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. 

New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! 

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

Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

From Dr. Hanson: Hardwire lasting change into your mind and heart in just a few minutes a day  with Dr. Rick Hanson's new program: Just One Minute. Use the code BEINGWELL at checkout for 10% off the purchase price!

The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. 

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices