Season 2, Episode 5: Encountering the Transcendent
In this episode, the hosts discuss encountering the transcendent broadly understood as that which is experienced as beyond oneself, greater than oneself and which usually yields an intense emotional experience ranging from awe to terror. Rudolf Otto called this “the numinosum” and coined the name “mysterium tremendum” to denote this unique experience marked not only by awe and joy but also by inner trembling and fear. Various cultures, spiritual practices or philosophers refer to the transcendent as the sacred, God, the realm of deities or the “ultimate concern” (Paul Tillich).
The human experience of being in the presence of something larger than oneself towards which one has an attitude of awe or reverence can occur in various circumstances during one’s life such as in front of the majesty and beauty of nature or exquisite artwork, during spiritual practices (e.g., prayer) or when confronted with an intense experience that takes one outside oneself and brings it in contact with a transcendent realm of experience. For example, one may feel taken out of oneself and immersed in a self-transcendent experience while listening to music, watching a storm or being with one’s beloved.
Existential Analysis recognizes the human capacity of self-transcendence and the spiritual or noetic dimension of the human beings as central to who we are as persons. The capacity to self-transcend is unique to human beings and it is intimately linked with experiencing meaning, belonging and fulfillment as well as with the sense of being connected to a larger context and purpose.
While self-transcendent experiences cannot be generated at will, we can cultivate certain conditions and attitudes that may confer an openness and receptivity to such experiences. For instance, being in regular contact with nature especially wild, untamed nature or meteorological phenomena (e.g., storms) may bring up feelings of awe and reverence toward the majesty of nature. Cultivating aesthetic experiences- either receptive or creative- may engender an experience of encountering overwhelming beauty. Nurturing spiritual practices such as meditation or prayer could have a similar effect. Even slowing down and noticing one’s breath may be accompanied by feelings of gratitude and awe for the gift of life and being alive that transcends all of us and to which we all participate. Some relational contexts (e.g., love) may be opportunities to encounter the transcendent in and through another person. Whereas the transcendent is not something to be pursued as an end goal, cultivating our capacity to self-transcend through nurturing these opportunities as well as through our deeds and contributions to the world strengthen our capacity to experience life as meaningful, fulfilling and purposeful.
References
Rudolf Otto - The idea of the holy
Paul Tillich - The courage to be
