Understanding attendees’ transformative experiences following Tony Robbins’s Unleash the Power Within seminars

Tony Robbins is an American life coach and entrepreneur who claims his motivational workshop, Unleash the Power Within (UPW) can transform people’s lives. This article is based on an interpretative phenomenological analysis of eight participants who had attended different UPW seminars and explored their experiences of transformation. Eight themes were identified: (1) a change in their sense of self, (2) the development of new skills, (3) changes in lifestyle, (4) transformation/conversion, (5) changes in relationships, (6) permanency of change, (7) feelings of fear versus anticipation and (8) loss versus gain. The research concluded that participants had undergone transformation involving significant, valued and enduring changes centred on new meaning in their lives. Further research was suggested to examine both a wider and more in-depth approach, as personal development workshops offer a large and potentially rich field of transpersonal study focused on human meaning-making and change.

How do adult twins experience and view their identity?

Adult identity formation and individuation have been well documented in psychological and world spiritual literature. Identity and individuation differ for twins because of their physiological and psychological connection. Although the literature has to some extent explored twin identity at prepersonal and personal stages of ego development, little research literature exists which looks to unravel transpersonal phases of twins’ individuation. With a focus on transpersonal development, this research used intuitive inquiry to investigate “How adult twins experience and view their identity.” Individual twins derived from a single ovum (monozygotic) and from two separate ova (dizygotic), were interviewed to understand their personal experience of their identity development. The researcher’s own experience of twin identity was reported through embodied writing and poetry. Results allowed for the formation of an emerging model of Twin Identity Development, which outlined a possible trajectory for twin identity development, introducing the transpersonal as a connecting thread between the prepersonal and personal twin identity. Participant perspectives on identity development indicated the possibility for twins to embrace both an individual and a joint identity and in some cases, transcend both. Embracing all aspects of both identities created a sense of wholeness for twins. Further investigation into different twin identities and parenting of twins could validate the research.

lived experience and transformational potential of 5 Rhythms dancing meditation

Forms of dancing meditation have been popular choices for self-development in the Western world, yet they continue to be under-represented in the academic literature on mindfulness and transformative practices. The present study explored the lived experience and transformative potential of 5 Rhythms, a dancing meditation practice developed by Gabrielle Roth (1998). Anderson’s (1998) qualitative research method, intuitive inquiry, was applied in order to engage both intellect and intuition, enabling the researcher to tap her own embodied knowing of 5 Rhythms practice. The research progressed through 5 hermeneutical cycles, allowing a process of reappraisal, transforming the researcher’s original understanding of 5 Rhythms through in-depth engagement with nine participants, all of whom were 5 Rhythms dancers. Following semi-structured interviews and transcription, a Thematic Content Analysis yielded eight core themes. Overall, the findings suggested a number of processes and conditions that facilitated and accompanied psycho-spiritual transformation in 5 Rhythms dancing, including embodiment, interconnection with others, self and the world, mindful presence, self-compassion, freedom, spirituality, creativity, and the interplay of opposing forces such as surrender and control. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed at the end.

Reiki practitioners’ experiences of self-healing and transformation

This research explored the experiences of healing and transformation within Reiki practitioners. Reiki practitioners are attuned to a traditional and ancient hands-on healing technique which involves the practitioner channelling life-force energy through their hands to heal themselves or others. The methodology of intuitive inquiry was used, and the interview transcripts of eight participants were analysed using Thematic Content Analysis. Eight themes were formed and included: Opening the Door, Shifting Beliefs, Lifestyle Changes, Healing Crisis, Moving Past Doubts, Spiritual Connection and Self-Empowerment. The results were presented through a compound narrative of the participants’ experiences. The findings showed that Reiki practitioners experienced transformation on mental, emotional, physical and spiritual levels. Many of the participants experienced struggles that they learned to interpret as meaningful. They also shifted their beliefs and made lifestyle changes which led to greater self-empowerment.

