Mindfully Decentering to Self-Transcendence

According to Maslow’s updated hierarchy of motivational needs, self-transcendence is a stage beyond self-actualization. In self-transcendence the individual pursues a cause outside of the self, experiences an expansion of the boundaries of self and a union with other people and nature. Mindfulness, the present moment awareness of unfolding experience and decentering, an ability to objectively witness inner experience without identifying or reacting to it were predicted as precursors of self-transcendence in this study. A sample of 509 participants with 258 mindfulness practitioners and 250 non-practitioners was used to test the hypotheses. Results demonstrated that mindfulness practitioners had higher scores on decentering as well as self-transcendence compared to non-practitioners. Decentering not only predicted self-transcendence, but also partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness practice and self-transcendence. Contrary to study hypothesis, meta-awareness dimension of decentering and not the dis-identification dimension emerged as a significant predictor of self-transcendence out of the three decentering dimensions. Meta-awareness was also the only dimension out of the three that was significant in the partial mediational model of mindfulness practice and self-transcendence. The results confirmed previous research and added to a theoretical framework that can be utilized to develop accessible and affordable interventions for individuals who are seeking mental health healing as well as spiritual goals. Clinical implications, social change implications, limitations of research, and future directions are discussed