Holistic Approach

All understanding involves the dynamic interaction of reason and intuition, based directly on the conscious and unconscious processes respectively.

In Western society, scientific understanding employs predominantly the rational (analytical) paradigm which recognises solely the conscious process. This involves the separation of object from subject in an impersonal detached view of truth. Mathematics represents the extreme version of this specialised use of reason.

Understanding in Eastern society - especially spiritual - has traditionally placed more emphasis on the unconscious (holistic) paradigm. Here object and subject are directly united in an experiential view of truth. Transpersonal psychology (i.e. mystical or esoteric understanding) represents the extreme version of this specialised use of intuition.

For many the great attraction of mathematics is the absolute nature of truth involved, free - in formal terms - of all "vague" intuitive interference.

Others seek truth experientially, through direct unity with reality, finding the formulations of "specialised" science to be purely relative, and ultimately illusory.

Thus historically, these two approaches - offering two extreme views of truth - have developed largely apart, with radically different perspectives and language of communication. Consequently, little success has been achieved in terms of their integration.

However - remarkable though it may seem - mathematics and transpersonal psychology are in truth fully complementary. Thus, the amazing marriage of both awaits, which has the power to dramatically alter our whole vision of reality.

The holistic approach which seeks to make explicit this inherent unity of reason and intuition, I refer to as transrational.

This can be applied at different levels. For example, the relationships of physics and psychology are - when appropriately understood - fully complementary. Transrational physics thus entails a dynamic way of structuring reality so that for every relationship in physics, a corresponding (mirror) complementary relationship in psychology can be readily identified. Transrational psychology would then represent the other side of the coin starting with psychology to identify complementary relationships in physics.

However at an even deeper level, the fundamental structure of reality - in both physical and psychological terms - is mathematical. Thus a potentially more fruitful synthesis exists as between mathematics and (transpersonal) psychology.

Incredible as it may appear the great richness and subtlety of transpersonal psychology can be accurately structured (indirectly) in terms of mathematical relationships.

What this really entails is that there are indeed two complementary mathematical systems.

The first is the conventional system of (quantitative) mathematical relationships based (directly) on the specialised use of reason.

The second - and largely unknown system - is a complementary set of (qualitative) mathematical relationships - which though indirectly capable of rational expression - is based (directly) on the specialised use of intuition.

Thus, when appropriately understood (i.e. from a transrational perspective), all (quantitative) mathematical relationships can be translated in (qualitative) psychological terms. This ultimately provides a coherent means of raising mathematical understanding to the mystical level of pure contemplation (as with the Pythagorean ideal).

In complementary fashion, all (qualitative) psychological relationships can be translated in reduced (quantitative) mathematical terms. This in turn, provides a means, of precisely structuring all the various stages of (transpersonal) psychological development in mathematical format.

These ideas can initially seem somewhat unfamiliar. This is because we are not accustomed to looking at reality in this manner. The following contributions will attempt however to make explicit some of the implications of this (potentially) revolutionary approach.