Taylor’s Soft Perennialism: Psychology or New Age Spiritual Vision?
Hartelius, G. (
Taylor's Soft P erennialism: Psycholog y or New Age Spiritual Vision?
Glenn Hartelius 0 1
0 California Institute of Integral Studies , USA
1 Part of the Philosophy of Science Commons , Religion Commons, Theory and Philosophy
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies Commons, and the Transpersonal Psychology Commons Recommended Citation
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Taylor’s Soft P erennialism: Psycholog y or New Age Spiritual Vision?
Cover Page Footnote
Taylor’s Soft Perennialism:
Psychology or New Age Spiritual Vision?
Glenn Hartelius
California Institute of Integral Studies
San Francisco, CA, USA
Taylor has responded to critiques of his soft perennialism model in relationship to what he
has called awakening experiences. The fact that some individuals have this type of experience
away from the context of religion or spirituality, according to soft perennialism, is explained
by a sort of landscape of experience representing the diverse ways in which one may engage
with and experience this essential beingness. While this inspiring vision could possibly
be true, so also could numerous other speculations about ultimate reality; however, the
evidence advanced in support of soft perennialism notion is not valid in the context of
psychology, or of any scientific endeavor. Taylor's claims that his metaphysical schema is
at least partly evidence-based appears to stem from an overly philosophical view of science
and a misunderstanding of the nature of valid scientific evidence. As such, soft perennialism
is not a psychological theory, but functions more as a New Age spiritual vision. Given
that perennialist visions such as Wilber's have received long and careful scrutiny within
the transpersonal field, and now play a reduced role, a sober assessment is that perennialist
models belong more to the field's past than to its future. At the same time, Taylor's empirical
research into a particular type of developmental transformation may contribute importantly.
Tand my response
(Hartelius, 2016a)
, both
aylor’s (2016) paper on soft perennialism
published in this journal, have generated several
subsequent papers in a back and forth dialogue. My
two prior responses
(Hartelius, 2017a, 2017b)
have
addressed issues in perennialism more broadly; here
these arguments will be applied directly to Taylor’s work
and his prior responses. This will necessarily entail some
restatement of ideas expressed elsewhere.
A central point of concern with Taylor’s (2016,
2017a, 2017b) position is his claim that his speculative
metaphysical philosophy of spirituality is at least partially
based on empirical evidence, and is empirically testable.
Taylor has affirmed the importance of grounding
and testing theories in scientific evidence, which is
commendable among perennialist theorists. At the same
time, the evidence advanced for his soft perennialism
is not scientifically valid, but consists of speculative
extrapolation supported by inadequate strategies such
as circular reasoning. The worthy intention of creating
a broadly inclusive philosophy of spirituality that is
grounded in science and lived experience falls short
as other perennialist models have, due to a wholesale
absence of valid evidence. This is the central and likely
fatal weakness of soft perennialism as a psychological
theory, one that renders other considerations moot.
Before engaging in the specifics of dialogue,
it may be useful to step back and paraphrase Taylor’s
claims, as well as consider them in a psychology context.
According to
Taylor (2016)
, there are many varieties
of spiritual experience, and some of these types of
experience may occur outside of religious contexts. For
example, he has claimed there is empirical evidence that
what he has called awakening experiences can occur in
entirely ordinary settings, experiences in which there is
an intensification of awareness; a decreased sense of one’s
separate self and an increased sense of connectedness
and union; enhanced inner stillness and equanimity;
movement toward empathy, compassion, and altruism;
a decrease in a sense of personal agency; and increased
wellbeing
(Taylor, 2016)
.
These awakening experiences can be explained
as a shift from the conventional experiences of mundane
life toward an experience that is more aligned with
“the radiant, blissful nature of our deepest being”
(Taylor, 2017c, p. 218)
, which constitutes an underlying
136 International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 36(2), 2017, pp. 136-146
https://doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2017.36.2.136
Hartelius
psychological or experiential realm
(Taylor, 2016)
.
Spiritual experiences, of course, occur in a variety of
forms—a fact that in Taylor’s view cannot be explained
either by neurobiology, cultural transmission, or
conventional perennialist models that posit an objective
transcendent spiritual dimension or goal. This diversity
can, in his view, be explained as different ways of
engaging with (...truncated)