Defining Transformative Experiences: A Conceptual Analysis
Frontiers in Psychology June 24, 2022 Alice Chirico, Marta Pizzolante, Alexandra Kitson et al. 58 citations
Transformative experience (TE) is studied across many disciplines, from philosophy to neurobiology and in domains from spirituality to education, yet no consistent definition exists. This work reviews models and theories of TE from different fields, extracts their main components, and examines redundancies and particularities across domains. It then proposes an integrated theoretical framework and a preliminary interdisciplinary operational definition of TE. This synthesis aims to organize current research and theories, offering a foundation for operationalizing TE and encouraging new interdisciplinary studies.