Esalen Institute, organization est. 1962 by Michael Murphy and Richard Price that was an important center for the so-called human potential movement of the 1960s and 70s. Located in Big Sur, Calif., and influenced by Eastern religions and by the theories of Aldous Huxley, Esalen served as a hub for the counterculture and for activities related to consciousness raising and consciousness expanding. Stressing a humanistic approach to psychology and human development, it continues to hold a variety of workshops, courses, and seminars and engage in other educational and psychologically oriented activities.
See studies by W. T. Anderson (2004), J. J. Kripal and G. W. Shuck, ed. (2005), and J. J. Kripal (2007).
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