Definitions:
- Transpersonal Psychology:
Psychology that studies and works with experiences that go beyond the ego (mystical, spiritual, peak, non-dual) while still trying to stay anchored to psychology as a discipline. - Metaphysical Psychology:
Psychology grounded in assumptions about the nature of reality itself (mind creates reality, consciousness is primary, non-physical causation), often crossing into philosophy, spirituality, or esotericism.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Transpersonal Psychology | Metaphysical Psychology |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Human experience beyond the personal ego | The nature of reality and mind itself |
| Primary question | “How do spiritual/transcendent experiences affect psychological health?” | “What is mind, consciousness, and reality — and how do they interact?” |
| View of consciousness | Expanded states are meaningful psychological phenomena | Consciousness may be primary or reality-creating |
| Relationship to science | Tries to stay dialogued with psychology & research | Often indifferent or openly skeptical of materialist science |
| Use in academia | Has academic programs, journals, history | Rarely formalized academically |
| Spiritual neutrality | Often spiritual-inclusive but not doctrinal | Often explicitly spiritual or metaphysical |
| Claims about reality | Usually modest (descriptive, experiential) | Often strong (ontological claims) |
| Risk profile | Moderate (spiritual bypassing if mishandled) | Higher (magical thinking, blame, delusion reinforcement) |
Lineage & influences
Transpersonal Psychology draws from:
- Abraham Maslow (peak experiences)
- Carl Jung (collective unconscious, archetypes)
- Stanislav Grof (holotropic states)
- Mindfulness, meditation, psychedelics (carefully framed)
- Eastern contemplative traditions (Buddhism, Vedanta)
It says:
“These experiences happen. Let’s study them psychologically.”
Metaphysical Psychology draws from:
- Idealism (mind over matter)
- New Thought, Theosophy, Hermeticism
- Law of Attraction / manifestation frameworks
- Non-dual metaphysics taken literally
- Channeling, higher-self frameworks, cosmology
It often says:
“Reality works this way, and psychology must conform to that.”
How they show up in therapy
Transpersonal therapy often looks like:
- Working with spiritual experiences without pathologizing
- Helping clients integrate:
- Mystical experiences
- NDEs / OBEs
- Awakening experiences
- Grounding insight into daily functioning
- Emphasis on integration, not transcendence alone
Clinician stance:
“Let’s explore what this experience means for you and your life.”
Metaphysical psychology often looks like:
- Framing symptoms as:
- Manifestation blocks
- Energy misalignment
- Soul contracts
- Emphasis on belief change as reality change
- Less emphasis on trauma, development, or nervous system
Clinician stance:
“Your beliefs may be creating this reality.”
This is where ethical tension can arise.