Transpersonal Psychology Review Volume 19, No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Transpersonal Psychology Section Transpersonal Psychology Review Volume 19, No. 1, Spring 2017 ISSN: 1366-6991 Editor: Professor Ho Law, Empsy®, Cambridge Coaching Psychology Group. E-mail: [email protected] Book Review Editor: Vacant Consulting Editors: Waseem Alladin Bishop Grosseteste University & University of Leicester Toni Brennan University of East London and Goldsmiths College Elliot Cohen Leeds Metropolitan University Professor Les Lancaster Liverpool John Moores University Peter Lloyd Bennett Independent Educational Psychologist Professor Chris Roe University of Northampton John Rowan Independent Consultant Ingrid Slack The Open University Stuart Whomsley Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust The Transpersonal Psychology Review aims to encourage lively and constructive debate, always seeking to recognise the positive qualities of contributions as well as discussing any limitations or areas of dissent. We ask that any criticisms authors make of the work of others should be as constructive as possible, without losing the force of the critique itself. All contributions should be sent by email attachment to Ho Law at [email protected] and should conform to the ‘Notes for Contributors’, located on the inside back cover. Subscriptions Transpersonal Psychology Review is distributed free of charge to all Transpersonal Psychology Section members. It is available to non-members for £5 per issue from the British Psychological Society, St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7DR. Disclaimer Views expressed in Transpersonal Psychology Review are those of individual contributors and not necessarily of the Editors, the Transpersonal Psychology Section or the British Psychological Society. Publication of conferences, events, courses, organisations and advertisements does not necessarily imply approval or endorsement by the Transpersonal Psychology Section. Any subsequent promotional piece or advertisement must not indicate that an advertisement has previously appeared in Transpersonal Psychology Review. Advertising To place advertising or to find out about rates, please contact Michael Niskin at Cambridge Publishers Ltd (CPL) on 0044 1223 378 045 or e-mail: [email protected]. Situations vacant cannot be accepted. It is the British Psychological Society’s policy that job vacancies are published in the Society’s Psychologist Appointments section in The Psychologist. For details, contact the British Psychological Society’s Leicester office. Copyright Copyright for published material rests with the British Psychological Society unless specifically stated otherwise. As the Society is a party to the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) agreement, articles published in Review may be copied by libraries and other organisations under the terms of their own CLA licences (www.cla.co.uk). Permission must be obtained from the British Psychological Society for any other use beyond fair dealing authorised by copyright legislation. For further information about copyright and obtaining permissions, contact [email protected]. Editorial The power of imagery and the art of the transpersonal Ho Law HE Transpersonal Psychology Review cele- approach to psychological distress’. brated the publication of its special issue It draws on Jamie’s clinical and academic Ton ‘Post-traumatic Growth and Spiritu- experience as a psychotraumatologist and ality’ with a launch event on 21 December trauma psychotherapist, and argues for 2016. See the special report in this issue. a biopsychosociospiritual model of anxiety, As those involved in the publication of the depression and post traumatic stress. special issue and the event would probably Colleagues asked me what the special know, for me, the publication of the special theme of this is issue, and I said there issue signifes a completion of a chapter. isn’t one. We have the usual Mindfulness I hope it drew a closure to my bereavements Special Section, this time contributed over the last three years, though there will by Maya Campbell. It explores the origins be ongoing struggles for my sister, and her of mindfulness training and how a more family’s ongoing bereavement, amongst explicit teaching of compassion skills has other things… Nevertheless, I hope the been found to be highly benefcial in health publication will bring them some comfort… and wellbeing. And at the end of the issue, So in a way, the special issue marks the we have a number of transpersonal poems: beginning of an end of a chapter as well as a ‘The Unknowing Knowing’ by Sue Bradley; new beginning of another!. Of course, life ‘Meeting without Masks’ by Steve Taylor; goes on. The Transpersonal Psychology Review and two more by John Rowan: ‘There’s’ will continue, I