Roberto Assagioli
Encyclopedia
Roberto Assagioli was an Italian
psychiatrist
and pioneer in the fields of humanistic
and transpersonal psychology
. Assagioli founded the psychological movement known as psychosynthesis
, which is still being developed today by therapists, and psychologists, who practice his technique. His work emphasized the possibility of progressive integration of the personality
around its own essential Self through the use of the will.
Assagioli was born on February 27, 1888 in Venice
, Italy
, and came from a middle-class Jewish background. He was born under the name Roberto Marco Grego, however, his biological father died when Assagioli was two years old, and his mother remarried Alessandro Emanuele Assagioli soon afterward. Assagioli was exposed to many creative outlets at a young age, such as art, and music, which were believed to have inspired his work in Psychosynthesis. By the age of 18, he had learned eight different languages, namely Italian
(his native tongue), English
, French
, Russian
, Greek
, Latin, German
, and Sanskrit
. It was at this age he also began to travel, mainly to Russia
, where he learned about social systems, and politics.
In 1922 he married a young woman named Nella, and they had one son together, Ilario Assagioli.
In 1938, Assagioli was arrested and imprisoned by Benito Mussolini
’s Fascist government
, due to his Jewish heritage, and his humanistic
writing. He was placed in solitary confinement for over a month, until he was released and returned to his family. During World War II
, his family’s farm in Florence
, Italy was destroyed, and both he and his family fled underground. His son died at the age of 28 from lung disease, which was accredited to severe stress from the harsh living conditions during the war. Once the war had ended, he returned to his work, and began his legacy, known as psychosynthesis
.
The years after the war were relatively calm, and it was during this time that he founded various foundations dedicated to psychosynthesis, in Europe and North America. Assagioli lived a long and prosperous life, and had a happy forty year marriage, until he died at age 86 on August 23d, 1974. The cause of his death was unknown.
, in which Assagioli argued a more holistic approach.
Once he finished his studies in Italy, Assagioli went to Switzerland
, where he was trained in psychiatry
at the psychiatric hospital Burghölzli in Zürich
. This led to him opening the first psychoanalytic practice in Italy, known as Instituto di Psicosintesi. However, his work in psychoanalysis left him unsatisfied with the field of psychiatry, as a whole, as he felt that psychoanalysis was incomplete.
However, Assagioli disagreed with theories formulated by Sigmund Freud
that he considered limiting. He refused to accept Freud's reductionism and neglect of the positive dimensions of the personality. Psychosynthesis became the first approach, born of psychoanalysis that also included the artistic, altruistic and heroic potentials of the human being.Assagioli's work was more in alignment with psychologist, Carl Jung
.. Both Assagioli and Jung validated the importance of the spiritual level of human existence. Assagioli shared with Jung the insight that psychological symptoms can be triggered by spiritual dynamics. Assagioli considered Jung’s theories to be closest to his understanding of psychosynthesis.
Assagioli accredited much of his inspiration for psychosynthesis to his month-long incarceration in solitary confinement in 1938. He used his time in prison to exercise his mental will, by meditating daily while in prison. He concluded that he was able to change his punishment into an opportunity to investigate his inner-Self.
, Assagioli was interviewed by Sam Keen
, in which Assagioli discussed the differences between Freudian psychoanalysis and psychosynthesis:
Assagioli noted that Carl Jung
, "of all modern psychotherapists, is the closest in theory and practice to psychosynthesis", and further expanded on the similarities between his own and Jung's views:
He also highlighted the differences between Jung's work and psychosynthesis:
Assagioli asserted about the will:
At the end of the interview, Keen himself concluded:
The Psychosynthesis & Education Trust center in Britain was founded by Assagioli in 1965, and is currently being run by President Lady Diana Whitmore. The Trust is affiliated with Humanistic and Integrative Psychology Section of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), and a is founding member of the European Federation of Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy (EFPP). At present time, the group consists of a large group of psychosynthesis practitioners who mediate students. The Trust offers workshops, courses, and a newsletter, to anyone who is interested in learning more about psychosynthesis.
The Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis (AAP) was formed in August 1995, as a non-profit organization in the United States, with approximately two-hundred members across the country. Members of the AAP run programs, workshops, and conferences, to discuss Assagioli and psychosynthesis, and publish a newsletter to discuss new topics related to the field.
The Will Project Wiki was created in 2007, and was based on the Will Project proposed by Assagioli when he was alive. The Will Project consists of over 63 articles based on Assagioli’s published book The Act of Will.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and pioneer in the fields of humanistic
Humanistic psychology
Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of early pioneers like Carl Rogers and the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology...
and transpersonal psychology
Transpersonal psychology
Transpersonal psychology is a form of psychology that studies the transpersonal, self-transcendent or spiritual aspects of the human experience....
. Assagioli founded the psychological movement known as psychosynthesis
Psychosynthesis
Psychosynthesis is an approach to psychology that was developed by Roberto Assagioli, M.D. He compared psychosynthesis to the prevailing thinking of the day, contrasting psychosynthesis for example with Existential psychology, but unlike the latter considered loneliness not to be "either ultimate...
, which is still being developed today by therapists, and psychologists, who practice his technique. His work emphasized the possibility of progressive integration of the personality
Personality
Personality is the particular combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual.-Psychology:* Personality development, the concept that personality is affected by various sources* Personality disorder...
around its own essential Self through the use of the will.
Assagioli's life
Assagioli did not like to discuss his personal life, as he preferred to be remembered for his scientific work. Very few biographical accounts on the life of Roberto Assagioli are available, and most are not written in English.Assagioli was born on February 27, 1888 in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and came from a middle-class Jewish background. He was born under the name Roberto Marco Grego, however, his biological father died when Assagioli was two years old, and his mother remarried Alessandro Emanuele Assagioli soon afterward. Assagioli was exposed to many creative outlets at a young age, such as art, and music, which were believed to have inspired his work in Psychosynthesis. By the age of 18, he had learned eight different languages, namely Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(his native tongue), English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Latin, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. It was at this age he also began to travel, mainly to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where he learned about social systems, and politics.
In 1922 he married a young woman named Nella, and they had one son together, Ilario Assagioli.
In 1938, Assagioli was arrested and imprisoned by Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
’s Fascist government
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
, due to his Jewish heritage, and his humanistic
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
writing. He was placed in solitary confinement for over a month, until he was released and returned to his family. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his family’s farm in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy was destroyed, and both he and his family fled underground. His son died at the age of 28 from lung disease, which was accredited to severe stress from the harsh living conditions during the war. Once the war had ended, he returned to his work, and began his legacy, known as psychosynthesis
Psychosynthesis
Psychosynthesis is an approach to psychology that was developed by Roberto Assagioli, M.D. He compared psychosynthesis to the prevailing thinking of the day, contrasting psychosynthesis for example with Existential psychology, but unlike the latter considered loneliness not to be "either ultimate...
.
The years after the war were relatively calm, and it was during this time that he founded various foundations dedicated to psychosynthesis, in Europe and North America. Assagioli lived a long and prosperous life, and had a happy forty year marriage, until he died at age 86 on August 23d, 1974. The cause of his death was unknown.
Education
Assagioli received his first degree in neurology and psychiatry at Istituto di Studii Superiori Pratici e di Perfezionamento, in Florence in 1910. It was during this time he began writing articles that criticized psychoanalysisPsychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
, in which Assagioli argued a more holistic approach.
Once he finished his studies in Italy, Assagioli went to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he was trained in psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
at the psychiatric hospital Burghölzli in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. This led to him opening the first psychoanalytic practice in Italy, known as Instituto di Psicosintesi. However, his work in psychoanalysis left him unsatisfied with the field of psychiatry, as a whole, as he felt that psychoanalysis was incomplete.
