Point of view of organizations
People have a point of view, but organizations are composed of a community of people. While personality-typing (temperaments) is a way to model the points of view of people, a similar model might be used for organizations based on typical goals, objectives and assumptions. From the perspective of Etheric Studies, one might have:
Human psychology: Usually parapsychology; specifically an academic approach with emphasis on a physical-world perspective; emphasis on research; collaboration but guided by community norm.
Emergent science: Emphasis on academic approach; deliberate openness to new ideas; open to concepts of nonphysical and survived personality if they can be explained with mainstream science.
Human potential: Usually academic; open to nonphysical explanations; focus on personal growth and the human condition; supports research; education by opinion setters.
Social paranormal: Desire for scientific approach; for many, often first experience in paranormal; strong community; emphasis on nonphysical and survived personality; no formal collaboration; education by emergent cultural norm.
Metaphysical: Study/research of phenomena related to trans-etheric influence; desire for scientific approach; community emphasizing educational and application of principles; specifically open to nonphysical and survived personality.
It is important to emphasize that this list of organizational points of view is conceived from the ATransC perspective. We find no fault in these points of view or their representative organization (as we see them), but it is important that people understand there are important differences.
Litmus Test
Compare this categorization of points of view for organizations involved in the study of things usually referred to as paranormal phenomena with the research showing that transcommunication involves communication with survived personalities. Then consider your self-evaluation of your point of view. Do you think there is only physical reality and that your mind is a product of your brain? When you die, will there be anything of your self-awareness left to experience? If this is your viewpoint, then the only organizational point of view you should consider is human psychology. That is, reports of paranormal phenomena are due to mental aberrations.
If you are open to new ideas such as survived personality but insist they must be explained in terms of mainstream science, emergent science organizations are for you.
If you believe in the existence of subtle energy connecting all living things and that people can deliberately interact with this energy, you will probably be more comfortable with the human potential groups. This is especially true if you feel personality has evolved from the physical and that there really is no reality outside of the physical.
If you just think paranormal phenomena is interesting and have no well-developed ideas beyond that, then the social paranormal groups can provide an important place to begin your discovery about things paranormal.
Finally, if you feel that some part of your loved ones has survived bodily death and that they may be able to communicate with we who remain in the physical, then the metaphysical groups are almost your only resource.
Of course, a person can be in all of the groups. The important point here is that you should take some time to examine your point of view and what you expect of organizations you support. Learn to recognize the perspectives authors have in their writing. For instance, a parapsychologist will likely talk about mental mediumship (communion with discarnate people) from the perspective that the medium is unconsciously getting information from the sitter, or at most, somehow accessing information via some subtle energy. In the same way, an academically trained person will be reluctant to give much credence to the opinion of people who are not academically trained.
ATransC’s Point of View
We used “metaphysical” to name the personality type we think ATransC best relates to because it is one of the few that describes a study of the greater reality. To study metaphysics, one must think in terms of whether or not personality is separate from body, if it has evolved independently, and if so, what is its native environment? One must take care not to assume the personality is separate from the body. Evidence, good reason and well considered hypotheses must guide the study. However, in order to realistically consider all of the hypothesized possibilities, the possible nature of a greater or nonphysical reality must be included in the models.
In many ways, etheric studies and metaphysics are synonymous, but while metaphysics is the academic study of concepts, etheric studies is the study of known forms of phenomena with the intention of understanding how they occur and how to apply them to good use.
The ATransC is amongst the very few organizations in the English-speaking world that includes the possibility of survived personality in the study of these. If you think this study is important, then please consider supporting the organization with your membership and donations.
