Week 8 Introduction: "Diverse Perspectives: Connecting with Others and with the Earth, Part 2"  |     by Arthur Hastings, Ph.D.

 

Native American and African American Views of Reality and Self
 
Most transpersonal theory has been developed from a Western viewpoint.  We know that other cultures can have different ways of perceiving reality and the individual.  The usual comment on the many words for snow in Arctic societies is matched by the many words for automobile parts in the United States, and these reflect what is emphasized by the culture.  Remember Goleman’s discussion of this in his article “Psychology, Reality and Consciousness.”  There is much to learn from other cultures, from ethnic viewpoints, and from the variety of ways humans can bring meaning to life.  Some of these are more wholistic or more transpersonal.  Some include connections and relationships in ways new to Western forms.
 
I once had the privilege of hearing the distinguished anthropologist Dorothy Lee discuss the multiple ways in which the world can be experienced.  The Wintu tribe, she said, in northern California, does not conceptualize people and animals as individuals in the way European cultures do.  The Wintu see a deer as a manifestation of the essence of deerness.  People are seen as intrinsically connected.  For example, if a woman is sick, this is said in their language as, “I am sick in relation to her.”  This is a natural transpersonal worldview, and one that has a very different sense of personal identity compared to viewing individuals as islands of separateness.
 
In her article, “A Native American Worldview,” Paula Spencer Underwood describes how she grew up learning her people’s traditions not by direct explanation (or Global courses) but by games and challenges from her father.  She thus learned to see from within.  She tells of the two ways of vision, that of the hawk and that of the eagle.  Her reports of methods of education and ways of knowing should be inspirational to teachers, parents, and those who wish to learn beyond their own culture and upbringing.
 
The community of African Americans brings another sense of transcendence and identity to its members, compared with the usual separateness encouraged by general Euro-American values.  According to Asante, in his article, “The Afro-American Mode of Transcendence,” membership in the community is an essential part of the identity of the person, and the music, community gatherings, and rhythms of life contribute to the sense of self.  Transcendence is through the community, not the effort of a solitary ego.
 
Probably every culture has its own unique sense of identity.  Each worldview is selective, and so has its advantages where it manages reality well, and it also ignores areas of the larger reality.  It repays persons from any culture and worldview to become acquainted with other perspectives, and to respect them, perhaps to learn from them perspectives that transcend the conditionings and limitations that we accumulate and believe to be true.
 

"On APA and Scholarly Writing" |   By Brandon Thompson, M.A. and Robert Ferrer, M.A

As mentioned in the beginning of this course, you will be writing and submitting a final paper that is to be written in APA (American Psychological Association) style. This week, our aim is to help you hone your APA skills. The intention here is to draw your attention to the more significant, key features of APA style and how it relates to this program so that you can concentrate more efforts into the content of your writing.

 

Throughout this course, you have been practicing APA style features in each week by responding to the readings in your personal folder. Last week, you may have taken the self-quiz to test your current understanding of APA style and parameters. Many students report feeling very anxious about APA style and we are here to assure you that it might be a bit easier than you think. This week, the basics of APA style will be reviewed in an effort to help you produce your first APA paper, the first of many that you will be writing over the course of your academic career. That being said, we would like to help you focus on using this first year as a 'work-in-progress,' refining your writing skills in this first year in order to adequately prepare you for the more slightly more demanding writing requirements that will take place in your second year.

 

By now, you should have submitted your first draft of your final paper. In this week, you will discuss with other the elements of APA style while you also review your draft for adherence to these style elements. You will be exploring APA citation elements, block quotations, title and reference pages and other details pertaining to grammar, presentation and writing voice.

 

You will also be given leads to many resources that will prove helpful to you for your entire academic career here at Sofia University. You will learn how to connect with the Sofia University library, how to search journal databases, seek APA guides and tutorials on campus and on the web. We will also place you in touch with Sofia's Writing Lab, another valuable resource for those of you who want to get more focused help in your writing.
 

 

Additional Reprints and Reading Selections
Dorit Netzer, Ph.D.
 
Ferrer (2007) takes a critical look at spirituality and intimate relationships in Eastern and Western traditions, exploring the social-political and spiritual issues relating to the customs of monogamy and polyamory, and the consequences he associates with them as they pertain to jealousy.
 
Mest (2008), Ecopsychology: The Transformative Power of Home, explore the meaning of home in this branch in psychology, in the relationship between the inner, psychological, spiritual, and embodied home and outer home, including the Earth. Mest sees the Home as a place of transformation, in need of healing. The understanding of the unique meaning individuals hold for “home,” has its social and cultural implications, which are as relevant as the universalistic, humanistic understanding of the power of home and our relationship with the World, on Earth.