Inspiration and development
Assagioli is famous for developing and founding the science of psychosynthesis, a spiritual and holistic approach to psychology that had developed from psychoanalysis. He was largely inspired by Freud’s idea of the repressed mind and Jung’s theories of the collective unconscious. Trained in psychoanalysis but unsatisfied by what he regarded as its incompleteness as a whole, Assagioli felt that love, wisdom, creativity, and will, were all important components that should be included in psychoanalysis. Assagioli’s earliest development of psychosynthesis started in 1911, when he began his formal education in psychology. He continued his work on psychosynthesis right up until his death.Freud and Assagioli were known to have corresponded, although they never had the chance to meet. Assagioli said, "Psychosynthesis presupposes psychoanalysis, or rather, includes it as a first and necessary stage."However, Assagioli disagreed with theories formulated by Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
that he considered limiting. He refused to accept Freud's reductionism and neglect of the positive dimensions of the personality. Psychosynthesis became the first approach, born of psychoanalysis that also included the artistic, altruistic and heroic potentials of the human being.Assagioli's work was more in alignment with psychologist, Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
.. Both Assagioli and Jung validated the importance of the spiritual level of human existence. Assagioli shared with Jung the insight that psychological symptoms can be triggered by spiritual dynamics. Assagioli considered Jung’s theories to be closest to his understanding of psychosynthesis.
Assagioli accredited much of his inspiration for psychosynthesis to his month-long incarceration in solitary confinement in 1938. He used his time in prison to exercise his mental will, by meditating daily while in prison. He concluded that he was able to change his punishment into an opportunity to investigate his inner-Self.
Psychology Today interview
In the December 1974 issue of Psychology TodayPsychology Today
Psychology Today is a bi-monthly magazine published in the United States. It is a psychology-based magazine about relationships, health, and related topics written for a mass audience of non-psychologists. Psychology Today was founded in 1967 and features articles on such topics as love,...
, Assagioli was interviewed by Sam Keen
Sam Keen
Sam Keen is a noted American author, professor and philosopher who is best known for his exploration of questions regarding love, life, religion, and being a man in contemporary society...
, in which Assagioli discussed the differences between Freudian psychoanalysis and psychosynthesis:
We pay far more attention to the higher unconscious and to the development of the transpersonal self. In one of his letters Freud said, "I am interested only in the basement of the human being." Psychosynthesis is interested in the whole building. We try to build an elevator which will allow a person access to every level of his personality. After all, a building with only a basement is very limited. We want to open up the terrace where you can sun-bathe or look at the stars. Our concern is the synthesis of all areas of the personality. That means psychosynthesis is holistic, global and inclusive. It is not against psychoanalysis or even behavior modification but it insists that the needs for meaning, for higher values, for a spiritual life, are as real as biological or social needs. We deny that there are any isolated human problems.
Assagioli noted that Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
, "of all modern psychotherapists, is the closest in theory and practice to psychosynthesis", and further expanded on the similarities between his own and Jung's views:
In the practice of therapy we both agree in rejecting ‘pathologism’ that is, concentration upon morbid manifestations and symptoms of a supposed psychological ‘disease’. We regard man as a fundamentally, healthy organism in which there may be temporary malfunctioning. Nature is always trying to re-establish harmony, and within the psyche the principle of synthesis is dominant. Irreconcilable opposites do not exist. The task of therapy is to aid the individual in transforming the personality, and integrating apparent contradictions. Both Jung and myself have stressed the need for a person to develop the higher psychic functions, the spiritual dimension.
He also highlighted the differences between Jung's work and psychosynthesis:
Perhaps the best way to state our differences is with a diagram of the psychic functions. Jung differentiates four functions: sensation, feeling, thought, and intuition. Psychosynthesis says that Jung’s four functions do not provide for a complete description of the psychological life. Our view can be visualized like this: We hold that outside imagination or fantasy is a distinct function. There is also a group of functions that impels us toward action in the outside world. This group includes instincts, tendencies, impulses, desires, and aspirations. And here we come to one of the central foundations of psychosynthesis: There is a fundamental difference between drives, impulses, desires, and the will. In the human condition there are frequent conflicts between desire and will. And we will place the will in a central position at the heart of self-consciousness or the Ego.
