Self-transcendent experience: a grounded theory study

Self-transcendent experiences (STEs) are moments when a person feels connected to something larger than themselves, yet their nature and process are not well understood. Through in-depth interviews with 15 healthy adults, three major themes emerged: the context in which the experience occurs, the phenomenology or what it feels like, and the aftermath or long-term effects. The context includes the setting, the phenomenology involves perceptual changes, and the aftermath includes lasting impacts. These findings help build a preliminary theory of STEs in healthy adults, offering a clearer picture of how these experiences unfold and what they mean for individuals.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Current theories in psychology conceptualize self-transcendence as a personality trait, a developmental construct, and a particular class of anomalous experience. Despite extensive research on self-transcendence, the process, outcomes, and nature of self-transcendent experience (STE) remain elusive. This study focused on the self-reported narratives of STE in 15 healthy adults. Accounts were collected in face-to-face interviews, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Qualitative results were recursively examined to construct a preliminary mid-range theory of STE in healthy adults. Three major theme areas emerged from interview data. These were (a) context, (b) phenomenology, and (c) aftermath of STE. Each of these major themes was further divided into distinct sub-themes, including setting, perceptual alterations, and long-term effects. The resulting interpretation of STE is discussed in light of current literature and directions for future research.