PSYCHOENERGETICS - 

AN INTEGRAL, EDUCATIONAL MODEL 

AND THE FIFTH FORCE IN PSYCHOLOGY

As you will gather from the following pages, contrary to what part of the Indigo literature claims, Indigos (and the New Generations) are not necessarily here to initiate a new, emerging consciousness in human development; they seem rather more likely to accelerate its widespread induction, as revealed by some of the literature and by my first study's results.

In fact, the information outlined in the following pages, derived from various models of consciousness development throughout history, appears to indicate that, whichever name is adopted to describe it, a new consciousness or a new cycle of collective growth is expected to be emerging, and was described as early as the 1940s by Jean Gebser. Arguably, a New Consciousness needs new solutions and approaches to education and everything else. 

Hermetic Psychoenergetics seems to be of great help, especially for Indigos, for the New Generations and also for those sensitive people who have felt different since day one, and need some help reconnecting with their true nature - or so research and experience seem to show.

Psychoenergetics as a key educational solution emerged from both my studies, the second of which investigated transpersonal educational projects, in that they appear to address self-actualization and self-transcendence. 

In fact, after exploring Indigos, the New Generations and their educational needs in my first study (see next pages), what I did in my second investigation, a multiple case study research, was to explore the agenda behind several psychosynthesis-based educational projects, to find out whether there was a common philosophy and common techniques that might contribute to holistic and mainstream education. 

What emerged as a key element was, as said, Psychoenergetics in terms of:

1) teachings related to awareness of energy underlying all, which includes increased awareness of the impact that one's thoughts, attitudes and emotions appear to have on consciousness, matter and relationships (awareness-based education)

2) a focus on transcendent actualization, which is about expansion of consciousness to include dimensions of life that go beyond the self (self-transcendence also known as transcendent actualization). It also seems to be about educating human beings to engage in the world with a sustainability (Integral/Authentic) consciousness, aided by:

3) the embodiment of transpersonal energies achieved via the engagement of multisensory awareness – of different ways of knowing, in other words.

Interestingly, Assagioli, founder of the psychosynthetic model, had already envisioned the birth of a Fifth force in psychology that he called Psychoenergetics, which, he felt, would emerge once humanity's sensitivity to subtle energies started to show signs of increasing.

 Assagioli, however, left very little in writing. Here are his words, which I have translated from Italian*:

"Psychoenergetics derives from advances in modern physics and it has solid scientific basis, following Einstein's conclusions that matter is energy. As a new direction and dimension in psychology, the Fifth Force focuses on studying all forces existing in the universe and their inter-relationships:

1) Physical energies, from the subatomic to the astronomical, galactic level

2) Biological energies, which organise all that lives

3) Psychic energies of all kinds and from all levels

4) Spiritual, transpersonal and transcendent energies" 

*Assagioli, R. (1973). Le nuove dimensioni della psicologia. (New dimensions in psychology). Istituto di Psicosintesi di Firenze: lezione 1a.

DEFINING PSYCHOENERGETICS

Psychoenergetics is any discipline or technique that helps develop awareness of how the energy behind thoughts, emotions and attitudes affects consciousness, matter (including body) and relationships. 

In Psychosynthesis, Psychoenergetics involves all psychological functions (intuition, imagination, desire/impulse, sensation, emotion, thinking) to assist self-awareness and promote expansion of consciousness. 

However, judging from its use as described by Martha Crampton (2006), Psychoenergetics still seems to have therapeutic, energy healing connotations, rather than being seen as a model for independent growth. It is, indeed, still too close to the medical model, which seems to limit its true potential for independent self-development. 

I have merged Psychoenergetics with the ancient teachings from Hermetic, Neoplatonic Philosophy, studied in academia through Western esotericism studies. I have also experimented with it and tested it for quite a while. 

The way I see it, Hermetic Psychoenergetics is not a therapeutic model - it is, rather, a very valuable educational tool. It is also a personal choice for independent growth. It is experiential, it is about personal alchemy (transformation), and it contemplates/activates awareness that includes but goes beyond the conscious mind; it integrates body, mind and spirit, highlighting the life force that permeates all life and the human body.

Hermetic Psychoenergetics also fuses the psyche with energy/life force, which potentially brings about a profound alchemy (transformation), a redefinition of one's perspective of reality, identity and lived experiences and it does so via direct, personal experience of energy, hence transforming and revolutionizing one's worldview and the way thoughts and emotions can be disciplined and used more productively for increased self-authority/mastery. It provides new ways of relating and contributing to the world, fellow humans and all that lives and facilitates the acquisition/handling of power over oneself (and responsibility thereof) without fear.

I should add that there is currently a controversial branch of science called Psychoenergetics. It is being studied and developed by Stanford physicist William Tiller, who has been researching consciousness, subtle energies and the physical effects of mind and intention on matter (Tiller, 1997, 2007). 

