The purpose of the Old Saybrook 2 conference is to examine and update the vision and central direction of humanistic psychology that took form at the original Old Saybrook conference held in Connecticut, 1964 under the leadership of Abraham Maslow and others we now know so well. Old Saybrook 2 seeks to examine the historical contributions of humanistic psychology, to redefine humanistic psychology’s structure, and find direction in light of today’s changing conditions and states of consciousness.

Outlook and Perspectives

The past four decades have seen massive exploration, lively activity, and fundamental changes across many domains which owe something to the humanistic (existential-phenomenological- transpersonal) psychology revolution. But these changing times, themselves, call for an historical update in the humanistic vision. Where is humanistic psychology in the new Zeitgeist?

Old Saybrook 2 is envisaged as a gathering of all the 'expeditionary forces' of humanistic exploration, those from the current classroom, on alumni lists, in practice, at organization and business settings and engaged in theory-research: a grand-celebration and sharing of our 'travel' stories and the import these give to our times and future. Also, like it's forerunner, Saybrook 2 invites its current luminaries from around the world -- recognized and upcoming -- to guide us in formulating those key themes and directions best likely to carry humanistic psychology into the Third Millennium.

The Future of Humanistic Psychology

Today, humanistically oriented psychologists commonly agree that the world that originally motivated humanistic psychology has been changing in many important ways over the last few decades. Our world has grown increasingly technological, multicultural and postmodern, and people's attitudes, values and lives have shifted correspondingly. How is humanistic psychology engaging our changing world? Is there any disparity between humanistic psychology and the world it still hopes to change? What place is there for a value-centered enterprise like humanistic psychology in a world that so often seems to be undergoing a moral/ethical dissolution? How is humanistic psychology addressing the challenges posed by an emergent postmodern, mass-media commodity-culture?

The Old Saybrook 2 conference intends to focus on exactly these questions and issues -- especially with an eye toward reformulating humanistic psychology to speak more incisively to our increasingly changing world. In sum, the Old Saybrook 2 conference seeks to redefine humanistic psychology just as the original Old Saybrook conference did in 1964.