Meditations on a Blue Vase: and the Foundations of Transpersonal Psychology

This is a landmark collection of papers and articles authored by the late Arthur Deikman M.D., a pioneering psychiatrist who conducted some of the earliest studies of meditation and challenged the medical establishment's reliance on drug treatment for people diagnosed with depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia. A clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of San Francisco for two decades and a courageously independent researcher, Dr. Deikman led the way in original investigations into such topics as: What is the difference between psychosis and mystical states of consciousness? What do the great esoteric traditions have to tell us about the farthest reaches of the human mind? How can we recognize cult behavior, whether it occurs in isolated groups or the culture at large? What are the most sensible and effective approaches to meditation? These questions and many more are answered in this profound and exciting anthology by a founding researcher in the field now known as transpersonal psychology. This is the rare book that provides both an education and a transformative experience for readers interested in the history of open-mindedness.