Name T.L. Orcutt | Role Novelist | |
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Born September 29, 1945 (age 78)
Glendale, California, United States ( 1945-09-29 ) Occupation novelist, nonfiction author,
occult tarot professional, psychologist/psychotherapist, university professor Genre Fiction:
Paranormal fiction
Psychological Thriller
Adventure fiction
Science fantasy
Nonfiction:
Transpersonal psychology
Consciousness
Karma
Reincarnation Books Jamayah: Adventures on the Path of Return | ||
Ted Lawrence Orcutt (born September 29, 1945), popularly known as T.L. Orcutt, is an American novelist, author, occult tarot professional, retired psychotherapist, and college/university professor. His four nonfiction books lean toward personal growth, comparative systems of psychotherapy, transpersonal psychology, mysticism, and paranormal experience. He is more recently known for his fiction novels released in a single volume and entitled, The Path of Return Trilogy. The first novel in the series, Jamayah: Adventures on the Path of Return, develops themes of paranormal mastery and cosmic awareness. The immediate sequel, Collateral Karma, focuses on ritual, ceremony, magic, lucid dreams, evil, occult and shamanic magic. Third in the series, Letters from the Afterworld published for the first time within the single volume trilogy, develops themes of soul essence, mediumship, automatic writing, astral projection, and reincarnation. His fourth novel entitled Pre-existing Condition was published February 18, 2016. Favoring adventure and paranormal suspense, he frequently incorporates elements of humor and satire.
Contents
Biography
T.L. Orcutt grew up in West Los Angeles, California. After a year at University of Oregon and a second at Santa Monica College, he received his B.A. in psychology (1967) and M.A. in philosophical foundations of education (1969) from California State University, Northridge. Pursuing humanistic psychology, transpersonal psychology, and existential psychotherapy, he migrated to San Diego, California to study under Viktor Frankl. He received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Human Behavior from United States International University, San Diego in 1971. In 1996, he completed correspondence courses and examinations to receive a Doctor of Metaphysics (Ms.D.) degree from the College of Divine Metaphysics, Glendora, California.
U.S. naval officer
Orcutt commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps, U.S. Navy in 1975. He completed his Clinical Psychology Internship at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland with a three month rotation in the Department of Psychodrama, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, D.C. The following two years, he was stationed as a Staff Psychologist at U.S. Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia and the Dispensary Clinic, Norfolk, Virginia.
University teaching
Orcutt’s first teaching position was as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the College of Racine, Wisconsin, where he directed a University Without Walls weekend with Alan Watts. On return to California, he taught for United States International University and San Diego City College. While serving the military in Virginia, he held a teaching position at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Following military service, Orcutt taught at Kutztown University, Pennsylvania, then as Co-Dean and Graduate Faculty at the Professional School of Psychological Studies, San Diego, and later at the University of Humanistic Studies, Del Mar, California.
Professional psychotherapy
Orcutt was licensed as a clinical psychologist in the State of California and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In his thirties, he was certified in clinical hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, became a Qualified Supervisor for the American Group Psychotherapy Association, and was a Founding Member of the San Diego Group Psychotherapy Society. He served as Director of Psychological Services, Rancho Bernardo Pain Rehabilitation Center. At 36 he opened private practice in clinical and counseling psychology in San Diego until mental health insurance cutbacks closed the doors on independent practice in 1997. During this time, he was a consultant in group and cognitive therapy to the Psychiatry Department, Naval Medical Center, San Diego for 22 years, where teaching over 80 psychiatric residents, he received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for the period 1988-89.
Eastern: t'ai chi ch'uan, aikido, and Zen
At age 28 Orcutt attended a week-long workshop in Taoism and Meditation with Gia-Fu Feng in South Haven, Michigan. The next year he began an eight year apprenticeship in t'ai chi ch'uan and kung fu with Liang-Ting Shuk. During the same period, he studied aikido for three years with Richard Kadlubowski and Ben Sekishiro. In his thirties through later forties, Orcutt focused on Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. On one occasion Orcutt synchronistically met Geshe Lobsang Tsephel, (representing his Holiness the Dalai Lama), and was invited to attend the blessing ceremony for five-year-old Lama Sanggyal Dorjee, an American born reincarnation of a former Buddhist monk.
Western: occult tarot and freemasonry
During his fifties, Orcutt focused on Kabbalism, astrology, numerology, and especially occult tarot. At age 53, having completed examinations, requirements, and over ten thousand professional divination readings, Orcutt was conferred the title of Tarot Grandmaster by the Tarot Certification Board of America, in Albany, New York. At 56, he became a Master Mason, San Diego Lodge #35 F & AM and completed initiations as a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Freemason, Valley of San Diego, Orient of California. For the past 15 years, he has conducted local workshops in occult tarot divination.
Books
Orcutt has written four nonfiction books and four novels. He is a member of the Authors Guild and a recipient of the San Diego Public Library Local Author Medal, celebrating the 40th Annual Local Authors Exhibit in 2006. He is working on his fifth novel.