Enlightenment and the Psychology of Self-Transcendence: Pathways to Fundamental Well-Being and Prosocial Behavior
Matthew Furnell, William van Gordon
IntechOpen eBooks January 13, 2025 DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1008802 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Enlightenment Happiness Transcendence philosophy Feeling Contemplation Empathy Dualism Compassion Epistemology |
| Key points | Argues that non-dual self-transcendence, characterized by universal oneness and compassion, is central to enlightenment, and that practices such as near-death experiences, insight meditation, and psychedelics may facilitate these states and promote well-being. |
Abstract
The concept of enlightenment has long intrigued scholars and contemplation practitioners alike, often associated with profound insights into the nature of self and reality. This chapter explores the notion of enlightenment through the lens of non-dualism, emphasizing the dissolution of the independent, single, permanent self and the emergence of self-transcendent experiences. Such experiences are characterized by a sense of universal oneness, benevolence, compassion, and an overarching feeling of happiness and love. We critically evaluate various practices that have been proposed to facilitate these states, including near-death experiences, insight meditation, and the use of psychedelic substances. By examining empirical studies that have implemented these practices, we critically assess their role in promoting well-being and positive effects on individuals’ psychological states and behavior. Through a comprehensive analysis, this chapter aims to illuminate key pathways to enlightenment and their potential to foster a more compassionate and harmonious human existence.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 52
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness Journal of Psychopharmacology September 28, 2011
and 47 more in the library