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Spiritual transformation has a variety of overlapping meanings that carry distinct connotations:

• In psychology, spiritual transformation is understood within the context of an individual's meaning system,^[1] especially in relation to concepts of the sacred or ultimate concern.^[2] Two of the fuller treatments of the concept in psychology come from Kenneth Pargament and Raymond Paloutzian:
  • Pargament says that "at its heart, spiritual transformation refers to a fundamental change in the place of the sacred or the character of the sacred in the life of the individual. Spiritual transformation can be understood in terms of new configurations of strivings" (p. 18).^[3]
  • Paloutzian says that "spiritual transformation constitutes a change in the meaning system that a person holds as a basis for self-definition, the interpretation of life, and overarching purposes and ultimate concerns" (p. 334).^[4]
• In New Age spirituality, spiritual transformation is the act of transforming the deepest aspects of the human spirit via a self-induced or divine act.

Research

Scientific research on spiritual transformation has been sponsored by Metanexus Institute.^[5]

See also

• Aurobindo
• Integral transformative practice
• Meditation
• Sivananda
• Spiritual evolution
• Supermind
• Transpersonal psychology

References

1. ^ Israela Silberman (2005). Religion as a meaning system: Implications for the new millennium. Journal of Social Issues, v61 n4, pp641-663. DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00425.x
2. ^ Robert A. Emmons (1999). The psychology of ultimate concerns: Motivation and spirituality in personality. New York: Guilford.
3. ^ Kenneth I. Pargament. (2006). The meaning of spiritual transformation. In Joan D. Koss-Chioino & Philip Hefner (Eds.), Spiritual transformation and healing: Anthropological, theological, neuroscientific, and clinical perspectives (pp. 10-39), Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. ISBN 0759108676
4. ^ Raymond F. Paloutzian. (2005). Religious conversion and spiritual transformation: A meaning-system analysis. In Raymond F. Paloutzian & Crystal L. Park (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality (pp. 331-347), New York: Guilford. ISBN 1-57230-922-9
5. ^ Solomon Katz (2008). A brief history of the Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program The global spiral. Metanexus Institute, Accessed 9 Nov., 2009.

External links

• The Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program