Born in Geneva in 1950, Richard Tarnas holds Swiss citizenship and established a career as a writer, philosopher, psychologist, and astrologer. He is recognized for his extensive academic contributions to the study of Western cultural history and his foundational work in archetypal cosmology, primarily through his tenure at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Academic Foundation and Early Training
Tarnas grew up in Detroit, Michigan, as the eldest of eight children. His early education included studies in Greek, Latin, and the Classics at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. In 1968, he entered Harvard University, where he completed his A.B. cum laude in 1972. He subsequently earned a Ph.D. from the Saybrook Institute in 1976, focusing his doctoral thesis on the theoretical implications of psychedelic therapy.
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Between 1974 and 1984, Tarnas resided in Big Sur, California, to work at the Esalen Institute. During this decade, he served as the director of programs and education, teaching and collaborating with figures such as Stanislav Grof, Joseph Campbell, Gregory Bateson, Huston Smith, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, and James Hillman. Jeffrey Kripal has described him as both a literal and figurative gatekeeper for the institute.
Literary Contributions
Tarnas achieved widespread recognition for his 1991 book, The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World View, a narrative history of Western thought that served as a university text. He later published Prometheus the Awakener in 1995, which posits that the mythological figure Prometheus is a more accurate representation of the astrological planet Uranus. His 2006 work, Cosmos and Psyche, argues for a meaningful correlation between major historical events and planetary positions.
Institutional Roles and Public Engagements
At the California Institute of Integral Studies, Tarnas serves as a professor of philosophy and psychology and functions as the founding director of the graduate program in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness. His public work includes delivering lectures on the sacred in the modern world alongside John Cleese and addressing the Dutch Parliament in 2008 on the subject of building a sustainable society. He also contributed to the 2006 documentary film Entheogen: Awakening the Divine Within.
Fast facts
- Born: 1950, Geneva
- Education: Harvard University (A.B. 1972)
- Doctoral degree: Saybrook Institute (1976)
- Citizenship: Switzerland
- Primary affiliation: California Institute of Integral Studies
- Notable work: The Passion of the Western Mind (1991)
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program?
Founded by Tarnas at the California Institute of Integral Studies, the program explores the intersections of these three fields.
How does Tarnas interpret planetary influence?
In his book Cosmos and Psyche, he argues that significant Western cultural events correlate with the observed angular positions of planets.
