Wolfgang Fach, Dipl.-Psych., studied psychology and philosophy at the Universities of Trier and Freiburg. Licensed as a psychological psychotherapist. Doctorate (Dr. phil.) at the University of Bern. Since 1995 Research Fellow at IGPP and from 1996 to 2001 at the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology at the University of Freiburg.
Professional career
Fields of work / research interests
Areas of work: Counseling and therapy for people with extraordinary experiences (ExE) as well as basic research and theory development on ExE.
Current research interests: Phenomenology and mental representation of ExE, psychodynamics, embodiment and psychophysical correlations in ExE, dual-aspect monism, attachment styles of counselors with ExE, development of specific concepts and interventions for counseling and psychotherapy of people with ExE.
Publications
Monographs and edited works
Fach, W. (2024). The Spectrum of the Extraordinary. Conceptual approaches, empirical-phenomenological investigations and plan-analytical case studies on mental representation in extraordinary experiences [Dissertation]. University of Bern. https://boristheses.unibe.ch/5179/
Journal articles
Fach, W. (2022). Exceptional Experiences (ExE) and bonding styles: Autonomy and bonding as basic human needs and as structural determinants of ExE. Psychotherapy Section Review(67), 12-41. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpspsr.2022.1.67.12
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2019). Exceptional experiences of stable and unstable mental states, understood from a dual-aspect point of view. Philosophies, 4(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies4010007
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2016). Synchronistic mind-matter correlations in therapeutic practice: a commentary on Connolly (2015). Journal of Analytical Psychology, 61(1), 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12196
Landolt, K., Wittwer, A., Wyss, T. A., Unterrassner, L., Fach, W., Krummenacher, P., Brugger, P., Haker, H., Kawohl, W., Schubiger, P. A., Folkers, G. & Rössler, W. (2014). Help-seeking in people with exceptional experiences: Results from a general population sample. Frontiers in Public Health, 2, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00051
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2013). Encouraging metaphysics: A reply to the commentary by David Tresan. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 58(2), 254-257. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12007
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2013). A structural-phenomenological typology of mind-matter correlations. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 58(2), 219-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12005
Fach, W., Atmanspacher, H., Landolt, K., Wyss, T. A. & Rössler, W. (2013). A comparative study of exceptional experiences of clients seeking advice and of subjects in an ordinary population. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00065
Fach, W. (2011). Phenomenological aspects of complementarity and entanglement in exceptional human experiences (ExE). Axiomathes, 21(2), 233-247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10516-010-9143-7
Fach, W. (2006). Over 300 counseling clients per year: The phenomenology of extraordinary experiences. Report Psychology, 31(3), 109-110.
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2005). Acategoriality as mental instability. The Journal of Mind and Behavior, 26(3), 181-205.
Belz-Merk, M. & Fach, W. (2005). Counseling and help for people with extraordinary experiences. Psychotherapie – Psychosomatik – Medizinische Psychologie, 55(5), 256-265. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2004-834682
Fach, W. (2000/2001). Sinn, Selbst und Seelenheil im Angebot: Eine empirische Standortbestimmung der Psychoszene. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 42/43, 168-195.
Fach, W. & Wiedemer, A. (1997). The normality of the paranormal on television: An empirical investigation. Skeptic, 10(3), 76-81.
Fach, W. & Wiedemer, A. (1995). Parapsychology and borderline areas of psychology on television – an analysis of their presentation in the field of tension between information and entertainment. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 37(3/4), 189-210.
Book contributions
Bauer, E. & Fach, W. (2020). Counseling psychology at IGPP. In D. Vaitl (Ed.), At the limits of our knowledge: On the fascination of the paranormal (pp. 393-419). Herder.
Fach, W. & Bauer, E. (2020). Counseling psychological accompanying research. In D. Vaitl (Ed.), At the limits of our knowledge: On the fascination of the paranormal (pp. 420-433). Herder.
Fach, W. (2017). A psychophysical modeling approach to understanding extraordinary experiences. In L. Hofmann & P. Heise (Eds.), Spirituality and spiritual crises: Handbook on theory, research and practice (pp. 124-138). Schattauer.
