The Transpersonal Perspective Applied in the Conceptual Consideration of Religious Experience As a Social and Subjective Phenomenon

Abstract

Introduction. Transpersonal psychology and sociology represent relatively new directions within the social and human sciences, oriented toward the study of spiritual and collective dimensions of consciousness that transcend individual experience. Objective. The aim of this paper is to highlight the transpersonal dimension of religion and examine its place within the development of contemporary transdisciplinary approaches, through a review of the key theoretical contributions of the pioneers of the transpersonal orientation in psychology and sociology – Carl Gustav Jung and Émile Durkheim – and their concepts of the collective unconscious and collective consciousness. Methods. A comparative conceptual analysis of related notions from psychological and sociological literature, particularly those of Jung and Durkheim, addressing spirituality and the transpersonal, combined with a critical examination of dominant interpretations of religious experience. Results. The analysis of the collective unconscious (Jung) and collective consciousness (Durkheim) indicates the possibility of integrating subjective and collective aspects of religious experience. Furthermore, contemporary tendencies within transpersonal studies are presented, supporting a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to spirituality and consciousness. Conclusion. The transpersonal perspective enables a deeper understanding of the relationship between the individual and the collective, the psychological and the social, as well as the spiritual and the everyday. As such, it offers a valuable contribution to the development of contemporary scientific paradigms that integrate the inner and outer dimensions of human experience.