basic model, called 'the egg diagram', which is a simplified version of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Indeed, the influence of Kabbalah on Assagioli was considerable and, because of its inclusive vision, enables Psychosynthesis to incorporate many systems and techniques without being diluted or corrupted.
As well as from Kabbalah, Psychosynthesis has influences from Christian mysticism, Raja Yoga, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Rosicrucianism, Hermeticism and Alchemy. Assagioli admired the work of Dante, for instance, which he felt synthesized the masculine and feminine approaches of Christian mysticism. He saw in Dante's Divine Comedy an archetypal description of the processes each individual goes through in their developmental journey through life. Whilst writing about Dante, Assagioli also mentions troubadours, particularly concerning the imagery of the rose (also used by Dante.) He aligns Psychosynthesis with Gnosticism through asserting: 'Psychosynthesis Ö appreciates, respects and even recognises the necessity of [faith] but its purpose is to help to attain the direct experience.'
There are many versions of Alchemy but they all generally agree that 'a common substance' is subjected to a series of operations to obtain an end product called the philosopher's stone, the elixir of life, or just simply gold. Whether taken on a purely physical level or seen metaphorically, the alchemical process takes a dead thing, impure, valueless and powerless, and transforms it into a living thing, active, invaluable and transformative. This exactly describes the work of Psychosynthesis and, with a little thought on the metaphor involved, shows how the process of Psychosynthesis can be applied in all human endeavours, perhaps even especially in the business world.
Hermeticists believe the two most important powers of the human psyche are will and imagination (both properly tempered by love.) We use imagination to create the world in which we live, and will is the force by which we maintain it. The key to a meaningful life is aligning personal will with transpersonal Intent (True Will or Purpose.) As Assagioli put it, we then have: 'The strength and the power to express compassion according to wisdom; the wisdom and compassion to use power for the greatest good.'
I hope this brief description of the roots and uses of Psychosynthesis will whet your appetite for more. To quote Assagioli, through studying Psychosynthesis, we can 'begin to discover the secrets we are looking for, and attain a conscious contact with the Existence of which we are an inseparable part.'
Will Parfitt,
April, 2007
originally published in "Watkins Review", U.K.
July 2007
Will Parfitt is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and an experienced
and innovative group leader. Trained in Psychosynthesis, he has more than
forty years experience of working with psychospiritual development, and
travels internationally to run courses on a variety of subjects including
kabbalah and psychosynthesis. Will is author of several books
including 'The Complete Guide to Kabbalah', 'The Something and Nothing of Death', 'Kabbalah:The Tree of Life' and 'Psychosynthesis: the Elements and Beyond.