Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 Dr. ManSingh TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN VEDANTA: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AND WILLIAM JAMES’ ENCOUNTER ABSTRACT William James (1842-1910) who stands at the head of modern psychology was deeply influenced by Vedanta philosophy of Vivekananda. In this context, the encounter between Swami Vivekananda and William James is of significance for it probably accelerated the development of transpersonal psychology as a “Fourth Force” in modern psychology. During the Twentieth century, humanistic and transpersonal movements have revived the study of consciousness in psychology. The humanistic psychology of the early sixties was instrumental in creating another field of study called the transpersonal psychology. This new area emerged as a separate field of study due to a long series of verbal and written interaction between Abraham Maslow and Anthony Sutich in 1968. Key Words:Transpersonal Psychology, Vedanta Philosophy, Psychoanalytic Theory, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Prãnãyãma, Samädhi TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN VEDANTA: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AND WILLIAM JAMES’ ENCOUNTER A review of transpersonal psychology shows that its emergence in the 1960’s is not merely an odd beatnik phenomenon but the reappearing of an approach to psychology that had been introduced to the western world in the latter half of the nineteenth century by American transcendentalists and European scholars who were influenced by Vedantic and related philosophies of Hindu origin. Swami Vivekananda played a very important but indirect role in the emergence of this field because his visit (1893-96) gave American thinkers agenuine and immediate understanding of Hindu philosophy. William James (1842-1910) who stands at the head of modern psychology was deeply influenced by Vedanta philosophy of Vivekananda. In this context, the encounter between Swami Vivekananda and William James is of significance for it probably accelerated the development of transpersonal psychology as a “Fourth Force” in modern psychology. During the Twentieth century, humanistic and transpersonal movements have revived the study of consciousness in psychology. The humanistic psychology of the early sixties was instrumental in creating another field of study called the transpersonal psychology. This new area emerged as a separate field of study due to a long series of verbal and written interaction between Abraham Maslow and Anthony Sutich in 1968. A useful perspective that emerged from these discussions was the meaning and scope of transpersonal psychology. Sutich(1969) has described it succinctly: Transpersonal (or "fourth force") Psychology is the title given to an emerging force in the psychology field by a group of psychologists and professional men and women from other fields who are interested in those ultimate human capacities and potentialities that have no systematic place in positivistic or Volume 11, Issue 7, JULY-2019 Page No:85 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 behavioristic theory ("first force”), classical psychoanalytic theory ("second force"), or humanistic psychology ("third force"). The emerging Transpersonal Psycho- logy ("fourth force) is concerned specifically with the empirical, scientific study of and responsible implementation of the findings relevant to becoming, individual and species-wide meta-needs, ultimate values, unitive consciousness, peak experiences, B-values, ecstasy, mystical experience, awe, being, self-actualization, essence, bliss, wonder, ultimate meaning, transcendence of the self, spirit, oneness, cosmic awareness, individual and species-wide synergy, maximal interpersonal encounter, sacralization of everyday life, transcendental phenomena, cosmic self-humor and playfulness : maximal sensory awareness, responsibleness and expression; and related concepts, experiences and activities. (15-16) At the time when Ladd and James were trying to define psychology in the U. S. A., another event, apparently detached with the development of transpersonal psychology, was taking place. A Hindu monk, invited to speak at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893, was sweeping across the United States like an effulgent beam of light, enlightening areas of possible intellectual development that had been tangentially speculated upon but never thought of as integral to the science of psychology. Swami Vivekananda's visit to the United States had far-reaching effects in many fields, most important of which was psychology. William James was already a prominent philosopher working in the field of psychologywhen Vivekananda first came to the United States. Since 1872 he had been teaching at Harvard University, first physiology, then psychology, and, later still philosophy. He had already published (in 1890) that definitive volume, The Principles of Psychology. By this time, he started theorizing,“the knower is not simply a mirror floating with no foothold anywhere, and passively reflecting an order that he comes upon and finds simply existing. The knower is an actor, and coefficient of the truth on one side, whilst on the other he registers the truth which he helps to create.” Energy, action, individualism are the forces that appealed to James and he felt the pull of polarities - of monism and pluralism, of mystical comprehension and objective rational analysis, but he consciously resisted mystical and monistic concepts because they seemed to demand passive rather than active experience. His contact with Vivekananda and his teachings were to play a part in his later theories.It was in Ole Bull’s house that William James met Vivekananda, probably during latter's first visit. James, always a shy person, wanted to give Vivekananda a copy of his book but did not. He recorded this in a letter to Josephine MacLeod in 1900. It is said that James invited Vivekananda for dinner,there is no record of Vivekananda going or not going to James's residence (Burke, 1973). However, it is known that James went to visit Vivekananda on publication of Raja Yogain June 1895. Raja Yoga was the edited version of notes conscientiously taken by Miss S. E. Waldo at the Study sessions at which the Swami lectured on Vedanta and other aspects thought. From August 17 to December 6, 1895, Swami Vivekananda was away in Europe, but on his return to New York, he plunged himself into a hectic pace of work. He gave numerous lectures, established Vedantic centres, and completed Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. On March 25, 1896, he gave an invited lecture before the Graduate Philosophical Society (DaneHall) at Harvard University. So profound was the impact of this lecture, “Philosophy of the Vedanta,” that he was offered a Chair of Eastern Philosophy; he declined the offer just as he declined a Sanskrit chair at Columbia University. These offers were probably made informally and we do not have any record. Swami Vivekananda left for India in April 1896. Volume 11, Issue 7, JULY-2019 Page No:86 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 This meeting between Vivekananda William James helped in shaping the field known as transpersonal psychology in many ways. First, we should note that the climate for Vivekananda's philosophy had already been set up in America, and certainly within James. James, always a voracious reader, was familiar with the works of the American transcendentalists - Emerson, Thoreau and Loliteau- who had received their inspiration from English translations of Sanskrit texts. Max Muller’s series, Sacred Books of the East, was available. James's father, Henry James Sr., was one who speculated on various philosophies and had become a Swedenborgian. Thus William James was already aware of and interested in what Vivekananda had to offer. He had thought enough on the matter to recognize his fundamental ambivalence. By nature, he had what he referred to as “the mystical germ” but by training, he was a pragmatist, engaged in the formulation of the theory of pluralism James’s response to Vivekananda was, therefore, ambivalent. On the one hand, there was no denying the impact of Vivekananda's personality. (James later said, “That man is simply a wonder for oratorical power.”) But he could not accept Vedantic monism and yogic perception. The concept of an all-embracing One seemed to be a passive and therefore " too easy” an approach. He decided that pluralism was for “hardy souls” whereas monism was fit only for “sick souls” (Alexander, 1980) Similarly, James declined to be enthusiastic about yoga. He tried prãnãyãma but gave it up all too soon. The pragmatist in him likewise, rejected mystic incomprehension or experience. Vivekananda went into samadhi twice while in Boston and James is said to have witnessed one of them. This seems unlikely, though, because he makes no mention of it in his letters to Lutoslawski dealing with the subject of yogic experience. We must, however, remember that James was generally reticent about accepting the influence of others on him, even of his own father (Ieterson, 1954). In short, during the period of Vevekananda’s visit, James was in the “rational” phase of his philosophical career, and resisted everything metaphysical, seeking his answers in such practicalities as pluralism. However, James changed his position, or perhaps matured to integrate these aspects into his later concepts. He got a better understanding of yogic discipline, monism and intuitive apprehension of higher reality as he contemplated further. Between 1896 when he first met Vivekananda,