Toward Transpersonal Innovation in Technology: Integrating Transpersonal Theory and Praxis into the Process of Innovation

Today's technology is understood to be responsible for unintended consequences such as increased loneliness and polarization, technology addiction, and reduction in focus. Responses to these consequences include regulation, discussion of technology's negative impacts in books and other media, and the creation of methods to help individuals resist its pull. This paper explores how technology can evolve by integrating transpersonal theory and praxis. It suggests a scale of innovation and defines transpersonal innovation as creating products that intentionally further human psychospiritual development and are in the best interest of humanity, all beings, and the Earth. This level of innovation can be achieved by adapting transpersonal methods to the process of developing technology, choosing and incorporating transpersonal product values, and measuring product impact qualitatively. For transpersonal innovation to flourish, systemic changes must be made, including transformative professional education programs.