Transpersonal Psychology in Context: Perspectives from Its Founders and Historians of American Psychology

Abstract

This article provides a summary of perspectives regarding transpersonal psychology's relationship to mainstream American psychology. Founders of transpersonal psychology and historians of American psychology addressed the following questions: (a) How well known is transpersonal psychology?, (b) Is transpersonal psychology considered a subdiscipline of American psychology?, (c) Can transpersonal psychology be described as the fourth force in American psychology?, (d) What impact has transpersonal psychology had in mainstream American psychology, and why?, and (e) How might transpersonal psychologists participate in the activities of mainstream American psychology today?