Dissolution of What? The Self Lost in Self-Transcendent Experiences
Lindström, Lena LU ; Kajonius, Petri LU and Cardeña, Etzel LU
(2022)
In Journal of Consciousness Studies
29(5-6).
p.75-101
- Abstract
- In this study, we investigate the phenomenology of self-transcendent experiences, in which the usual sense of self is lost. Based on a taxonomy of nine aspects of self and three types of content of consciousness, we compare ten accounts of such experiences acquired through in-depth interviews. Sense of separateness and identification with body and narrative self were reported as lost in all of these. However, bodily awareness, spatial self-location, sense of agency, perspectival ownership of experience, thoughts, emotions, sensory impressions, metacognition, and personal identity were variously reported as lost or retained. Individual participants emphasized the absence of either of these ‘optional’ aspects as crucial for their judgment... (More)
- In this study, we investigate the phenomenology of self-transcendent experiences, in which the usual sense of self is lost. Based on a taxonomy of nine aspects of self and three types of content of consciousness, we compare ten accounts of such experiences acquired through in-depth interviews. Sense of separateness and identification with body and narrative self were reported as lost in all of these. However, bodily awareness, spatial self-location, sense of agency, perspectival ownership of experience, thoughts, emotions, sensory impressions, metacognition, and personal identity were variously reported as lost or retained. Individual participants emphasized the absence of either of these ‘optional’ aspects as crucial for their judgment that the experience was without self. We conclude that there is a large variety in what is felt as being lost in self-transcendent experiences, and we recommend that research and theory avoid general terms such as ‘ego-dissolution’ and instead probe more precisely the different aspects of self. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ab6043eb-a9e7-47e3-b60d-f0e0b40194b0
- author
- Lindström, Lena
LU
; Kajonius, Petri
LU
and Cardeña, Etzel
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- mystical experience, self-transcendence, self
- in
- Journal of Consciousness Studies
- volume
- 29
- issue
- 5-6
- pages
- 75 - 101
- publisher
- Imprint Academic
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85134063582
- ISSN
- 1355-8250
- DOI
- 10.53765/20512201.29.5.075
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ab6043eb-a9e7-47e3-b60d-f0e0b40194b0
- date added to LUP
- 2022-06-07 13:39:38
- date last changed
- 2023-04-05 17:01:11
@article{ab6043eb-a9e7-47e3-b60d-f0e0b40194b0,
abstract = {{In this study, we investigate the phenomenology of self-transcendent experiences, in which the usual sense of self is lost. Based on a taxonomy of nine aspects of self and three types of content of consciousness, we compare ten accounts of such experiences acquired through in-depth interviews. Sense of separateness and identification with body and narrative self were reported as lost in all of these. However, bodily awareness, spatial self-location, sense of agency, perspectival ownership of experience, thoughts, emotions, sensory impressions, metacognition, and personal identity were variously reported as lost or retained. Individual participants emphasized the absence of either of these ‘optional’ aspects as crucial for their judgment that the experience was without self. We conclude that there is a large variety in what is felt as being lost in self-transcendent experiences, and we recommend that research and theory avoid general terms such as ‘ego-dissolution’ and instead probe more precisely the different aspects of self.}},
author = {{Lindström, Lena and Kajonius, Petri and Cardeña, Etzel}},
issn = {{1355-8250}},
keywords = {{mystical experience; self-transcendence; self}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5-6}},
pages = {{75--101}},
publisher = {{Imprint Academic}},
series = {{Journal of Consciousness Studies}},
title = {{Dissolution of What? The Self Lost in Self-Transcendent Experiences}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.53765/20512201.29.5.075}},
doi = {{10.53765/20512201.29.5.075}},
volume = {{29}},
year = {{2022}},
}