Self and Self-Transcendence
Buddhism and Human Flourishing January 1, 2020 Seth Zuihō Segall
The chapter examines the Buddhist doctrine of anattā (non-self), clarifying its meaning and common misunderstandings. It argues that the self is best understood as a set of interrelated reflective organismic processes rather than a fixed entity. The text explores why Buddhism considers the self problematic and investigates the possibility of self-transcendence, discussing non-dual experiencing in spontaneous, meditative, and psychedelic contexts. It also addresses how insights from such experiences may or may not be integrated into ongoing behavior.