{"id":5172,"date":"2017-06-02T20:05:14","date_gmt":"2017-06-02T19:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/?p=5172\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T16:06:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:06:36","slug":"integral-psychosynthesis-a-comparison-of-wilber-and-assagioli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/en\/integral-psychosynthesis-a-comparison-of-wilber-and-assagioli\/","title":{"rendered":"Integral Psychosynthesis, a comparison of Wilber and Assagioli"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

This MA study demonstrates that Assagioli’s original conception of Psychosynthesis is fully Integral with levels, lines, states, types and quadrants, and that Firman\/Gila have developed a different version of psychosynthesis.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\r\n
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By Kenneth S\u00f8rensen, MA Psychosynthesis, revised Dec. 2019 (See update notes at the end)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<\/b>Abstract<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This MA study shows that Roberto Assagioli’s original conception of Psychosynthesis is fully aligned with Ken Wilber’s Integral Psychology. A careful research into all Assagioli’s English publications gives clear evidence of Levels, Lines of development, States, Types and to some degree the four Quadrants.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It also demonstrates that John Firman\/Ann Gila’s adapted version of Psychosynthesis operates with a very different developmental model, when seen through an Integral lens. The study also explores the benefits of implementing the Integral Approach to Psychosynthesis psychotherapy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

All articles and interviews related to Assagioli have been made available on this website.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I wish to thank John Firman and Ann Gila for permission to print his revised Egg Diagram, to Jean Hardy for allowing me to include her model and to Ken Wilber and Brad Reynolds for their contributions. I also wish to thank my tutor Martin Egan for many good advices and Annabritt Jakielski for proofreading it all.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Introduction to Integral Psychosynthesis<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This article will investigate the question: Is Psychosynthesis an Integral Psychology?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ken Wilber is an influential writer in our time within the field of psychology and psychotherapy. His Integral Psychology provides a framework and an overall perspective on human development that is synthetic in its nature. Owing to its inclusive comprehensive developmental approach it may be argued that Integral Psychology resembles the approach of Psychosynthesis. His model provides a method to examine or validate the integral nature of any psychotherapeutic discipline and this will be the main focus for this article in relation to Psychosynthesis.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Wilber works with five basic elements that characterize what he calls an Integral Approach and the AQAL model: Quadrants, Levels, Lines, States and Types, and through that lens I shall investigate whether or not Psychosynthesis is Integral.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I will take the five basic concepts one by one, define them and research into how well Psychosynthesis theory embodies the Integral features and how it can improve Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It is a great challenge to cover such a comprehensive theory as Wilber’s on the basis of an article. Due to the broad focus that I have chosen, there are some limitations that I have to implement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It will not be possible to have an in-depth discussion of all the details associated with the Integral status of Psychosynthesis; I will only give enough evidence to make an assumption based on a few relevant facts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I will not investigate whether Wilber is correct in his assumptions about human development. I will take his findings for granted and focus on testing Psychosynthesis for its fulfillment of the Integral criteria as set out by Wilber.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is not an article on Integral Psychology, so I will only define the broad perspectives in the Integral Approach in order to use it as a lens in my research.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In order to create a clear focus throughout this article, let me start with an outline of the essential conclusions from my research.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I will demonstrate that I have found several new aspects related to the nature of Psychosynthesis when I applied the Integral model. The most relevant new discoveries are found when we compare Assagioli’s and Firman\/Gila’s writings. My conclusions so far are as follows:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Background and acknowledgment\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> This article is an extended and adapted (two case studies are omitted) version of my MA Thesis from 2008 at the Psychosynthesis and Education Trust in London and the University of East London. It is offered to the public with the hope that it can foster a deeper understanding of the Integral features of Psychosynthesis and perhaps facilitate an open debate about the future development of Psychosynthesis and for that matter: Integral psychotherapy. My book: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>The Soul of Psychosynthesis<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> , 2016 was based on my findings in this MA study.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n