Lion's Roar

  • Our Magazines
    • Bd Buddhadharma
    • LR Lion’s Roar magazine
  • Teachings
  • Life
  • How to Meditate
  • News
  • About Us
  • More +
    • Store
    • Online Learning
    • Events
    • Buddhist Directory
    • Mobile App
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Subscription
    • Magazine Archive
    • Help
    • Donate

Lion's Roar

SUBSCRIBE
  • Our Magazines
    • Bd Buddhadharma
    • LR Lion’s Roar magazine
  • Teachings
  • Life
  • How to Meditate
  • News
  • About Us
  • More +
    • Store
    • Online Learning
    • Events
    • Buddhist Directory
    • Mobile App
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Subscription
    • Magazine Archive
    • Help
    • Donate

Pioneering East–West psychologist John Welwood dies, age 75

by Sam Littlefair| January 20, 2019

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
John Welwood.

John Welwood.

Welwood was a pioneer in the field of East–West psychology and coined the term “spiritual bypassing.”

John Welwood, a pioneer in the field of East–West psychology, has died at age 75. Welwood was the former director of the East–West Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and the associate editor of the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. He is known for coining the term “spiritual bypassing” to describe the use of spiritual ideas and practices to avoid unresolved emotional and psychological challenges.

Welwood was inspired at a young age by the works of D.T. Suzuki and Alan Watts. In an interview with Buddhist Geeks, Welwood said that when he read Watts’ Psychotherapy East and West, “it blew my mind completely, and I saw my destiny right there. I felt this intersection was the most important thing I could imagine.” Welwood spent the rest of his life pondering the relationship between Buddhist awakening and growth in psychotherapy.

After years of reading about Buddhism, Welwood encountered the famous Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. “His consciousness was like nothing else I’d ever encountered,” Welwood said in an interview with Richard Young. Welwood became a student of Trungpa Rinpoche, and, following his instruction, began practicing meditation.

Welwood received a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Chicago in 1974. He authored eight books, including groundbreaking works like Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, and Toward a Psychology of Awakening. His main specializations focused on the psychology of awakening, relationships as contemplative practice, and embodied presence.

Welwood is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his son, Bogar Nagaraj, both of whom also teach integrated psychospiritual work.

Further Reading

  • “Heal the Self, Free the Self,” a Buddhadharma Forum with John Welwood, Andrew Holocek, and Grace Schireson.
  • “When Ego Meets Non-Ego,” a Lion’s Roar magazine report on the meeting of Western psychology and Buddhism, featuring interviews with John Welwood, Tara Brach, and Barry Magid.
  • “Intimate Relationship as a Spiritual Crucible,” a teaching by Welwood on finding awakening within romantic relationships.
  • “The Perfect Love We Seek, The Imperfect Love We Live,” a teaching by Welwood on absolute and relative love.
  • “The Practice of Love,” a teaching on discovering one’s own self-existing sanity.
  • “On Spiritual Authority,” Welwood’s advice on discerning between a false prophet and a genuine spiritual master.
  • A conversation on spiritual bypassing between Buddhist teachers Josh Korda and Koshin Paley Ellison
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Thank you for reading Lion’s Roar. Now can we ask for your help?

Lion’s Roar is a nonprofit. Our mission is to share the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings—to inspire, comfort, support, and enlighten readers around the world. Our aspiration is to keep LionsRoar.com available to everyone, providing a supportive, inspiring Buddhist community that anyone can access, from curious beginners to committed meditators. Do you share our aspiration? We can’t do this without your help.

Lion’s Roar reaches more readers like you than ever before. Unfortunately, advertising and other revenues are falling for print and online media. We know we have something deeply precious to share with the world, and we want to continue this important work. Can you help support our efforts now?

Lion’s Roar is independent, unbiased, not-for-profit, and supported by readers like you. Please donate today and help the lion’s roar echo for readers around the world.

SUPPORT LION’S ROAR

Sam Littlefair

About Sam Littlefair

Sam Littlefair is the editor of LionsRoar.com. He has also written for The Coast, Mindful, and Atlantic Books Today. Find him on Twitter, @samlfair, and Facebook, @samlfair.

Topics: Breaking News, John Welwood, Spiritual Bypassing, Teachers & Communities, Therapy & Psychology

Related Posts...

Updated: Bushfires hit Wat Buddha Dhamma, one of Australia’s oldest Buddhist monasteries
by Rod Meade Sperry
More Yokes for More Folks
by Bri Barnett
Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and Laurie Anderson to perform at 2020 Tibet House benefit
by Lilly Greenblatt

Welcome to LionsRoar.com

By Lion's Roar Staff

We’re glad to have you here. But first: who are “we”? You may very well know us as the publishers of two Buddhist magazines, the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma. Then again, you may not know us at all. Either way, please allow us to re-introduce ourselves: We’re the Shambhala Sun Foundation. We [...]

  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscriber Services
  • Privacy
  • BUDDHIST DIRECTORY
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
TEACHINGS
  • Guides
LIFE
  • Love & Relationships
  • Practice in Everyday Life
  • Wellness & Psychology
  • Wisdom for Difficult Times
HOW TO MEDITATE
  • Learn about Buddhism
NEWS
  • Arts & Culture
  • Teachers & Centers

© 2019 Lion's Roar | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 902.422.8404 | Published by Lion's Roar Foundation