The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience David Bryce Yaden, Jonathan Haidt, Ralph W
Review of General Psychology The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience David Bryce Yaden, Jonathan Haidt, Ralph W. Hood, Jr., David R. Vago, and Andrew B. Newberg Online First Publication, May 1, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000102 CITATION Yaden, D. B., Haidt, J., Hood, R. W., Jr., Vago, D. R., & Newberg, A. B. (2017, May 1). The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience. Review of General Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000102 Review of General Psychology © 2017 American Psychological Association 2017, Vol. 0, No. 999, 000 1089-2680/17/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000102 The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience David Bryce Yaden Jonathan Haidt University of Pennsylvania New York University Ralph W. Hood Jr. David R. Vago University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Harvard Medical School Andrew B. Newberg Thomas Jefferson University Various forms of self-loss have been described as aspects of mental illness (e.g., depersonalization disorder), but might self-loss also be related to mental health? In this integrative review and proposed organizational framework, we focus on self-transcendent experiences (STEs)—transient mental states marked by decreased self-salience and increased feelings of connectedness. We first identify common psychological constructs that contain a self-transcendent aspect, including mindfulness, flow, peak experiences, mystical-type experiences, and certain positive emotions (e.g., love, awe). We then propose psychological and neurobiological mechanisms that may mediate the effects of STEs based on a review of the extant literature from social psychology, clinical psychology, and affective neuroscience. We conclude with future directions for further empirical research on these experiences.
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