2 PATTERNS OF TRANSCENDENCE - AN EMPIRICAL-EXAMINATION OF WILBER AND WASHBURN THEORIES

Participant observation and open-ended interviews with Indian and Engl ish elderly who were recognized as spiritually mature provided data fo r evaluating Washburn's claim that a period of egoic regression preced es movement to the transpersonal level. Hermeneutical analysis of inte rview protocols and research notes indicated that half of those nomina ted in each sample had reached the transpersonal level, but of these, only about half gave indications of having undergone a regressive tran sition period. On the basis of this, and other internal evidence, supp ort was found for Wilber's theory. Cross-cultural similarities at the higher levels of spiritual development are seen as providing support f or the claims of the perennial philosophy.