Assagioli asserted about the will:
The will is not merely assertive, aggressive, and controlling. There is the accepting will, yielding will, the dedicated will. You might say that there is a feminine polarity to the will – the willing surrender, the joyful acceptance of the other functions of the personality.
At the end of the interview, Keen himself concluded:
It is hard to know what counts as evidence for the validity of a world view and the therapeutic it entails. Every form of therapy has dramatic successes and just as dramatic failures. Enter as evidence in the case for psychosynthesis an ad hominem argument: in speaking about death there was no change in the tone or intensity of Assagioli’s voice and the light still played in his dark eyes, and his mouth was never very far from a smile.
Continued impact
Since Assagioli’s death in the early 1970s, psychosynthesis has continued to be embraced as a comprehensive psychological approach for finding inner peace and harmony.The Psychosynthesis & Education Trust center in Britain was founded by Assagioli in 1965, and is currently being run by President Lady Diana Whitmore. The Trust is affiliated with Humanistic and Integrative Psychology Section of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), and a is founding member of the European Federation of Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy (EFPP). At present time, the group consists of a large group of psychosynthesis practitioners who mediate students. The Trust offers workshops, courses, and a newsletter, to anyone who is interested in learning more about psychosynthesis.
The Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis (AAP) was formed in August 1995, as a non-profit organization in the United States, with approximately two-hundred members across the country. Members of the AAP run programs, workshops, and conferences, to discuss Assagioli and psychosynthesis, and publish a newsletter to discuss new topics related to the field.
The Will Project Wiki was created in 2007, and was based on the Will Project proposed by Assagioli when he was alive. The Will Project consists of over 63 articles based on Assagioli’s published book The Act of Will.
Published works
- 1906 – Published in Farrari’s Magazine – Gli effete del riso el le loro applicazioni pedagoiche a.k.a., Smiling Wisdom (Italian)
- 1909 - Doctoral dissertation, La Psicosintesi (Italian)
- 1965 - Psychosynthesis: A Collection of Basic Writings by Roberto Assagioli ISBN 0-9678570-0-7 (English)
- 1974 - The Act of Will by Roberto Assagioli ISBN 0-670-10309-8 (English)
- 1993 - (posthumously) Transpersonal Development: The Dimension Beyond Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli ISBN 1-85538-291-1 (English)
See also
- PsychosynthesisPsychosynthesisPsychosynthesis is an approach to psychology that was developed by Roberto Assagioli, M.D. He compared psychosynthesis to the prevailing thinking of the day, contrasting psychosynthesis for example with Existential psychology, but unlike the latter considered loneliness not to be "either ultimate...
- Humanistic psychologyHumanistic psychologyHumanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of early pioneers like Carl Rogers and the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology...
- PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
- Religion and mythologyReligion and mythologyReligion and mythology differ, but have overlapping aspects. Both terms refer to systems of concepts that are of high importance to a certain community, making statements concerning the supernatural or sacred. Generally, mythology is considered one component or aspect of religion...
External links
- Psychosynthesis a collection of journal articles and information about Assagioli and his work
- Video interview with Roberto Assagioli excerpted from the 1973 film Healing the Whole Person
- Psychology Today: The Golden Mean of Roberto Assagioli an electronic copy of the full interview with Sam Keen
- In Memoriam: Roberto Assagioli Dr. Roberto Assagioli, founder of Psychosynthesis
- Roberto Assagioli - his life and work A biography from Kentaur Institute in Denmark
- A few words about Dr. Assagioli by Piero Ferrucci
- The Will Project was a project proposed by Roberto Assagioli to explore all aspects and manifestations of the Will.