What does it mean to "transcend the self?" Today Dr. Hanson, Forrest, and Dr. David Yaden explore self-transcendent, or “peak,” experiences, which the famous psychologist Abraham Maslow defined as “moments of highest happiness and fulfillment.”
As a note, David is referred to as a "PhD student" during the episode. Since it was recorded, he's gone on to earn his doctorate!
About our Guest: David is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine who studies the varieties of spiritual and self-transcendent experiences from the perspectives of psychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Read David's paper on The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience here.
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Key Topics:
3:00: The two key characteristics of self-transcendent experiences.
4:30: “Everyday” versions of peak experiences.
8:00: Self-transcendence and psychopathology.
11:00: David’s account of self-transcendence.
13:50: The lasting impact of peak experiences.
17:00: Is there a “place” where self-transcendence occurs in the brain?
20:45: Making use of peak experiences.
28:00: Should we seek peak experiences out?
36:00: Relaxing the sense of self.
41:30: A message to your younger self.
43:30: Recap
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