The purpose of Integral Transformation is to assist in unfolding inherent potential, both an individual's unique capacity for self-expression and also the potential of human nature we all share, which perennial wisdom holds to be infinite spiritually. In this endeavor Integral Transformation draws on all relevant resources, seeking to integrate ancient wisdom and modern knowledge in order to promote individual growth and foster societal change, especially ethically and spiritually.

Integral Transformation is a bridge discipline linking timeless wisdom with contemporary knowledge and skills. As such, it draws from the well of core spirituality, as well as from the arts, sciences and humanities. The entire range of experience and reflection, inclusive of the preconscious, subconscious, conscious, and superconscious dimensions, is considered relevant to lifelong learning in the broadest and deepest sense of unfolding one's full potential in an integrated way.

Initially, key fundamentals are identified and applied to articulate a model of human transformation. Then, on the basis of this model a comprehensive set of modalities is developed for applying key fundamentals to holistic self-management on the basis of individual assessment.

I. Foundations of Integral Transformation

The foundational paradox is that the "I" as spiritual person is not identical to the "I" as an individual in the world.

Individual and Person: Being in the world but not of it

Just as in a play the actor is not actually the character but only plays the role on the stage; so too, the spiritual person plays the role, so to speak, of the individual persona as an actor on the world stage in the drama of life. This is the basis of the spiritual teaching that the real or universal Self is different from the false self or limited ego, and that the real "I" is beyond the "I," "me." and "mine" of the ego.

As long as one identifies with one's individuality, expressed as the body, mind, personality, self-image, or even the continuity of one's existence, one is identifying with the phenomenal "persona" or social mask rather than the noumenal, or real person playing the role of its character on the stage of worldly life. Then one gets thoroughly caught up in the drama, mistakes the play for reality, and becomes enmeshed in the theatrical illusion.

The challenge is to play one's role in life as perfectly as one can, given one's station in life and its responsibilities, without mistaking one's personhood for the personality it projects. In the analogy of the theater, actors do not confuse themselves with the characters whose roles they are playing. As persons, we should not fall victim to this illusion created by wardrobe, makeup and paper mache sets either, through being overshadowed by personality and circumstances. Rather, the challenge is maintaining one's silent center while being fully involved in the dynamism of life. This is being in the world but not of it.

Self-Transcendence

The possibility of self-transcendence entails that the individual, considered as a psychophysical organism inhabiting an environment, is not entirely constitutive of the person as a spiritual being. That is to say, one's essence lies beyond one's body, mind, feeling, personality, and self-image — and even one's self-conception in terms of continuity of experience. Rather than being any of these, the spiritual person is metaphysically prior to the individual considered as a psychophysical organism that is born into the world, acts for awhile, and eventually dies.

According to perennial wisdom, both the individual and world are phenomenal projections of the noumenal person. Their purely phenomenal existence is for the sole purpose of progressively realizing the true or noumenal nature of personhood as independent and autonomous spiritual being. This realization of personhood not only takes place initially through the natural process of unconscious development and subsequently through conscious and intentional transformation, but it is also the goal of development and transformation.

Development and Transformation

The natural developmental process itself leads eventually to conscious transformation. This natural unfolding can also be enhanced consciously by first appreciating its nature and structure in terms of key fundamentals and then applying these fundamentals intentionally in order to stimulate growth. Using the analogy of horticulture, this conscious and intentional management of transformation is traditionally called cultivation.

Since the element constituting groups, communities and societies are individuals, the process of human transformation in general necessarily centers on transforming individuals. A group as a collection of individuals can only be transformed to the degree that the individuals comprising it are transformed. When individuals are transformed, so is the group they constitute. Therefore, one aspect of human transformation is related the inner life of the individual and another to the individual's relationship with other individuals and to the external environment.

Psychology has been and still is largely concerned as a practical matter with an individual's proper adjustment to mental, emotional, and social changes during the course of development. Both speculative philosophy and perennial wisdom are primarily concerned with infusing higher values into mundane concerns in order to bring greater actualization to individuals and transcendence to groups as a whole through the transformation of their members. But perennial wisdom alone purports to do this by infusing supernormal experience.

