The term transpersonal is variously interpreted. But, literally, it means beyond the personal. In the sense that personal derives from persona (the mask through which mind or soul "looks"), then that which is beyond is soul or mind, informed by spirit.

In simple terms, Bruce and I regard human nature as tri-partite comprising spirit, soul and body. Of spirit, humans can say very little except that it informs all else. Of soul, as a synonym of mind, humans can and do say a lot more. Of body humans know the most, and have filled countless volumes with factual knowledge. This simple tri-partite scheme can be adapted to map onto virtually any set of teachings, exoteric or esoteric. For example, within the context of the Alice Bailey teachings, spirit may be viewed at different levels depending on whether we are considering human, planetary or solar systemic evolution. Likewise with soul and body. Within the Alice Bailey context, at the human level, spirit describes the highest of the planes of human evolution (that of cosmic matter), soul encompasses the buddhic and arupa mental planes, and body the lower mental plane though to the etheric body.

Modern psychology has had a great deal to say about soul even thought it rarely uses the term. After all, the prefix psych come from the Greek psyche which most agree equates with soul. However, most mainstream psychology is behaviourist in perspective, and so ignores or rejects any super-physical or transpersonal elements. In fact, even the more mundane concept of consciousness has, until recently, been all but ignored as one result of the strong behaviourist thrust. Yet, it is very clear from any intellectually honest reading of well documented human abilities and experiences that there is a transpersonal dimension to human nature. Psychology can only continue to ignore this dimension at the cost of becoming fragmented, losing parts of itself to other disciplines such as medicine, neurology and sociology.

To ignore the transpersonal dimension of human nature is to ignore that part of us that makes us truly human. It also ignores that part of us which ultimately informs all that we do. We say this because the transpersonal realm is the realm of true form (ideas in the Platonic sense), where the "forms" of the sense-based world arise from or derive from these.

Stan Grof talks of a hyletropic realm and a holotropic realm where hyle is Greek for "matter" and holo is Greek for wholeness. He uses these terms to distinguish between the sense-based world of space-time (hyle) and the supra-physical realm (holo). The truly whole person has contact with both realms. Clearly, contact with the hyletropic realm is essential to successful navigation in the world of sensory reality. However, an absence of contact with the holotropic realm causes a condition in which action arises purely from biological necessity. People who operate adequately in the hyletropic-only mode are in what Grof calls a state of "lower" sanity. Just as clearly, a person having contact only with the holotropic realm will be unable to function adequately in the realm of space-time. Examples of such an extreme condition can be seen in the lives of some of the mystics of many traditions. To operate in what Grof calls a state of "higher" sanity, one must have a balanced contact with both realms. In this way, one can function adequately in the realm of space-time yet, at the same time, be informed in all of one's decisions and actions by the holotropic realm. In simple terms, this state is the goal of those spiritual practices and disciplines that attempt to bring into full functioning all aspects of our nature, bringing about integration vertically (along the systems of chakras) and horizontally (across the cerebral hemispheres).

The above sets of ideas inform our approach within the Institute. They also inform our personal worldviews. This gives us an inclusive rather than exclusive orientation. You will find this reflected in the following web pages under publishing, training and so on.