Facing the future

This study aimed to explore the experience of the transpersonal in contemplating retirement, as it impacted on five female co-researchers and myself. All were aged between 55 and 65 and were actively, or recently, engaged in careers in either psychotherapy or therapeutic social work. To allow for deep self-exploration, a heuristic research method, as described by Moustakas (1990), was chosen. Data was collected from my reflective, creative journal, and from the co-researchers using dialogue-based interviews. Data was analysed using an adapted form of thematic analysis. Individual and composite depictions were created and a creative synthesis developed. Two major transpersonal themes emerged: confronting mortality and seeking authenticity and growth. Findings suggest we cannot have the second without acknowledging the first. Subordinate themes demonstrate how we are managing this dilemma and exploring a place for ourselves in the future. Findings further suggest we do this by holding two distinct concepts of time: a linear concept relating to confronting mortality, and an expansive concept relating to seeking meaning and fulfilment in exploring new avenues or rediscovering latent parts of ourselves. These two concepts acknowledge spiritual dimensions in our lives and help us manage the knowledge of mortality. The findings are critically discussed in relation to relevant literature. Finally, the limitations of this study are explored and ideas for future research identified.

transformational face of loss

This study examines ways in which loss can lead to individual experiences of change: the transformational face of loss. It is specifically interested in how loss can be experienced, recalled, and integrated as part of the journey towards what Kübler-Ross (1973) calls “acceptance” or Kessler (2019) calls “meaning”. This paper draws on the recollections of five miners who lost both their job and community when the mine they worked in closed in 1996. The heuristic approach (Moustakas, 1990) adopted in this research helped the researcher and participants tap back into their lived experience of loss, enabling a new experiencing and documenting that was both data-driven and creative. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed as an expression of their journey towards change. Participants were asked questions about their sensory and emotional responses to their jobs in the mine environment, how it felt to lose those jobs, both then and twenty years on from the pit closure. Themes emerged that were common to all participants. Those explored in this paper relate to camaraderie and environment. Differences were found in the time participants took to accept the loss and the ways in which they found new purpose.

Exploring the phenomenon of open awareness and its effects on stress and burnout

This article introduces research in open awareness (OA). The qualitative research method of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilised to investigate the characteristic phenomena that are associated with the state and perspective of OA, including its effects in terms of stress resilience, burnout prevention and psychological well-being. The research project involved exploring the experiences of people with high stress and burnout levels who practiced the OA technique for 24 days. The overall outcome of this research suggests that the OA technique may promote resilience to stress, while helping to improve well-being and performance, which in turn may support the prevention and treatment of burnout. This conclusion is supported by current literature, covering how distress and the onset of burnout may be associated with chronic tunnel awareness, which the OA technique was found to counteract. Two distinct areas of future research are proposed involving OA with implications for social renewal.

Psychotherapists’ altered states of consciousness

The majority of research that has been conducted around counselling and psychotherapy has been directed towards the evaluation of client outcome and client experience. Studies concentrated solely on therapist experience during the therapeutic encounter are largely in the minority. The purpose of this study was to explicate a deeper understanding of the unusual and unforgettable events that led to dramatic shifts in consciousness experienced by some counsellors and psychotherapists during the therapeutic hour. A study group of six participants was assembled via open invitation. The group comprised of three student counsellors nearing the end of their studies and three qualified therapists of varying degrees of experience. A semi-structured interview process provided transcriptions of the participant experiences, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted. This study found that the willingness to be open to the presence and essence of another, on both sides of the therapeutic dyad, had the potential to contribute to the intense, powerful and profound experiences arising in the therapist. In all cases, the unusual events and altered states led to the deepening of the healing potential within the therapy whilst simultaneously providing developmental propulsion for each practitioner.

Earth connection

This study explored direct experiences of women’s relationships with the Earth and how this impacted their lives. Using the transpersonal research methodology of intuitive inquiry, 10 White Western women aged between 36 and 64 were interviewed. Thematic content analysis was used to identify the emerging themes within the data and create descriptive summaries. The research found that connecting to the Earth may help us (a) process difficult emotions and experience more positive ones; (b) stay present and deal with life more effectively; (c) feel in control of changes in our lives; (d) realise that we need to give back to the Earth for what it provides for us; (e) expand our sense of self to include a sense of a divine cycle of life, and; (f) feel part of the Earth as we develop a clearer sense of who we are on an individual level. A definition of Earth connection is proposed: Earth connection is a subjective sense of feeling part of the Earth. It helps an individual to gain a deeper sense of who they are within a divine cycle of life. It also promotes a sense of a reciprocal relationship between an individual and the Earth.