Integral Transformation and Perennial Wisdom

Integral Transformation follows perennial wisdom in taking the step beyond the empirical and rational, and distinguishes between individual and person as key to pursuing self-transcendence. The person manifests in the world as an individual human organism; yet, as a spiritual being the person is not of the world and remains unmanifest in essence. Personhood in this sense equates with the ancient concept of "soul." An individual does not "have" a soul; rather, the unmanifest soul manifests a portion of its potential through an individual in the world. According to perennial wisdom, this is ultimately for the purpose of self-revelation through self-transcendence. This is always taking place naturally, although individuals must come to discover it consciously before they can participate in the process intentionally.

In this view, the person uses individuality primarily to unfold inherent potential through the transformational process which leads toward greater and greater self-transcendence. In this sense, individuality is in the service, so to speak, of personhood and does not exist primarily for itself, as one naively believes until one is awakened spiritually.

According to perennial wisdom, this potential of personhood is not merely the potential of the individual as this man or that woman. From the point of view of spirituality, the person has an intrinsically unlimited potential for self-knowledge and uses individuality in order to realize its essential nature by transcending limitation. That is to say, the unmanifest person or soul uses the vehicle of individuality not merely to manifest earthly potential but for transformation in the direction of self-transcendence. At the spiritual level, the person is primarily occupied with unfolding the inherent potential for infinite consciousness as the epitome of freedom, limitless knowledge as the apex of truth and complete fulfillment as the perfection of love.

II. Application of Integral Transformation

Integral Transformation takes a multimodal approach, adapting available solutions to individual circumstances. Comprehensive management and oversight of the transformational process involves assessment and education. This encompasses both the determination of needs and also the targeting of indicated modalities and their implementation through strategy and tactics, as well as follow-up and adjustment along the way.

Individual Uniqueness

The multimodal approach is based on a recognition that every individual is unique. Everyone has a unique physical, emotional, energetic, mental and spiritual make-up which is the result of both constitutional type and present state. While there are similarities among individuals owing to shared constitutional type, differences due to set and setting extending over an individual's developmental history result in a present state within that type which is unique to that individual. On the one hand, the multimodal approach precludes a one-shoe-fits-all orientation.

On the other hand, acknowledgement that individual uniqueness underlies similarities among types protects the multimodal approach from becoming categorical or mechanical. Without this recognition, there is a danger that a process will be imposed from without rather than being drawn out from within.

Individual Assessment

Since every individual is unique, the needs of different individuals will likely vary. Moreover, because one's present state is also variable over time, an individual's needs may shift. Integral Transformation takes into account both relevant similarities and differences through individual assessment. Its implementation is necessarily multimodal, since individual needs are varied and changeable.

Assessment must consider both constitutional type and the individual uniqueness of present state. Based upon this assessment, certain modalities will present themselves to the trained eye as more suitable than others in order to accomplish the desired objectives, which must be determined in consultation with the client. Modalities must then be chosen and implemented and a follow-up procedure established for oversight and correction as may be indicated by results.

New Discipline

Integral Transformation is a newly emerging independent discipline in which educators may trained to provide services as mentors and coaches. Mental health professionals such as counselors and psychotherapists may use psychospirituality in the case of clients who have gone beyond the need for therapy per se. Training in Integral Transformation provides an instrument for this. It may also be used as an adjunct to therapy where it is indicated.

While psychiatry, clinical psychology and psychotherapy seek to correct or adjust in the case of mental, emotional or behavioral dysfunctionality, psychospirituality seeks instead to improve and optimize. Whereas psychotherapy is based on diagnosis and therapy, psychospirituality is based on assessment, education and oversight. While doctors, therapists and clergy, for example, may employ Integral Transformation as an adjunct discipline, it stands alone as a discipline in its own right and may be employed in mentoring and coaching by educators in this discipline as their primary focus.

Integral Transformation differs from self-improvement programs and techniques in that it is comprehensive. It treats both the horizontal level of the fields of life, such as physical health, psychological well-being, influence and affluence, interpersonal relationships, and spirituality, and also the vertical levels of hierarchical needs. Many such pyramids put the most basic needs at the foundation and the more refined needs on top of them, with spirituality at the apex. However, Integral Transformation puts spirituality at the foundation. In the words of Jesus, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all thing will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31)