The Transcendent Dimension
Human Flourishing October 18, 2021 Andrew Briggs, Michael J. Reiss
The text explores the concept of the transcendent—moments when people feel transported beyond everyday life, experiencing joy, meaning, or connection. It notes that some describe this in terms of their relationship with God, while Nietzsche viewed it as self-perfection through self-transcendence. Feelings of ecstasy are linked to endorphin production. The text contrasts scientism, which holds that only what science can study is real, with religious perspectives that see the transcendent as pointing to a world to come.