02 Aug Somatic Psychology
In thinking about how this module’s material has changed or informed my overall understanding of integral Transpersonal Psychology as a field, I would say that I am pleased to learn that TP has expanded so broadly in its incorporation of the somatic. In the days of Ken-Wilber-as-god, the transpersonal field basically had nothing to do with the body except that it included under its umbrella the somatic explorations of humanistic psychology which were everywhere in the zeitgeist of the time. I doubt I knew anyone in my TP cohort who was not personally involved in some kind of bodywork, dance, breathing, Rolfing, Focusing, or other modality, but as far as I know it was not generally considered a subject for research.
The readings on sexuality in this module were a delight as this is my major topic of study. As Malkemus and Thouin-Savard pointed out in the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies (2019), sexuality has been significantly under-researched or even talked about in our field, perhaps due to shame and embarrassment. It is wonderful to be exposed to others’ thoughts and research beyond Jenny Wade’s seminal work, and to hope that my own work in the coming years may add a tiny bit to this expanding field.
I really like Barratt’s concept that increasing awareness of our experiential embodiment is essentially a spiritual practice, and that we would benefit from reconfiguring the mind/body and sacred/secular splits. It seems that our field is beginning to bring concepts that have previously existed only in the alternative and non-academic worlds into the realm of serious study, and thus to help open a dialog with the scientific community.
References
Barratt, B. B. (2013). Bodily paths to spiritual awakening, In Emergence of somatic psychology and bodymind therapy. (p. 174-182) Palgrave Macmillan.
Malkemus, S. A., & Romero, M. T. (2012). Malkemus, S. A., & Romer, M. L. (2012). Sexuality as a transformational path: Exploring the holistic dimensions of human vitality. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 31(2), 33–41. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 31 (2). http://dx.doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2012.31.2.33
© 2023 Catherine Auman
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