have focused on this issue and ‘Reminder’. and will focus on the next issue, and so on, Having said that, by reading the papers as an ongoing stream of consciousness and contributed in this issue, it emerges to me spirit as the seasons unfold… that the power of imagery (for example, The special issue and the event see the paper by Hazel Skelsey Guest) and invoked a lot of positive reaction and its transpersonal practices seem to invoke support from colleagues. See feedback a call for the art of the transpersonal as a from some of the participants, and the complementary approach (if not the alter- paper by Emma Shackle, which exam- native) to scientifc inquiry into the realm ines the contribution of Donald Kalsched of transpersonal. The paper was developed to the understanding of the relationship collaboratively over a number of years of early childhood trauma to spirituality between my former student Nat Clegg and and the issues raised when young children me arguing for such a paradigm shift. You are affected by trauma. I am particularly may not agree with our arguments, but grateful for the support of the Society’s vice I hope you enjoy the beautiful art work that president Professor Jamie Hacker Hughes, is presented by Nat. who provided his opening address at the A fnal note, for those who have enjoyed special event. This is summarised in his our Transpersonal Research Colloquium paper: ‘Towards a biopsychosociospiritual (TRC), you may like to know that the Third Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 19, No. 1, Spring 2017 1 Ho Law Annual TRC 2017 will be held at the Naprstek TRC 2017 is ‘Spiritual Practices as Research Museum of Asian, African and American Methods: Integrating the Old and New’. The Cultures (www.nm.cz/Naprstek-Museum/) TRC 2017 call for papers is available on the in the heart of Prague’s Old Town Transpersonal Research Colloquium website on 2–3 October 2017. The TRC will offer (www.transpersonalresearchnetwork.com). the opportunity to elaborate, appreciate, and share a wide spectrum of research Ho Law approaches developed and applied for stud- Editor ying transpersonal topics. The theme for [email protected] 2 Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 19, No. 1, Spring 2017 The art of the transpersonal: Its psychology and coaching application Nat Clegg & Ho Law This article outlines an approach to transpersonal enquiry and its application to coaching. It evolves from a personal journey (autoethnography) from the study of fne art principles towards the practice of transpersonal coaching and the actualisation of the theories and principles of transpersonal and coaching psychology respectively. The fow of the journey travels through an appreciation of the creation of art, how to understand art and what this may mean to the individual, the links to some psychological principles and the formation of a methodology which combines the learned elements for the practitioner/ participant (coach/coachee) to understand the self in their present condition. Keywords: art; autoethnography; transpersonal; coaching psychology HE CREATION OF ART is something the practice of transpersonal coaching, that has been explored and experi- the actualisation of the theories and the Tenced since the dawn of human civi- principles of transpersonal and coaching lisation (Gombrich, 2007) – statements psychology respectively. of what we have done, where we are at, The fow of the journey travels through where we want to be and what we understand an appreciation when creating art of how about the human condition, the existence to understand art and what this may mean of what we may be and of where we are to the individual (the self and the other; possibly spawned. This also encompasses the links to some psychological principles questions of why we exist at all and the and the formation of a methodology, which reason for being, for others, ourselves and combines the learned elements to enable the beyond (transpersonally). Like alchemy, practitioner/participant (coach/coachee)) art has always been created as a means to understanding of the self in their present to access the realm of transpersonal condition. (for example, see Somers, 2004; Jung, We shall frst offer a literature review 2009). What does life give and how can which will help to provide a theoretical we represent this via art? As Szasz (1978) basis for our inquiry, and then examine suggests, through the ancient reference a possible application through our personal to healing words, iatroi logoi can help refection and examining some of our the cure of our souls; art combined with coaching practices. conversation could be useful in accessing our self identity and what our purpose in Literature review life may be, as May (1986) suggests we can This literature review aims to explore two reveal ourselves in art.