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Living Transcendence: A Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Exemplars

American Psychological Association
The Humanistic Psychologist
Authors:
Amir Freimann at University of Haifa
Amir Freimann
Ofra Mayseless at University of Haifa
Ofra Mayseless
Tobin Hart
Tobin Hart
Tobin Hart
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Aostre Johnson at Saint Michael's College
Aostre Johnson
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Abstract

The aim of this study is to shed light on the experience of Living Transcendence, a relatively stabilized spiritual state considered in many religious traditions the pinnacle and holy grail of the search for the sacred. It explores how Living Transcendence is experienced by individuals, identified by others as spiritual exemplars having and evincing that experience. Multiple in-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted with 32 such individuals of different traditions and spiritual paths. Based on their analysis, four qualities of this experience are described: noetic (preconceptual, nondiscursive, and nonsymbolic knowing/awareness/consciousness of ultimate reality or truth), affective (supremely positive affective qualities of joy, happiness or bliss, and love), embodied (somatic and/or energetic presence or sense of a spiritual essence), and relational (a sense of connectivity or “inter-being” with everything, God, or the Whole). A characteristic of the experience of Living Transcendence is its constancy over time, amid and through the fluctuations of normal life and various crises. An additional characteristic is its association with an unusual type of volitionality, that is, the will to obey, surrender to, or be in service of a “calling.” While the presence and prominence of each of these qualities and characteristics vary between individuals, they appear to be facets of one essence. The experience of Living Transcendence appears to be constantly and consistently unitive, connective, and supremely positive, and to inextricably permeate all other experiences and contextualize them.
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The Humanistic Psychologist
Living Transcendence: A Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Exemplars
Amir Freimann, Ofra Mayseless, Tobin Hart, and Aostre Johnson
Online First Publication, May 23, 2024. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hum0000359
CITATION
Freimann, A., Mayseless, O., Hart, T., & Johnson, A. (2024). Living transcendence: A phenomenological
study of spiritual exemplars.. The Humanistic Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org/
10.1037/hum0000359
... In the following section we investigate findings from a recent paper [48] of the key role joy and love play in the stabilized and lasting spiritual state of being. We then discuss its bridge to selflessness, in light of the two above Buddhist-inspired phenomenological models. ...
... A phenomenological study, conducted by the first author [48], aimed at shedding light on the experience of the relatively stabilized and ongoing spiritual state of being described above, referred to here as of Living Transcendence. In the study, that experience was explored via in-depth phenomenological interviews with 32 "spiritual exemplars" of different traditions and spiritual paths. ...
... In the study, that experience was explored via in-depth phenomenological interviews with 32 "spiritual exemplars" of different traditions and spiritual paths. "Spiritual exemplars" were individuals, nominated by experts in the religious and spiritual field from around the world as "enlightened/self-transcendent/Self-realized/God-realized/spirit-medium/ awakened/surrendered/fully integrated or otherwise an inspiring exemplar of their religious/spiritual path" [48]. ...
Enlightened Joy and Love, Selflessness and Beyond
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
This paper explores the concept of enlightened joy and love as an aspect of a stable and enduring spiritual "high plateau" state, referred to here as "Living Transcendence," which contrasts with transient mystical or spiritual "peak" experiences. Drawing from a phenomenological study of 32 "spiritual exemplars" from various traditions, the research identifies key characteristics of this state. Enlightened joy and love are described as stable, constant, and intrinsic to daily life, manifesting as a subtle, integrated presence rather than an intense emotional peak. These qualities are intertwined with other aspects of spiritual experience, such as noetic awareness , embodied presence, and relational interbeing. The paper also examines two Buddhism-inspired models of selflessness-the Self-Based Psychological Functioning model and the Pattern Theory of Selflessness-which suggest that spiritual development and selflessness are related to enlightened joy and love. The findings suggest that enlightened joy and love are integral to the lived experience of the spiritual "high plateau," offering a sustained sense of well-being and connectedness that transcends the fluctuating emotions of ordinary consciousness. This paper contributes to the understanding of spiritual development by highlighting the role of selflessness in achieving a stable and enduring joyful and loving state of being.
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... It might be relevant to distinguish two different aspects of mystical-type experiences covering spiritual experiences in the field of consciousness studies (Freimann et al., 2024). On the one hand, the feeling of truth has been related to fluency of processing information (Schwarz, 2018), and on the other hand the sense of reality, which has been studied in the context of schizophrenia or psychedelic-induced hallucinations and is prompted by a variety of other processes (Fortier, 2018). ...
Metacognitive Feelings of Epistemic Gain are Central to the Understanding of Psychedelic-Induced Mystical-Type Experiences
Article
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  • Mar 2025
  • COGNITIVE THER RES
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... My intention was only to receive help with the qualitative analysis of interviews I conducted as part of another study. 22 The title of the other study was "Living Transcendence: A Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Exemplars." "Living Transcendence" is a term I coined, which refers to a relatively stabilized elevated spiritual state; spiritual exemplars are individuals presumably having and evincing that experience. ...
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Pattern Theory of Selflessness: How Meditation May Transform the Self-Pattern
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  • Aug 2024
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For many centuries, scholars and philosophers from wisdom traditions in different cultures have reported and discussed non-self states of consciousness. These states can be both short-term (state, transitory) and long-term (trait, lasting) conditions. However, in psychology, the importance of a healthy self is usually emphasized, and some theorists have dismissed the idea of “selfless” modes of functioning. This disagreement hinders further empirical progress in the study of self and the way it might be affected by meditation. This paper addresses this issue by providing an interdisciplinary conceptual discussion, grounded in the pattern theory of self (PTS). According to PTS, what we call “self” is a complex pattern of dynamically related constituent processes, which include embodied, experiential (prereflective), affective, psychological/cognitive, reflective, narrative, intersubjective, ecological, and normative processes. We propose that Buddhist and secular meditative practices induce a reorganization of the self-pattern, allowing individuals to experience a “selfless” state, both temporarily and persistently. We then put forward a heuristic model, the pattern theory of selflessness (PTSL), possibly experienced through meditation practices. The proposed PTSL model consists of six transformations that contribute to self-pattern reorganization in a nonlinear and iterative manner: consolidating and integrating the self-pattern; cultivating concentration and present-moment awareness; cultivating mindful awareness; self-deconstruction (non-self) states; self-flexibility; and self-liberation as a trait. This conceptual analysis and integrative view contributes to the growing field of consciousness and contemplative research by advancing the contemporary understanding of non-self experience and its relation to Buddhist and secular meditation. The proposed model serves as a basis for interdisciplinary efforts to guide empirical research in this area.
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  • CESK PSYCHOL
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SPONTANEOUS AWAKENING EXPERIENCES: BEYOND RELIGION AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
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EXPLORING AWAKENING EXPERIENCES: A STUDY OF AWAKENING EXPERIENCES IN TERMS OF THEIR TRIGGERS, CHARACTERISTICS, DURATION AND AFTER-EFFECTS
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