African-centered transpersonal self in diaspora and psychospiritual wellness: A sankofa perspective

Abstract

The West African concepts of à s. e. and sankofa have distinctive transpersonal value that should be explored in greater depth by the transpersonal field, particularly for their relational and participatory aspects. Transpersonal psychology is a Western psychology with philosophical roots in transcendentalism and perennialist traditions that may include theism and non-dualism. Officially established in 1968, transpersonal psychology has gone through a number of shifts, including the participatory turn in the early 2000s. The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), also founded in 1968, has built a substantial body of research on a variety of African epistemology, cosmology, and philosophy to create the field of African-centered psychology. The transpersonal West African concepts discussed here may serve as a bridge to begin greater dialogue between the fields of Black psychology and transpersonal psychology.