Fach, W. & Belz, M. (2017). Counseling and psychotherapy for people with extraordinary experiences. In L. Hofmann & P. Heise (Eds.), Spirituality and spiritual crises: Handbook on theory, research and practice (pp. 382-395). Schattauer.
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2015). Mind-matter correlations in dual-aspect monism according to Pauli and Jung. In E. F. Kelly, A. Crabtree & P. Marshall (Eds.), Beyond physicalism: Toward reconciliation of science and spirituality (pp. 195-226). Rowman & Littlefield.
Belz, M. & Fach, W. (2015). Exceptional experiences (ExE) in clinical psychology. In E. Cardeña, J. Palmer & D. Marcusson-Clavertz (Eds.), Parapsychology: A handbook for the 21st century (pp. 364-379). McFarland.
Fach, W. & Belz, M. (2015). Clinical approaches to anomalistics. In G. Mayer, M. Schetsche, I. Schmied-Knittel & D. Vaitl (Eds.), At the limits of knowledge. Handbook of scientific anomalistics (S. 466-479). Schattauer.
Fach, W. (2014). Complementary aspects of mind-matter correlations in exceptional human experiences. In H. Atmanspacher & C. A. Fuchs (Eds.), The Pauli-Jung conjecture and its impact today (pp. 255-273). Springer.
Bauer, E., Belz, M., Fach, W., Fangmeier, R., Schupp-Ihle, C. & Wiedemer, A. (2012). Counseling at the IGPP – An overview. In W. H. Kramer, E. Bauer & G. H. Hövelmann (Eds.), Perspectives of clinical parapsychology (pp. 149-167). Stichting Het Johan Borgman Fonds.
Belz, M. & Fach, W. (2012). Theoretical reflections on counseling and therapy for individuals reporting ExE. In W. H. Kramer, E. Bauer & G. H. Hövelmann (Eds.), Perspectives of clinical parapsychology (pp. 168-189). Stichting Het Johan Borgman Fonds.
Fach, W. (2011). “We are an ordinary family”: Approaches to investigating and understanding extraordinary experiences using the example of a haunting case. In G. Mayer & M. Schetsche (Eds.), “N equals 1”: Methodology and methodology of anomalistic single case studies (pp. 251-289). Society for Anomalistics.
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2007). Acategoriality as mental instability. A dynamical system approach to James’s account of mental activity. In S. Franzese & F. Krämer (Eds.), Fringes of religious experience: Cross-perspectives on William James’s “The varieties of religious experience” (pp. 39-68). Ontos.
Atmanspacher, H. & Fach, W. (2005). Acategoriality as mental instability. In W. Belschner, H. Piron & H. Walach (Eds.), Consciousness transformation as an individual and social goal (pp. 74-115). Lit.
Belz-Merk, M., Bauer, E., Fach, W. & Wiedemer, A. (1999). Counseling and help for people with extraordinary experiences. In G. Krampen, H. Zayer, W. Schönpflug & G. Richardt (Eds.), Contributions to applied psychology (pp. 612-615). Deutscher Psychologen Verlag.
Hellmeister, G. & Fach, W. (1998). Providers and consumers on the psychomarket: An empirical analysis. In Deutscher Bundestag, Enquete-Kommission “Sogenannte Sekten und Psychogruppen” (ed.), Neue religiöse und ideologische Gemeinschaften und Psychogruppen: Research projects and expert opinions of the Enquete Commission “Sogenannte Sekten und Psychogruppen” (pp. 356-399). Hoheneck.
Other contributions
Fach, W. (2024). The Spectrum of the Extraordinary. Conceptual approaches, empirical-phenomenological investigations and plan-analytical case studies on mental representation in extraordinary experiences [Dissertation]. University of Bern. https://boristheses.unibe.ch/5179/
Teaching
Current courses: Seminar “Theory and Practice in Counseling and Psychotherapy for People with Exceptional Experiences” at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich (winter semester 2025/26). Seminar “Consciousness, the psychophysical problem, and exceptional experiences” in the Life Sciences Bachelor’s program at the University College of the University of Freiburg (winter semester 2025/26).
Memberships
- Baden-Württemberg State Chamber of Psychotherapists (LPK-BW)
- Parapsychological Association (PA)
- Society for Mind-Matter-Research (SMMR)
- Scientific Society for the Advancement of Parapsychology (WGFP)