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Comparing spiritual transformations and experiences of profound beauty
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
Format: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2010
Pages: 127-135
Library/Archive: (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved
Sources ID: 22852
Visibility: Private
Zotero Collections: Contexts of Contemplation Project
Abstract: (Show)

Certain highly emotional experiences have the potential to produce long-lasting and meaningful changes in personality. Two such experiences are spiritual transformations and experiences of profound beauty. However, little is known about the cognitive appraisals or narrative elements involved in such experiences, how they are similar, and how they differ. In a study of emotion-related narratives, these experiences were found to share many features but also differ in their valence. Experiences of profound beauty are almost always positive, but spiritual transformations are both positive and negative. Moreover, spiritual transformations seem to produce long-lasting change, but experiences of profound beauty, although evocative, do not seem to produce long-lasting change. An emotion approach helps to elucidate two understudied but important emotional experiences.

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Contexts of Contemplation Project