 

Davis (1998), The Transpersonal Dimensions of Ecopsychology: Nature, Nonduality, and Spiritual Practice, discusses the complimentary aspects of ecopsychology and transpersonal psychology. Davis emphasizes the value of empirical research on nature-based transpersonal experiences and the study of their integral nature. Davis believes that nondual transpersonal states are a shared territory of study in both ecopsycholgoy and transpersonal psychology and serve as a path to see how these two fields of study correspond.

 

Ronwanien:Te Jocks (1996), in the article Spirituality For Sale: Sacred Knowledge in the Consumer Age, addresses the challenging, largely overlooked issue of spiritual materialism, specifically the widespread appropriation of indigenous spirituality, ignorant of its sacred context, with best intentions notwithstanding. Ronwanien explicates that not all indigenous teachings can be taught to those who are not members of the tradition, and that when we are exposed to the more open aspects of these teaching, we must understand that it cannot be fully known and lived without direct guidance from native teachers. Ronwanien addresses the issue from the moral, political, spiritual, meaning, and action perspectives. Relevant to transpersonal studies, the author considers the means and purpose of studying native traditions as scholars.

 

Swan (2010), Transpersonal Psychology and the Ecological Conscience, suggests five pathways to “developing an ecological conscience,” which transcend the dissemination of information, and invite action, which is propelled through heartfelt connection to Nature and bonding with our shared living environment through direct, transpersonal experiences.  

 

Walsh (2002). Terrorism and Other Global Terrors, provides an integral analysis (with consideration to the multiple dimensions human development and health) of the dynamics between inner turmoil and its reflection in global terrors. He explains how, according to the Perennial philosophy, Eastern and Western wisdom traditions, the world is an external image of our minds. The “insanity” of the world is mirrors the insanity of our individual and collective state of consciousness. Walsh explores the function of the transpersonal community as a balancing agent, in the cultivation of inner peace and social activism, as “Karma Yoga” or what he calls “awakening service.”

 

 

 

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Summary of "Week 8: Introduction to Diverse Perspectives in Transpersonal Psychology"This module (approximately 1,500 words) concludes the course by delving into non-Western and ecological dimensions of transpersonal psychology (TP), building on Weeks 7's focus on diverse pathways. It emphasizes cultural humility, relational identity, and Earth-centered transcendence to counter Euro-American individualism, integrating scholarly writing refinement for the final paper.Core Themes and Readings
  • Cultural Worldviews: Highlights how cultures shape reality perception. Dorothy Lee's analysis of Wintu (Native American) relational identity contrasts with Western ego-focus: e.g., "I am sick in relation to her," viewing self through interconnected essences. Paula Spencer Underwood's "A Native American Worldview" details oral transmission, verb-centric languages, and experiential pedagogy like the "Rule of Six" (generating multiple explanations for phenomena) to foster intuitive holism.
  • African American Transcendence: Molefi Asante's "The Afro-American Mode of Transcendence" centers community rhythms (nommo, music) for collective selfhood, rejecting solitary ego quests and advocating adaptive harmony amid oppression.
  • Reflective Prompts: Urges transcending biases by learning from "other" perspectives, respecting cultural advantages/limitations for personal evolution.

Supplementary Texts

  • Relational Spirituality: Ferrer (2007) critiques jealousy in monogamy/polyamory, promoting mudita (sympathetic joy) for ego-free bonds.
  • Ecopsychology: Mest (2008) links inner "home" to Earth healing; Davis (1998) synergizes TP with ecopsychology via nondual nature states; Swan (2010) outlines five experiential pathways to ecological conscience; Ronwanien:Te Jocks (1996) warns against spiritual materialism and indigenous appropriation.
  • Global Crises: Walsh (2002) applies integral theory to terrorism/ecological threats as mirrors of immature consciousness, advocating "awakening service" for activism.

APA Scholarly WritingAuthored by Thompson and Ferrer, this section reviews APA 7th essentials (citations, block quotes, titles/references, grammar/voice) for draft polishing. It encourages group discussions, library resources (e.g., EBSCO, APA guides), and the Writing Lab, framing first-year writing as foundational skill-building.Structure and OutcomesNo new assignments beyond final paper revisions; focuses on discussions integrating readings with personal/professional reflections. Outcomes: Appreciate diverse epistemologies for TP's universality, apply APA for ethical scholarship, and explore intersections (e.g., ecopsychology, activism) for holistic action. The module inspires experiential engagement with non-Western traditions, fostering global coherence.