Definition and meaning of American Psychological Association

American Psychological Association (APA) - [Psychology]

Founded in 1892, the American Psychological Association (APA) is the leading scientific and professional society for psychology in the United States. There are 45 divisions representing special interests, research, and advocacy issues. There is a division for the Teaching of Psychology which engages 29 percent of working psychologists, for Psychologists in Private Practice, and for Psychological Hypnosis.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

soul-centered psychology: Afrocentric mode of psychotherapy advanced by John Bolling, M.D. Its theory posits: (a) soul perception and (b) archetypal energies of the psyche that are susceptible to harmonization.

(See also: Soul-centered psychology, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

integral counseling psychology: A form of psychotherapy taught at the California Institute of Integral Studies, in San Francisco. It encompasses bioenergetics, Gestalt therapy, holotropic therapy (see Holotropic Breathwork), Integral Yoga, psychosynthesis, spiritual mind healing, Taoism, and Theosophical Therapy. One of its principles is that one can help humans to contact and activate their inner organizing center for holistic living.

(See also: Integral counseling psychology, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Super Shape Psychological Conditioning System: Audio subsidiary to the SuperShape Permanent Weight Control System (also called the SuperShape audio course), which is a four-audiocassette course for weight loss, body shaping, and maintenance of ideal body size.

The Supershape Psychological Conditioning System is a means of meeting one's weight-loss goals automatically. It consists of two audiocassettes whose soundtracks implant high self-esteem and 'thin within' mental conditioning in one's inner mind.

(See also: Super Shape Psychological Conditioning System, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Hierogrammatists (from Greek hierogrammateus from hieros sacred + grammateus scribe)

Applied by Greek writers to the sacred scribes of ancient Egypt, who wrote and read the sacred records, and among whose functions was that of the instruction of initiants or neophytes preparing for initiation.

(See also: Hierarchy of Compassion, Spiritual-psychological Hierarchy, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Hierarchy of Compassion, Spiritual-psychological Hierarchy The hierarchy of spiritual beings extending from the highest solar or galactic monad, to the least element forming its vehicles or being.

"It is built of divinities, demigods, buddhas, bodhisattvas, and great and noble men, who serve as a living channel for the spiritual currents coming to this and every other planet of our system from the heart of the solar divinity, and who themselves shed glory and light and peace upon that pathway from the compassionate deeps of their own being. . . .

"On our earth there is a minor hierarchy of light. Working in this sphere there are lofty intelligences, human souls, having their respective places in the hierarchical degrees. These masters or mahatmas are living forces in the spiritual life of the world; and awakened minds and intuitive hearts sense their presence, at least at times" (FSO 467-8). The head of the terrestrial spiritual-psychological hierarchy is a being sometimes called the Silent Watcher, who acts as a channel for all the spiritual forces flowing to and from the earth, and who is connected inwardly with all the beings on earth.

In theosophical literature, the Hierarchy of Compassion of our solar system is sometimes given as:

1)    adi-buddhi (primal wisdom), the mystic universally diffused essence;

2)    mahabuddhi (universal buddhi), the Logos;

3)    daiviprakriti (universal divine light), universal life, the Second Logos;

4)    ) Sons of Light, the seven cosmic logoi, the logoi of cosmic life, the Third Logos;

5)    dhyani-buddhas (buddhas of contemplation);

6)    dhyani-bodhisattvas (bodhisattvas of contemplation);

7)    manushya-buddhas (human buddhas), racial buddhas;

8)    bodhisattvas; and

9)    men.

Here, the Sons of Light or the seven cosmic logoi emanating from the sun and working in its kingdom are the parents of the rectors or planetary spirits of the seven sacred planets. The seven dhyani-buddhas, also called the celestial buddhas or causal buddhas, through their emanated representatives each govern one round of the septenary cycles of evolution on a planetary chain. The seven dhyani-bodhisattvas, or bodhisattvas of the celestial realms, similarly through their emanated representatives each govern one of the seven globes comprising a planetary chain.

The manushya-buddhas are the buddhas which watch over the root-races in a round, two appearing in every race, one near the commencement and one near the midpoint of each root-race. Gautama Buddha was the second racial buddha of the fifth root-race.

