Transcending the Self with Dr. David Yaden

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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