Transpersonal Psychology incorporates everything commonly known or stereotypically associated with traditional psychology, but expands on that into more of a whole person, mind-body-spirit approach.  In it's simplest definition, Transpersonal simply means "beyond the personal," or in this case, beyond personal psychology.  Transpersonal Psychology expands on traditional (only 100 years old) psychology by including Eastern philosophies and approaches, native and indigenous wisdom and teachings, and allowing for Spirit in any form or belief system.  It is very Jungian, including strong metaphor and symbolism, as well as working the unconscious and the conscious.  Storytelling, artwork, music, dance, etc., are all common supplements to regular psychological/therapeutic attempts.
        I have found this flavor of approach to work extremely well with adolescents.  It provides an avenue for Spirit to be honored, and for ceremony and ritual to be experienced in a growing secular world.  The metaphors, symbols, and artwork generated help youth communicate deep feelings they may be unable to vocalize with words.  The physical manifestations of their process, their art work and personal stories, for example, give them tangible reminders of their growth and process.
        Below is a list of approaches I have used successfully with this mindset.  The descriptions are vague, and I would strongly advise against just jumping in and using these without understanding the concepts behind them and the dynamics they are working.  Some require a sequence to follow, and others require a strong therapeutic backup after "opening up" the youth.  Please contact me to learn more about implementing these approaches...

 

PLEASE NOTE!!

These are very powerful tools and should not be used out of context, or in some cases, sequence. It's important you learn not only HOW to apply these, but WHY and WHEN. Contact us for more info.....

 

The Hero's Journey Vocabulary. 
 These are terms I would weave into a program to help create the flavor of mythology, heroes, ritual and ceremony:

        Hero:   In mythology and legend, a man who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.  A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
        Intention:  A course of action that one intends to follow.  An aim that guides action, an objective.  Having the mind and will focused on a specific purpose.
        Journey:  The act of traveling from one place to another; a passage.
        Mystic:  Inspiring a sense of mystery and wonder.
        Pilgrimage:  A long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.
        Sacred:  Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose or person.

 

Ritual and Ceremony--What are they??

       Ritual:  The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship.  A ceremonial act or a series of such acts.  According to Malidoma Somé, an African teacher and specialist in the area of ritual and rites of passage, a ritual is an attempt to honor Spirit through illogical means.  At face value, the ritual is not logical, but an attempt to represent or honor those deep feelings and questions all people have.  It is the symbolic representation and meaning behind the ritual that has the power.
        Ceremony:   A formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom.  These are the smaller, individual components of an overall ritual.  For example, we have a ritual of honoring the coming of Spring each year.  This constant and highly specified ritual dictates what, how and when ceremonies will be performed.

               

Transpersonal Approaches:

        Sacred Site:  This would be a special section of land set aside specifically for performing ceremonies and rituals.  It is situated somewhere near the placement or home, but is private and as secluded as possible.  This is the special spot where many of the following components are actually held.  It could be presented as a special place, with near-graduate level students in charge of "caretaking" the site as part of their growing responsibilities, which also completes the final Return and Contribution stage of the Hero's Journey.

        Intention Box:  This is a box or container of some sort where a youth can write an intention of purpose or desire and place it inside.  The contents of the box are sacred, and not to be looked at.  This gives the student a safe place to put his written prayers, hopes, dreams, etc.  Typically, there would be a ceremony at regular intervals to release the intentions.

        Giveaway Box:  This is essentially the opposite of the Intention Box.  Here, the youth is encouraged to deposit a written note regarding anything he/she wants to get rid of or give away.  Again, this is not for general reading, and should be disposed/released of in a ceremonial way.

        Rock Cairn:  This would be a pile of rocks at the Sacred Site which is slowly built up over time by boys picking a stone, putting some sort of prayer or intention into it, then placing it with all of the previous stones.  It is a shrine of sorts, and can be constructed randomly or slowly sculpted into some design. 

        Fire Area:  Fires play an integral part worldwide in ceremonies and rituals.  The fire area could be for simple bonfires or for storytelling and celebrations, burning of Intentions or Giveaways, or as a place of vigil or meditation and contemplation, etc.

        Prayer Ties:  Borrowing from Native American and other traditions, these are small packets or simple pouches one makes while observing sacred space and time.  Each prayer tie contains some prayer the person wishes to put forward, and there are a number of ways to effectively "release" the prayers.

         "Cluebox" or Quote box:  Similar to weather proof containers often found on mountain peaks for putting your favorite quote or "clues to life" in, this could be a place or container for a youth to place his thoughts or quotes regarding his recent program or life experience.  As always, there are appropriate ways to honor or use the clues.

        Pilgrimage:  This would be a long, graduation walk.  Ideally, this would represent the student's gain in trust, represent the antithesis to his being brought into placement, for example, against his/her will, and allow him some introspective time to shift from one part of life to another.  It metaphorically and symbolically creates the next steps in life and the ability to endure and perform where needed.

        Tattoo Removal:  For those boys wishing to get out of gangs, or merely "clean" themselves up after those years of self-destruction, physical removal of tattoos could be woven into a "jumping out" type of ceremony. 

        Storytelling:  Stories reflecting many aspects of the youths' journey, culture, ethics, history, etc., could be woven into many aspects of the program.  Storytelling was the original form of entertainment and the way cultural histories were passed from generation to generation.  Indeed, many cultures use stories for everything from teaching toddlers rules to personal therapy.

