Abstract
The contemplative psychologies are centrally concerned with transformational change in adult psychological development. They do not elevate cognitive complexity to the level of ultimate psychological development but rather to “simplicity on the other side of complexity.” Contemplative psychologies are teleological, with similar goals across traditions. These goals can be seen in terms of “equifinality” – many paths leading to the same goal. The purpose of this chapter is to create a theory of personal wisdom that partakes of the contemplative traditions, including Buddhism, Sufism, and mystical Christianity, among others. We discuss the moral implications of a theory of self-transcendence that unifies all contemplative traditions.
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Levenson, M.R., Aldwin, C.M. (2013). The Transpersonal in Personal Wisdom. In: Ferrari, M., Weststrate, N. (eds) The Scientific Study of Personal Wisdom. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9231-1_10
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