Cosmic consciousness: Path or pathology?

Summary

Historically the relationship between spirituality and mental health has been characterized by confusion in terms of what constitutes healthy spirituality (path) as opposed to psychotic states (pathology). Finding criteria to help differentiate pre‐rational structures from trans‐rational structures (since they are both non‐rational) has been an elusive goal. Ken Wilber's Full Spectrum of Consciousness Model, presented in 1986, is the only transpersonal theory that offers descriptors for three general levels of consciousness (prepersonal, personal, and transpersonal), the pathologies likely to develop at each level of development, as well as preferred interventions for developmental problems at each level of consciousness. This chapter applies Wilber's model and related ideas from other transpersonal theorists in order to provide differential assessment guidelines for therapists working with the spiritual dimension of clients’ experience.

Keywords:

• Transpersonal practice
• spiritual pathologies
• path or healthy spirituality
• pre‐trans fallacy
• Full Spectrum of Consciousness
• mental health
• assessment