I attended a fourth year student project at the weekend and the theme of the event was about contacting your inner wisdom using mindfulness techniques. Students at the CCPE are required to complete a fourth year project to meet the requirements of their transpersonal psychotherapy diploma training. You can attend one of these by paying a nominal fee (that covers the cost of the room hire) and in return you get the opportunity to explore a personal issue in a safe and supportive environment. We started the project by listening to classical music, to engage left side of the brain, and over the course of the two days we undertook guided visualisation, meditation using candle fire, psychodrama and drawing.
I am always amazed at the feedback I receive from others at what my subconscious throws up facilitated by the excellent Massimo Pamitsch.
Transpersonal Psychotherapy is often considered the new kid on the block. But visualisations, guided imagery, studies on the planes of consciousness and altered states of consciousness have been around for years. After all, Ibn Arabi was talking about these things in the 13th century. Perhaps we should see Transpersonal Psychotherapy as containing the a body of knowledge that is the oldest, not the newest?
But as soon as I think I can define Transpersonal Psychotherapy then I am entering deep water. It is to be felt, not defined or explained. My drawings (above) will probably testify to that.