The following special collection is concerned with perspectives and implementations on reimagining higher education within a western context, with a particular focus on education for sustainable development (ESD). Especially in a western discourse of sustainability much emphasis is put on quantifiable measures and targets, often neglecting, or underestimating a systems perspective and interconnectedness. Sustainable transition, however, stresses transformation, which calls for a new approach towards education and especially the role of educators. A concept of Transformative Pedagogy (TP) highlights a more holistic understanding of education, by encouraging a development of critical thinking, systems and complexity understanding, empathy and empowerment equally. Within TP knowledge generation is not following a sender-recipient process but rather is of co-creative nature between learners, educators, their social and natural environment, allowing for other knowledge forms such as wisdom, spiritual intelligence, mindfulness and reflective practices to find a space within an educational setting. Particularly, the added value of spiritual practices has been highlighted in this regard, addressing the education of inner realms, often disregarded within sustainability matters. Informing western ESD with such alternative narratives, when implemented on an optional, adaptive, and contextual levels, can enhance consciousness and awareness, provide insights into other-than western philosophical traditions and tap into eco-somatic practices, simultaneously highlighting a more embodied form of education and knowledge in increasingly digitalised communities. There is a strong need for more such tools within transformative sustainability learning (TSL), enhancing whole systems approaches and ultimately building holistic forms of education.