A central purpose of the transpersonal movement is to develop a spiritual psychology, as already intended by A. Maslow, focused on the needs of whole humanity rather than egocentric needs, able to love all human beings and to respect life, bringing values and hope to mankind. According to these perspectives, the transpersonal approach deals with developmental and psychotherapic themes both at the individual and the collective level, facing the psychological roots of planetary crises, that appear to be caused by human beings and therefore can be considered as symptoms of immaturity and unawareness. In order to solve the suffering produced by human immaturity, we need to foster a practice of healing that supports both the development of inner potentialities and the evolution of consciousness beyond the limits of the ordinary ego. A practice leading to a spiritual consciousness, where perception may include the relations between individual and universal life, and behavior may express discrimination and will of good in the action leading to peace. To this effect, transpersonal psychology stresses the importance of an integral frame of reference recognising the complementarity existing between psychology and the meditative and wisdom traditions, open to the scientific and the social field. For the planet’s life to last, our main responsibility must be placed on education and the preparation of future generations. To this aim, according to R. Walsh, “we need people of wisdom and maturity, who work with altruistic projects and objectives, not only to relieve suffering but also to awaken themselves and others” to freedom and fullness, which is the very essence of every human being.

The idea of founding the European Transpersonal Psychology Association was born in France, at Strasbourg, in August 1990, on the occasion of the great European Congress of Transpersonal Psychology, which brought together over one thousand persons. The guest of honor was Maria Hippius, countess von Dürckheim from the Rütte Center, Germany. Among the audience a fast cleavage occurred between New Age and Spirituality. Part of the audience there was interested only in UFOs, parapsychology, shamanism, crystals, pyramids, out-of-body experiences or regression into past lives, without giving the proper attention to the spirituality of the mystics, devotion to the Divinity, morality and the practice of meditation. The ETPA was founded on August 25, 1995, at Bruxelles (Belgium), by Laura Boggio Gilot, the President of the Italian Transpersonal Psychology Association, Elisabeth Philipov, the President of the German Transpersonal Psychology Association, and Marc Alain Descamps, the President of the French Transpersonal Association. On this occasion, Laura Boggio Gilot was elected President of the European Transpersonal Psychology Association. Marc Alain Descamps was elected Treasurer and Elisabeth Philipov was elected Secretary. What was common to all of them was their daily need for spirituality and meditation, the necessity to unify all forces in Europe along this new direction of Psychology and Spirituality. On the occasion of the 17thConference of August 1997, in Warsaw (Poland), other countries joined the Association:Norway (through Lyod Henriksen and Anett Wannamaker, leaders of the Norvegian Transpersonal Psychology Association); Spain (through Manuel Almendro and Rodriguez Bornaetxea, leaders of the Transpersonal Psychology Association of Spain); Sweden (through Kerstin Pinet, President of Svenska Transpersonella Föreningen). The meeting of the Svenska Board of the ETPA took place between 20-22 August 1998, at the House don Guanella, in Ispra (Italy). Here, Portugal joined Association through Mario Simoes and Rita Baumeister-Somoes (representing the Portuguese-Brazilian Transpersonal Association ALUBRAT). They proposed to organize a conference in Portugal. At the meeting in Ispra, and following the conclusions of the Conference in Warsaw, the deficiencies of the European transpersonal movement were studied and the fact that some scientists were far from the therapeutical objectives and from promoting the spiritual dimension, was remarked. The information site www.europsy.org/etpa was created. Nicole Roux and Dr. F. Cusano, from France, also joined the ETPA.