Pier Luigi Lattuda MD, Psy.D., Ph.D., one of the most influential authors and therapists in the transpersonal, ever.
Recognition of authors and key texts in Transpersonal Psychology
Author: Geneva Mahala Shepherd
Co-authors: Victor Carrington, Louis Hoffman, Nathan Kmura, Jennifer O'Neil, Jane Paige, Jacquie Rathsack, Danielle Silveira, Gwendolyn S. Sipes, & Tammi Vu
Saybrook University
Research conducted as a team project under the specialization in Existential, Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology at Saybrook University in Oakland, California.
Summary of the research contents
Transpersonal psychology is a branch of psychology that is very different in theory and rich in facets within the vast field of transpersonal psychology itself.
The intent of this research project was to clarify the main influences concerning the development of transpersonal psychology. The survey was widely disseminated through transpersonal psychology training programs, organizations, mailing lists and other social media. The survey was initially accepted by 63 people, however many of them did not answer most of the questions. The results were analyzed by calculating the totals for each question and, due to a low response rate, the period of collection of results was extended.
This extract reports the preliminary results based on the data collected up to June 2018.
The questions were distinguished between personalities who influenced theory, research and clinical practice. Regarding specific sources, however, the questions have distinguished between the influences through the history of transpersonal psychology and those of the last 10 years.
In this research, Pier Luigi Lattuada - doctor, transpersonal psychotherapist, founder of the discipline of Biotransenergetics and of the School of Training in Psychotherapy and Transpersonal Counseling Integral Transpersonal Institute - has been mentioned several times as one of the most influential international therapists in the field of the transpersonal.
In particular, the following questions were indicated among the most read and appreciated authors by researchers and therapists:
- If you are a therapist, who are the authors who have most influenced your clinical practice?
- If you are a therapist, which authors of transpersonal therapy have most influenced your theoretical framework or understanding of transpersonal psychology?
- Considering just the people who have published in the past 10 years, who would you identify as the most influential theorist / therapist / researcher in transpersonal psychology?
Other questions asked during the survey included:
- Which books published in the last 10 years have most influenced your approach to transpersonal psychology?
- Which journal articles and / or book chapters have most influenced your understanding of transpersonal psychology?
- Which books have most influenced your approach to transpersonal psychology?
The results obtained, in general, cannot be considered surprising, since many of the founders of the transpersonal psychology movement have emerged in most of the answers. Stanislav Grof has been consistently identified as the most influential personality; however, other great scholars such as Carl Jung, Ken Wilber and Abraham Maslow maintained a prominent position in most of the answers.
Interestingly, the vast majority of the people identified in the various questions are male.
Among the most influential women were Frances Vaughan and Jeanne Achterberg.
The findings reflect a number of different perspectives on transpersonal psychology ranging from Ken Wilber's integral psychology to Jungian psychology, to more traditional transpersonal perspectives and influences from different religious and spiritual traditions.
For more information on the research project and future publications you can visit ResearchGate.net.