There is no shortage of research methods that are easily applied to the study of everyday human experience. How, though, does one attempt to study extraordinary human experiences - ultimate values and meanings, peak experiences, transcendence and heightened awareness, among others.
William Braud and Rosemarie Anderson introduce a series of transpersonal research methods that are intended to help researchers develop new ways of knowing and methods of inquiry. While these methods will be of particular interest to researchers in transpersonal psychology, humanistic psychology, or transpersonal studies applied to traditional fields, the authors argue that these approaches - with their emphasis on developing intuition, empathy and self-awareness - can benefit anyone involved in the research enterprise across many disciplines.
Introduction - Rosemarie Anderson
PART ONE: CRITIQUES AND EXTENSIONS
Conventional and Expanded Views of Research - William Braud and Rosemarie Anderson
A Preview of New Methods - Rosemarie Anderson and William Braud
PART TWO: EXPANDED METHODS OF DISCIPLINED INQUIRY
Integral Inquiry - William Braud
Complementary Ways of Knowing, Being and Expression
Intuitive Inquiry - Rosemarie Anderson
A Transpersonal Approach
Transpersonal Awareness in Phenomenological Inquiry - Ron Valle and Mary Mohs
Philosophy, Reflections and Recent Research
Organic Research - Jennifer Clements et al
Feminine Spirituality Meets Transpersonal Research
Becoming More Human as We Work - Rhea A White
The Reflexive Role of Exceptional Human Experience
PART THREE: APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES: SELECTED EXAMPLES
Alternative Ways of Knowing (Encountering and Collecting Data)
Alternative Ways of Working with Data (Engaging and Confronting Data)
Alternative Ways of Presenting Results (Expressing and Communicating Findings)
PART FOUR: FURTHER EXTENSIONS
An Expanded View of Validity - William Braud
Additional Suggestions, Ethical Considerations and Future Challenges - Rosemarie Anderson and William Braud