        Personal Mythologies:  These are stories we try to evoke from the boy that tell in mythological or symbolic terms what he/she thinks or feels   This is a safe way to let him open up and present something about himself in a way that is safe for him or her but clear enough for others to understand.

        Bundles:  These are collections of things from the student that are accumulated and stored for future use.  Two examples are as follows:
            *Graduation Bundle--Papers, photos, stories, symbolic items, etc., are continually stored for a boy to receive when he exits the program.  These will be strong reminders of the powerful and positive things he experienced along the way through the program.
            *Release Bundle--Again, these are items, letters, reminders of a sort of things the boy wishes to let go of.  It could be a picture of his gang sign, or who he was when he arrived in placement, or bad news from his family and friends.  This bundle should be disposed of in a ceremonial way.

        Masks:  Making masks is a powerful way to let a student express his feelings about himself.  Making masks over a period of time allows us to track his or her internal progress.  A mask is a reflective tool, promotes creativity and artwork, and again prompts a safe way to express more unconscious thoughts and feelings about oneself.  Masks could be woven into many other ceremonial components including Bundles, Giveaways or Ceremonial Fires.  They're a wonderful tool for working on identity issues.

        Vision Quest:  Certainly the most powerful component we could include.  Taken from many Native American tribes, this is an introspective time in which a young man seeks vision and clarity.  Usually lasting from 2-4 days, although sometimes longer, the boy is essentially left alone in the wilderness to sit and wait for his vision to come.  He is monitored for safety reasons, but his goal is to remain alone until his message is received.

        Sweat Lodge:  A Native American purification ceremony.  It includes the four elements (water, air, fire and earth), with strong ceremony and reverence.  Because of the dynamics of this rite, key aspects gained include safety, purification or cleansing, and a releasing of prayers and negative thoughts. Sweat lodges are especially beneficial to female survivors of sexual abuse or incest.

        "The Journey":  A mythological guided imagery with strong supporting experiential exercises designed to help create an internal rite of passage.  This component utilizes artwork, metaphor, interpersonal exercises, etc., to help a youth face his or her internal fears and move past them.  Although this is a highly therapeutic model, certain ceremonial aspects could be introduced to give it a deeper flavor.

        Power Shields:  Similar to masks, these are symbolic shields built in a ritualistic manner to demonstrate a person's strengths.  The shield is constructed from raw materials and ornately designed with power animals, symbols and other items the builder wishes to include in the shield's "medicine."

        Drum Building:  Building one's own drum is a powerful experience.  The ritualistic aspects help give personal metaphors and bring one's personal process into view.  Incorporated within the drum building experience are drum journeys, meditations and playing.  After all of the ceremonial parts, the boy still has a drum he created, with his prayers and intentions built into it.

        Drum Playing:  There are an infinite number of ways to drum.  Most common is the Native American flavor so prevalent lately, and the multi-rhythmic styles such as African, Reggae, etc.  Drumming helps to center the person, to help them find their own personal "rhythm, and to learn to listen to those around them.  Once again, drumming helps create personal metaphors which in turn help track a person's process.

        Art Room:  Where possible, I would set up a room or area specifically for creating art in.  Drawing, writing, collage, etc., are all ways to help someone process unconscious feelings in a metaphorical or symbolic way.  The very room itself helps encourage creativity, and could be used therapeutically as well as for fun.

        Magnetic Poetry:  Although poetry is another way to express one's feelings, many people, particularly high-risk boys, have an aversion to trying it.  One way to circumvent the argument that one doesn't know how to write is to provide the words, so to speak, and merely have the student arrange them.  The magnetic poetry packages that are out are ideal for this.  With hundreds of words to choose from, you simply leave a boy alone with the magnetic words and somewhere to stick them.  Again, the idea is that the unconscious will speak symbolically through the verses, giving therapeutic people more input in which to help.  Poems could be typed up and kept in the student's file, Graduation or Release Bundles, etc.

        Holotropic Breathwork®:  This is a psychotherapy coming out of the Transpersonal Psychology field.  Besides being therapeutic, it works many other aspects we are looking for here.  One of the major dynamics to Breathwork is that it works the birth/death/rebirth areas, making it ideal for weaving into the overall Hero's Journey Model in an attempt to create a symbolic or ego death needed there.  It also creates personal metaphors and quite often personal mythologies, uses ceremonial components to make it a deep experience.  Often, groups of participants are split into two groups, one breathing and one sitting "in service" to the breather.  This helps teach one to be aware and in service to others, while the other person learns how to be taken care of.  They switch roles halfway through the experience, giving each a taste of both dynamics.  This is very good practice for those with entitlement issues or codependent tendencies.

       Mentor Program:  Mentoring helps close the Hero's Journey cycle, fulfilling the need to Return and Contribute.  It teaches how to give, how to listen to one's elders, and helps the community at large.  By sponsoring and participating in an elaborate mentoring program, not only would the boys learn from their elders but get the satisfaction of helping others.  Also, with the loss of initiation in this culture, elders have also lost their role in that system as teachers, storytellers and initiators.  Re-creating a need for our elders helps insure our value and use for the community when we reach that age.

       The Legacy©:  David Oldfield's (www.midwaycenter.com) workbook for parents.  Guided back through issues of their adolescence, parents and other adults leave a written "Legacy" for their children, showing an empathy for the time period and constructive comments on how to avoid many teen problems.

 

 

For More Information Please Contact Bret@LabyrinthCenter.org

 

Last Updated October 1, 2003