Integral Psychology: A New Science of Self, Personality, and Psychology
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Abstract
This paper outlines a theory of psychology based on Sri Aurobindo’s conceptualization of the human being. Starting with the basic notion of self and personhood in contemporary academic psychology, largely located in the lower levels of psychological functioning, the field of transpersonal psychology is used as a stepping stone to access the higher reaches of humanity. A brief outline of the Advaita Vedāntic perspectives on personality then paves the way for Sri Aurobindo’s neo-Vedāntic depiction of the person. The contribution of the integral approach to the transformation of emotions and its role in psychotherapy are then outlined. It is the author’s contention that Sri Aurobindo’s system contains a comprehensive framework of psychology, which allows for both Western and Indian conceptualizations of the psyche and provides a synthesis that is more than a mere sum of parts, giving a vision for an optimistic and glorious future of humankind and paving the way for divine life to manifest upon earth.
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References
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