Spiritual transformation involves a fundamental change in a person's
sacred
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
or
spiritual life.
Psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual
Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the pre ...
s examine spiritual transformation within the context of an individual's
''meaning system'',
[
Israela Silberman (2005)]
Religion as a meaning system: Implications for the new millennium
''Journal of Social Issues'', v61 n4, pp641-663.
especially in relation to concepts of the sacred or of
ultimate concern.
[Robert A. Emmons (1999). ''The psychology of ultimate concerns: Motivation and spirituality in personality''. New York: Guilford.] Two of the fuller treatments of the concept in psychology come from
and from
Raymond Paloutzian.
Pargament holds that "at its heart, spiritual transformation refers to a fundamental change in the place of the sacred or the character of the sacred in the life of the individual. Spiritual transformation can be understood in terms of new configurations of strivings" (p. 18).
[
Kenneth I. Pargament. (2006). The meaning of spiritual transformation. In Joan D. Koss-Chioino & Philip Hefner (Eds.), ]
Spiritual transformation and healing: Anthropological, theological, neuroscientific, and clinical perspectives
' (pp. 10-39), Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
Paloutzian suggests that "spiritual transformation constitutes a change in the
meaning system that a person holds as a basis for
self
The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...
-definition, the
interpretation of life, and overarching purposes and ultimate concerns" (p. 334).
[
Raymond F. Paloutzian. (2005). Religious conversion and spiritual transformation: A meaning-system analysis. In: Raymond F. Paloutzian & Crystal L. Park (Eds.), ]
Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality
' (pp. 331-347), New York: Guilford.
One school of thought emphasises the importance of "rigorous self-discipline" in spiritual transformation.
Research
The
Metanexus Institute (founded 1997) in New York has sponsored scientific research on spiritual transformation.
[
Solomon Katz (2008)]
A brief history of the Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program
''The global spiral''. Metanexus Institute, Accessed 9 Nov., 2009.
Terminology
Occurrences of the phrase "spiritual transformation"
in Google Books suggest a surge in the popularity of the concept from the late-20th century.
Google Books Ngram Viewer statistical chart
See also
* Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined th ...
* Integral transformative practice
* Meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
* Sivananda
* Spiritual evolution
* Supermind
* Transpersonal psychology
* Shriram Sharma Acharya
Ram Sharma (1837–1918) was a nineteenth-century Indo-Anglian poet who alternately criticized and praised the government in his poems and newspaper articles. He began his literary career in the 1860s but pursued steady writing only after his ...
* Mahdi
The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad w ...
References
External links
The Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program
The University of Philosophical Research Transformational Psychology program
Article about Spiritual Transformation for ChristiansOn the Spiritual Path of The Fourth Way and Advaita: ''Teachers of No-Thing & Nothing''
Spirituality