In essence, I consider Hermetic Psychoenergetics a set of teachings and techniques based on personal, direct experience, focused on developing one's intuitive skills, one's potential, self-awareness, self-responsibility and one-ness with life based on Hermetic, Neoplatonic, esoteric teachings rediscovered in the Renaissance. 

It is about building for the future on the wisdom from the past, integrating all levels of consciousness to enable a marriage between human and divine, embodiment and transcendence, microcosm and macrocosm.  

Intuition and synchronicities, connection with multidimensional energy realities (including orbs), the exploration of the effects that the sacred geometry contained in sound, music, colours and crystals might have on consciousness are among the key components of an awakening educational system such as Hermetic Psychoenergetics, that enables individuals to function more fully as empowered beings.

One of the purposes of Hermetic Psychoenergetics is to encourage people to explore their innate imaginal abilities, because this exploration enhances creativity and inner power and stimulates the development of one's unexplored potential. 

Power, as history teaches, has been a very central concern for humanity for centuries and millennia. In the emerging Integral/Authentic Consciousness, power still seems to be a central concern, but with an important difference – this time, in the emerging structure (mode of experience) of collective consciousness, it seems that power needs to be developed from within (power over oneself), instead of being in the hands of few who rule many (power over others), so that each individual can govern themselves, develop an inner locus of control, and be self-responsible. 

For this process to be experiential, however, by emphasizing a gnostic way of learning by direct experiencing, Psychoenergetics also seems to be about learning to merge the conscious and unconscious minds, as, interestingly, one of the Indigo experts in my first study had suggested for the education of Indigos.

In essence, as said, Psychoenergetics is influenced and informed by Hermetic principles, especially two of them, namely:

1)  As above, so below (i.e. being able to observe to what extent the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm of one's life and consciousness)

2) As within, so without (i.e. being able to observe to what extent one's life can change according to one's inner attitudes and ability to transform them).

Hermeticism is part of the Golden Thread of ancient wisdom teachings underlying many esoteric orders of the Renaissance, alchemical (transformational) teachings (Godwin, 2007) and perennial philosophy (Hanegraaf, 2012, 2013) – all being academically studied today (Goodrick-Clark, 2008, Yates, 1991). 

Hermetic Psychoenergetics seems to be connected with magical, imaginal thinking of the Magical and even Mythic structures of collective consciousness of past eras, described in the following pages. In fact, the developing Integral Consciousness advocated by Wilber (2000), among others, is theorised to include and integrate all the modes of functioning already acquired/developed in humanity's past, which is what Psychoenergetics facilitates.  

In other words, both the emerging Integral/Authentic Consciousness and Hermetic Psychoenergetics seem to be about building for the future on the wisdom from the past, which, arguably, needs to be rediscovered in terms of integrating new ways of learning in education. 

Building for the future on the wisdom from the past seems to be about educating for Integral consciousness. 

As a result of my two investigations and my preliminary observations regarding the practical applications of Hermetic Psychoenergetics, I would strongly advocate the need to integrate it in many forms at any level of education, especially for those who are starting to embody the new consciousness. 

For this to happen, however, the complex dynamics which seem to impede or delay the full integration of transpersonal psychology and Psychosynthesis in mainstream channels need to be seriously addressed. 

In fact, the ongoing, general mainstream tendency to ignore individuals' spiritual dimension and to leave out research on human potential (revealing what the mind is capable of) based on cultural anthropology, positive psychology, transpersonal psychology and parapsychology research (see Radin, 2009, 2013; Sheldrake, 2012; Tart, 2009, Targ, 2012) , implies that: 

a) policy makers have less complete information than is, in fact, available,

b) holistic forms of education are confined to private, expensive schools and

c) parents', educators' and students' choices are consequently seriously limited.

In other words, mainstream attempts to preserve the status quo by not evolving educational policies and schools curricula seem to force a type of conformity that might feed a dangerous, prevailing tendency to misdiagnose or drug the young (i.e. Ritalin to "treat" ADHD), which inevitably contributes to alienating parents and the New Generations from mainstream education. Indigos and the New Generations need to be accepted, encouraged and empowered by accepting the validity of their own subjective experiences - asking them to conform curtails the development of their talents and gifts, which greatly disempowers them.

Our Youth deserve a lot better than multiple diagnoses and labels, accompanied by psychoactive substances to keep them "under control". Arguably, they need role models whose authenticity they can respect, as well as new systems of education that feed their natural curiosity about themselves and provide means of making wise decisions by listening to their inner voice, receiving in-tuition - tuition from within -, without following external authority or meaningless hierarchies. 

This, as I see it, is the main function and purpose of Hermetic Psychoenergetics as an Integral educational model. By integrating the wisdom of the past, head and heart intelligence, and energy awareness, Hermetic Psychoenergetics integrates the precious knowledge that mainstream academia keeps rejecting.