March 2025 Psychology, Religion, and Consciousness Admissions Webinar
Join us for an exclusive admissions webinar featuring David M. Odorisio, PhD, Chair of Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Psychology, Religion, and Consciousness program.
In this 60-minute webinar, Dr. Odorisio will delve into the life and work of Reza Arasteh, a visionary depth psychological pioneer, highlighting Arasteh’s transformative ideas and his relevance to contemporary depth psychology.
Becoming Universal Persons: Re-discovering Reza Arasteh – Depth Psychological Pioneer
Reza Arasteh (1927-1992) was an Iranian psychotherapist who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s to study developmental psychology. Influenced by Erich Fromm and the humanistic movement, Arasteh nonetheless felt the limitations of adaptive approaches to human development. This search led Arasteh back to his Persian heritage and through the Sufi mystical tradition of Islam, he envisioned a spiritual psychology that encompassed a wider transpersonal vision of human development — a type of “transcultural maturity” that he termed “final integration.”
With Rumi and the Sufi mystical tradition as his guide, Arasteh’s work integrates spirituality and depth-/humanistic models of human development. This presentation introduces the life and work of Reza Arasteh including his key theories about human development which culminate in an all-embracing vision of “universal consciousness.” Arasteh’s work integrates development psychology with mystical spirituality and forges a path beyond individual and collective identities and cultural and religious polarization, and points towards a humanitarian vision that develops global citizenship.
Live Q&A and Discussion
Following the presentation, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in a live Q &A and discussion with Dr. Odorisio, exploring the implications of Arasteh’s ideas for personal growth, therapeutic practice, and cultural renewal.