Spirituality

I’ve been interested in spirituality, in the sense of “higher” experiences which have the potential to reorganize the personality, values, and perceptions, since my undergraduate days.  I’ve been working on a model for understanding spirituality, to some extent, from a psychological perspective.  From the point of view of that model, spiritual experiences are pretty common, if not commonly recognized.  Often they are ignored, sometimes they can contribute to psychological conflicts as different motivations or “parts of ourselves,” so to speak, can be in conflict.

I’ve presented on “Incorporating Spirituality in Clinical Practice” to the Illinois Psychological Association, Illinois Counseling Association, and private groups of therapists.  I’ve also presented on “Psychological Foundations of Self-Transcendence” to Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, the Division of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.  I’ve also given presentations involving music and some chatting on these topics at churches and temples.