The bodhisattvas of earth are those spiritual and intellectually advanced human beings who leave the nirvana of buddhahood in order to remain on earth for their sublime work of aiding, stimulating, and guiding those hosts of entities, including humanity, trailing behind them.

(See also: Hierarchy of Compassion, Spiritual-psychological Hierarchy, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Buddhist psychology: comprehensive science of mind and being. It includes Abhidharma analysis. (The Abhidharma is the third part of the Buddhist canon.)

(See also: Buddhist psychology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

archetypal psychology: Form of psychotherapy akin to theotherapy and advanced by Jungian analyst Jean Shinoda Bolen. Archetypal psychology focuses on myths as keys to self-knowledge.

(See also: Archetypal psychology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

biodynamic psychology (Biodynamic therapy): Therapeutic approach developed by Gerda Boyesen, a clinical psychologist and physiotherapist born in Norway. It is related to bioenergetics. One of its principles is that, when bodily fluids do not circulate efficiently or tissues are not properly cleansed, emotional tensions or blockages show up and keep bioenergy from vitalizing the body.

(See also: Biodynamic psychology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Psychology :

Psychology

This word is ordinarily used to signify in our days, and in the seats of learning in the Occident, a study mostly beclouded with doubts and hypotheses, and often actual guesswork, meaning little more than a kind of mental physiology, practically nothing more than the working of the brain-mind in the lowest astral-psychical apparatus of the human constitution.

But in the theosophical philosophy, the word psychology is used to mean something very different and of a far nobler character: we might call it pneumatology, or the science or the study of spirit and its rays, because all the inner faculties and powers of man ultimately spring from his spiritual nature. The term psychology ought really to connote the study of the inner intermediate economy of man, and the interconnection of his principles and elements or centers of energy or force  - what the man really is inwardly.

In days of the far bygone past, psychology was indeed what the word signifies: "the science of soul"; and upon this science was securely based the collateral and subordinate science of genuine physiology. Today, however, it is physiology which serves as the basis for psychology because of a mistaken view of man's constitution. It is a case of hysteron proteron  - putting the cart before the horse.

See also: Psychology, Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul)

SOMATIC PSYCHOLOGY

This is a body-based orientation that facilitates the client’s therapeutic process.

A client session is directed to the body experience that references the body as a resource.

The therapist shifts the content of the session to the here and now process of the client, which opens the client’s awareness of her own experience of sensation, tension, relaxation, breath, response, and evoked thoughts.

(See also: SOMATIC PSYCHOLOGY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Humanistic Psychology

The school of psychology originated by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and others, that emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual self and the integration of the whole person: feelings, intellect, physical and spiritual.

(See also: Humanistic Psychology, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Humanistic Psychology

The school of psychology originated by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and others, that emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual self and the integration of the whole person: feelings, intellect, physical and spiritual.

(See also: Humanistic Psychology, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Transpersonal Psychology / Transpersonal Counseling

A school of psychology that aims at integrating Western science and Eastern thought by moving beyond Humanistic Psychology and its focus on the self or ego. Its orientation is a holistic one that focuses on the integration of mind, body and spirit and has ultimate psychological growth and well-being as its goals.

(See also: Transpersonal Psychology/Counseling, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

transpersonal psychology (TP)

Movement stressing full sensory, psychic and spiritual development

(See also: Transpersonal psychology (TP, Body Mind and Soul)

2005-04-23

2005-04-23

Theocentric Therapy (Christian Psychological Counseling, Theocentric Counseling, Theocentric Psychological Counseling, Theocentric Psychological and Educational Therapies, Theocentric Psychology): Christian method taught by LaSalle University, a nonaccredited correspondence school in Mandeville, Louisiana.

(See also: Theocentric Therapy, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Combine Spirituality and Psychotherapy: Eclectic integrative system developed and practiced by author Bernard Green, Ph.D. It includes consciousness expansion, Eastern psychotherapy (see Eastern psychology), nutritional psychology, psychosynthesis, Simonton techniques (see Simonton method), and Sufi psychology (see Sufi healing).

(See also: Combine Spirituality and Psychotherapy, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

HYPNOTHERAPY - hypnosis applied to psychological problems. (NAD)

(See also: HYPNOTHERAPY, Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

A psychological test for interpreting the meaning of images seen in an inkblot.

(See also: Rorschach test, Magic, Shamanism, Pagan Dictionary)