On 16 January, Don Rice kicked off the Wednesday Matters Series with a discourse on Post 9-11 Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology.  His presentation offered a compelling argument on the path and direction of the sub-discipline, calling into question some of its most fundamental ideals and offering a significant approach to transcending its stuck-ness, in the Gendlin-ian sense of the word.

He began by noting that for many of us, it is difficult to remember events prior to 11 September.  When is the last time Condit was mentioned in the news?  The events of that day (a) interrupted our thinking patterns, and (b) re-directed our focus.  Don then challenged, “Was Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology (HTP) relevant before then?”

Don offered a review of the socio-historical background of the HTP movement and some its implications.  It was based on a melting pot ideal, in which experience prevailed over a rigid system.  This, of course, resulted in a hodge-podge approach.  On one hand, Psychology got new energy and life that had been lacking during the Psychoanalytic and Behaviorist eras.  But on the other, because of  HTP’s reactionary vision, there was an attempt to dissociate from a solid theoretical empirical structure.  In other words, the baby went out with the bath.

By the early 1970’s, attempts were made to remedy this perplexity, but their effectiveness was limited.  To this day, there is no one set of ideals that define HTP as a subdiscipline.  In the case of the behaviorists, Skinner is automatic.  Freud keeps you reading, but the crux of his psychoanalytic vision was nevertheless transparent.  In HTP’s case, however, there are a number of gateways - from Heidegger to Maslow and Rogers to the Tao Te Ching.

In HTP’s defense, Don offers that its principles have filtered their way into society as much as that of the other sub-disciplines, and has had a substantial impact.  However, with 11 September in mind, there is a lot of baggage that needs to be dropped in order for HTP to endure.  First, Don calls into question the concept of self-actualization because of its individualistic focus.  This can lead to narcissism, and one may allow himself to forget the role of his culture and society.  “We need other people,” he says.  There is more to life than focusing merely on personal growth.  Next, the spiritual element of HTP also retains a fanatic, narcissistic undertone that is not addressed in the movement.  We must not forget the American principles that are built into our theories - responsibility, individuality, and so on.  Also, Don expresses that H/TPY needs to refine its mission.  This does not imply eliminating the growth element, but making a serious effort to balance in the social element.  It needs to begin addressing issues and not worrying about whether we appear too “traditional” or “mainstream.”

As a solution, Don suggests that HTP begin issuing terminology that people understand.  “Oedipus complex” is not an unknown concept in the contemporary world . . . but walk up to someone on the street and ask them to define “ontological anxiety”!  We need to become more involved in the real lives of socio-cultural processes.  It is important that we develop empirical methods that can be replicated elsewhere.   HTP seems to have backed away from the notion of “Does it work?” and even “Does it matter?”

To conclude, Don noted that 9/11 brought about a deeply humanitarian attitude.  The world is currently open to looking into the importance of human experience.  There is great opportunity for HTP.  The task at hand is to follow it.
 
 

The following are responses to Don’s presentation . . .
 

by Eric Dodson

As Don Rice was describing humanistic psychology's history, it suddenly struck me that a lot of it seems basically D-motivated (to use Maslow's language) -- in other words, focused on reacting to our world's deficiencies, rather than actively creating & seizing its positive possibilities.  For instance, even humanistic psychology's origin seems largely motivated by deficiencies in the prevailing psychological accounts of the time.  Today, we wonder about how humanistic psychology should react to the 9/11 situation, or about how we should react to "positive psychology," or how we should react to our world's poverty, oppression or the increasing expansion of technology.

But don't these sorts of issues embody the same basic posture, namely that of REACTING to our world's problems and deficiencies?  Like Maslow, I'm not saying that reactive responses and D-motivations are unimportant or unwarranted at times -- they obviously have their essential place.  But we might question whether humanistic psychology's better destiny might lie more in the direction of giving birth to new, surprising possibilities, meaning and expression -- for their own positive, creative value, and not just as responses to our world's exigencies.  So, what might such meaning and expression be?  Where does humanistic psychology's B-motivation lie today?
 

by Ted Smith

I've learned several things that seem important to me since I enrolled here at West Georgia, not the least of them the creation of a circle of people and a space among them in which to hold, to suspend really, an idea or a feeling or a moment.  I have also
experienced the gestalt that can arise when you do this.  It's an experience of community that is not easily translatable.  Sometimes it has been emotional, sometimes hilarious, sometimes crackling with an energy born of a collective mutual regard.  These circles are containers that hold our humanity.

Don Rice's Wednesday Matters seemed to naturally shape itself into such a container at the end. Suddenly the communal space was filled to overflowing with provocative and fundamental questions.  When Don called self-actualization part of the baggage of Humanistic Psychology that needs to be gotten rid of, I felt almost giddy.  A cool breeze blew through my Skeptic soul.  This was humanistic.  I had been speculating on whether it was possible to contain the uncontainable in a circle like this, to form a cacaphonous chorus of humanistic voices and visions and just hold the circle there, unfinished, maybe a little disheveled, even chaotic.  Now I know.  I look forward to continuing the dialogue.
 

by Andrew Bland

Hi Don!

