We propose that the emotion of awe (ie, challenge that exceeds the scope of one's mental
structures, requiring cognitive accommodation) awakens self-transcendence (ie, reaching …

This narrative review aims to contribute to the scientific literature on awe by reviewing seven
perspectives on the evolutionary function of awe. Each is presented with accompanying …

Awe is theoretically proposed as a meaning-making emotion. However, empirical evidence
has shown that awe has mixed effects on meaning in life. The explanations for such …

Research on awe and meaning in life (MIL) is rare. In the current research, we conducted a
pre-registered study to examine how awe influences MIL from the perspective of the tripartite …

Humans have likely been attempting to communicate with entities believed to exist, such as
the divine, sacred beings, and deceased people, since the dawn of time. Across cultures …

Optimism, a positive mindset towards the future, serves various adaptive functions. While its
significance has been acknowledged in the literature, the role of self-transcendence in …

Religion and art have been incredibly important in human evolution but, we argue, are often
not taken seriously as an important source of knowledge. In this article, we propose that the …

This chapter presents an analysis of the fundamental processes of believing (not belief
content) and their relationship to communicating with unseen entities–whether it be a god …

Recent studies implicate the use of psychedelic substances in the treatment of psychiatric
conditions. However, this literature also suggests that the psychedelics may have utility in …

Ambivalent feelings are a defining feature of awe, which has been understood as a possible
source of its psychosocial benefits. However, due to the conventional unidimensional model …