Significance People often feel defensive when reminded of their unhealthy behavior. We propose that self-transcendence, encouraged by focusing on others’ well-being, can lessen subsequent focus on threatened aspects of the self and increase receptivity. We show that activating self-transcendent mindsets, either by reflecting on self-transcendent values or making positive wishes for others,...
Subjective experiences of profound religious-mystical and aesthetic experiences share common characteristics, suggesting that apparent differences between them may reflect a person's individual cognitive schema. Six characteristics common to descriptions of religious-mystical and aesthetic experiences were distinguished. A questionnaire was designed to determine the following: 1) the extent to...