Revisioning Transpersonal Theory : A Participatory Vision of Human Spirituality (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) (Paperback)

by Jorge N. Ferrer (Author), Richard Tarnas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A participating alternative to the experimentalism and perennialism dominant in transpersonal psychology.

From the Back Cover
In his striking debut, Jorge Noguera Ferrer deconstructs and reconstructs the entire transpersonal project, articulating a more sophisticated, pluralistic, and spiritually grounded transpersonal theory. He brings recent ideas in epistemology and the philosophy of science to bear upon core issues in the psychology and philosophy of religion. The book's first half (Deconstruction) describes the nature and origins of the experiential vision that has guided transpersonal scholarship so far, and identifies some of its main conceptual and practical limitations: intrasubjective reductionism, subtle Cartesianism, spiritual narcissism, and integrative arrestment. In the second half of the book (Reconstruction), Ferrer suggests an alternate way of reconceiving transpersonal ideas without these limitations-a participatory vision of human spirituality, one which not only overcomes the limitations of the experiential vision, but also places transpersonal studies in greater alignment with the values of the spiritual quest.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791451682
• ISBN-13: 978-0791451687
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #594,937 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars quesionning your quest, October 7, 2004

By	Francois Jullien (montreal, quebec, canada) - See all my reviews

this book is verry helpful to help you to ask yourself some good questions regarding your inner journey. It hilights many potential pittfals encountered in the transpersonal practices and anchor them in a tentative new encompassing approach.

The most important point for me, after two years of practice of holotropic breathwork, was the dangers of an approach too exclusively experiential, which is common in the transpersonal field. That is the belief that experiences in themselves contain healing potential and spriritual progress. the emphasis on experience was necessary for a time for the transpersonal field to be accepted by the scientific community as the study of non ordinary state of consciousness. but the quest for experience can easily turn into an addiction to temporary high spiritual states without being intergrated into the daily life, but not without inflation of the ego... as in the case of many psychonautes exclusively using psychedelic substance. traditionnaly, experiences are only one of the many ingredients nessary for a fruitful spiritual practice, which come along with intelectual studies, respect of ethic principles, relationships in a shangha or group of practicionner and with a teacher of master.

another interesting point is the new and refreshing ways to account for the diversity of spiritual systems. contrary to Wilber who is caught in an objectivist view where he posit a hierarchy between the different system, and hence a definit objective abolute truth about the ultimate, Ferrer argue for a diversity of ways of unfolding the truth of the universe, which are neither hierarchically organised, neither reductible to each other. This is a very healthy view that gives theorical grounding to a real respect but also curiosity as a basic attitude for the relationships between poeple beloging to different spiritual schools.

This is a book to read for anybody involved in the modern sprititual quest where one often mixes many different practices : a lot of buddhist meditation, a good deal of hata yoga, some christian devotion, without forgetting the nessesary participation to shamanic entheogenic rituals... it is a very useful tools to clarify one's own goals in the practice.

but it is definitely a scholar book which speaks of philosophical controverseries and need some efforts to be read.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Approach, December 15, 2003

By	Daryl Paulson (Bozeman, Montana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Revisioning Transpersonal Theory : A Participartory Vision of Human Spirituality (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) (Hardcover)

This was a difficult book for the first reading because I was not familiar with much of the information cited by Ferrer. It is not because the book is poorly written, just because it was new. There are many things to think about while reading the book. This is not a Washburn or Wilber spin off but something entirely different. Ferrer does a great job in presenting an original perspective in transpersonal theory. A must have book for the transpersonal theorist.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ponder on This, December 1, 2003

By	Daryl S Paulson (Bozeman,, MT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revisioning Transpersonal Theory : A Participartory Vision of Human Spirituality (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) (Hardcover)

When I first read this book I hated it, but I have read and studied it for 2 years and find it one of the best books ever written on transpersonal psychology. Be sure that you get the reference book Ferrer references because his thesis will make much more sense. You may not agree with everything he states, but is a very significant book for those who question their own beliefs. A must read.