I would like to say that I really enjoyed your presentation this afternoon.  Being enrolled in Tobin’s Transpersonal Development and Jeff’s Society & Culture courses this semester has had me already thinking about many of the points that you brought up, especially that concerning the importance of balancing the social element into Humanistic/Transpersonal Psychology (HTP).

It has been apparent in my experience that, on the whole, Psychology is a rather touchy subject for the layman.  “Oh, so you are one of those that likes to study the heavy stuff.  How’s the discovery of the secret of the universe coming along?”  There are many skeptics out there, and academe is not given the trust that it once was.  A verse from Dylan comes to mind - “I cannot move, my fingers are all in a knot.  I don’t have the strength to get up and take another shot.  And my best friend, the doctor, won’t even tell me what it is I’ve got.”  In other words, it is not new that the therapist and the philosopher are given an eye of doubt.  These lines were written in 1965, the very time that HTP was getting off the ground.  Unfortunately, 37 years later, they still hold true.  I wholeheartedly agree with your assertion that little has changed in the public’s mind, that if anything it has become more impatient, and that the original intentions of HTP may not have been as relevant as we hoped and thought.

To augment what you were saying today, I would contribute that “physics envy” also plays a role in the failure of HTP to catch on thus far.  Our culture possesses a need to know by way of explanation.  Despite the limitations of his ideas, Skinner was able to provide a solidly-founded structure that was compatible with the lifestyle of his time.  While America was indeed founded upon humanistic principles such as independence and finding-and-doing-it-yourself, it also works by the notion of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  It is no wonder that HTP has been for the most part overlooked and merely trickled in one drop at a time since its inception.  To a public that has been moving increasingly toward a “quick fix” mentality in which efficiency is of utmost importance, the “mystery” and “uncertainty” of our sub-discipline can appear avoidable on the premise that it does not move forward but, at best, attempts to delve too far into questions that have allegedly been already answered satisfactorily.  “What do you mean, I need to improve my communication with my kids?  They are the ones on drugs and running away from home!”  And worse, HTP is known as a troublemaker in its own right - hell, Esalen only fueled the cynicism!

Of course, as you noted, a wonderful opportunity has been unleashed.  Just as WWII offered many great opportunities for a nation anguished by the Depression and male dominance, the events of 11 September have provided a gateway by which HTP may enter and provide help and hope for a population in need and longing for guidance.  Something has indeed broke, and it’s not something that can be easily “fixed.”  It is abundantly obvious that things can never return to the way they were.  This is the first time in several generations that such a revelation has recognized been on such a large-scale level.

Back to physics envy, there were many events prior to 11 September that offered opportunities for collective growth, but they were generally brushed over and quickly forgotten.  School shootings, for instance.  The media seemed an easy target, so attempts were made to keep violent TV and video games out of kids’ lives.  But as the problems have only become worse and worse, we are at a point in which society’s reliance on modification via method may be more seriously called into question.  Today I hear the world saying to itself, albeit hesitantly, “Maybe they are right - perhaps behavior really is merely a
symptom!”  As Ken Wilber points out, moving forward does not mean a mere linear progression.  Rather, with each moment that goes by, there are more and more back issues to be resolved.

To me, one of the most important aims of HTP is to penetrate deep into the ground below a given tree, find the decaying roots that are hogging the nutrients that the soil has to offer, weed them out to give the healthy ones a chance, and hence let the tree grow rather than die unkempt.  Whereas I find a central problem in mainstream psychology to be the fact that it tends only to notice that the tree is dying and call the lawnboy to chop it down.  The yard may thus become more visually attractive on the surface level, but the fettered roots remain dormant beneath the ground nonetheless.  11 September may be seen as that untended under-ground being exposed all too clearly.  The ugliness that has been swept under the rug for too long is spilling out.  No plug can stop it now, and there is but so far that we can run before it catches up with us.

Your suggestion for HTP to refine its mission is a valid one, as we as humans are at a point of no return.  I agree that while our sub-discipline is not in danger of falling by the wayside tomorrow, a fork in the road is on the horizon.  I can only hope that contributions to the whole such as those already taking place in the department will only become more widespread so that the shadow side of the human condition can be cast light and investigated.  Today, alternative strategies are being considered more and more, and the species is increasingly willing to open itself up to them.  As I see it, the possibility most certainly exists, and the means are available to us . . . At this point we need only to put them into action.

I have always suspected that there was a significance behind not only my (and all of our) being alive during this crucial period in human history, but also the path that I have chosen, my involvement in this department.  As Gandolf stated in Lord of the Rings, it is not up to you where you are and how you got there.  But what you do with it is indeed your choice.  Never before have I felt so motivated in my position as a human being!  I can only hope that the contributions I am being given the opportunity to make to the world will have the same effect on others in the future as friends like Maslow and Jung have had on me.  I must say that your lecture today boosted my confidence.