Judith Orloff describes her struggle coming to terms with her psychic abilities while establishing herself in a psychiatric career--where claims of psychic functioning are often viewed as signs of mental illness. She discusses the use of clairvoyance within her psychiatric practice, and suggests ...

Dr. Stanislav Grof makes the case that the experience of those in altered "holotropic" states—through psychedelic drugs or through certain breathing exercises—are virtually indistinguishable from classic mystical experiences. He maintains that the worldview cultivated in such states of consciousn...

With regard to memory, the human brain functions neither like a computer nor a video camera. Memories, says Dr. Michael D Yapko, are more a function of reconstruction than reproduction. Many factors affect memory, and detailed memories, accompanied by strong emotions, can readily be obtained thro...

Most western psychologies do not recognize the essence, although it is central to the primordial traditions of humanity. In part one of this two part program, Hameed Ali defines our essence as that part of us which is unconditioned by our personal life history. As opposed to our personality, the ...

Carl Jung's concept of synchronicity, an acausal principle, connects the ego to the larger archetypal self. This connection is like the ancient Chinese concept of the Tao in that it cannot be rationally understood. Jean Shinoda Bolen suggests that the images of the ancient dieties represent power...

Working to change your personal philosophy is a valid therapeutic technique -- one which can lead to genuine growth. Behavior, emotion and cognition, says Albert Ellis, are all interrelated. He tells us how to recognize irrational belief patterns based on "musts" and "shoulds." He then presents m...

What is the origin of individual behavior and personality? Stanislav Grof proposes that individuals have systems of condensed experience (COEX systems) which become anchored to aspects of the birth trauma. In Part I of this program, he describes four different basic stages of the birth process an...

The unconscious, says Dr. Brugh Joy, is composed of multiple, autonomous personalities. These personalities affect our state of health -- from allergic response to disease states such as diabetes and cancer. He suggests that the unconscious mind is far more extensive and powerful than is generall...

Existential psychology emphasizes philosophic rather than psychopathological aspects of the human condition. In this animated, two-part discussion, Dr. May proposes that genuine growth comes from confronting the pain of existence rather than escaping into banal pleasures or shallow, positive thin...

In the first half-hour of this two-part program, Dr. Mindell provides an overview of process psychology and its relationship to the ancient Chinese concept of the Tao. He describes his approach as a "meta-psychology" which incorporates dreamwork, bodywork, relationship work, movement, family syst...

Modern psychoanalysis and existential therapy view human beings as essentially creatures of alienation in a hostile universe. Roszak suggests that a psychology that fails to examine ecological relationships is incomplete. He points to the anthropic principle in cosmology as providing a central pl...

Underneath the apparent separation of individuals there is a level of unity and interconnectedness. True liberation, suggests Kathleen Speeth, involves attaining an awareness of this level. In Part I of this program, Dr. Speeth enters into an intensive dialogue on the nature and meaning of libera...