Abstract
This dissertation presents a psychobiographical study of Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert), the American psychologist and spiritual teacher whose life moved between Western psychology, psychedelic exploration, and Eastern spirituality. The study examines how his spiritual experiences—particularly psychedelics, meditation, guru devotion, and self-transcendent emotions—shaped his psychological development. Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology serves as the primary framework for understanding these processes.
Using a qualitative, longitudinal case study design within an interpretivist–constructivist paradigm, Ram Dass was selected through purposive sampling. Data included autobiographical texts, biographical works, interviews, recorded talks, and scholarly literature on psychobiography, spirituality, and Self Psychology. These materials were interpreted hermeneutically and organised with the support of Hiller’s multi-layered chronological charts to situate his development within broader socio-historical contexts.
The findings suggest two interconnected processes across his life: The emergence of a more cohesive self and the deepening of self-transcendence. As his self-coherence strengthened, his capacity to integrate spiritual experiences expanded, while these experiences simultaneously supported shifts toward supraindividual ideals. Empathic relationships consistently served as the foundation for these transformations.
The study extends Self Psychology into the realm of spiritual and mystical experience and highlights the value of psychobiography in deepening psychological understanding of spirituality’s role in lifelong development.