Self-transcendent experience: a grounded theory study
Qualitative Research September 29, 2014 Albert Garcia-Romeu, Samuel P Himelstein, Jacob Kaminker 64 citations
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.