This module introduces students to the range of quantitative and qualitative research designs which are most often employed in the fields of consciousness and transpersonal psychology. Assesssment is by one practical report and one oral and written critique of a published research study. We then examine the phenomenology of transpersonal states and consider various religious, philosophical and ecological perspectives on the transpersonal before exploring in some depth the transpersonal psychology of Ken Wilber. Finally we discuss various issues and controversies that have arisen within transpersonal psychology. The research study may be partly theoretical but must be primarily empirical in the sense that it involves data collection and analysis using appropriate principles and methods.
Students choose their own topic, in consultation with tutors.
Each student will be allocated a supervisor to advise upon the study undertaken and to monitor progress. The research study is assessed through an oral seminar paper and written thesis of 10,000 - 15,000 words. This module surveys the key features of a variety of spiritual practices and examines the psychological models and explanations which further our understanding of them. Thus prayer, meditation, sacred dance and ritual, amongst others, are examined in relation to cognitive, neurophysical, neuropsychological and depth psychological perspectives. The importance of 'maps' as representations of meaning in both spiritual and psychological traditions will also be examined.