Abstract
Objective
Self‐transcendence is the experience of feeling connected to something greater than oneself. Previous studies have shown high scores on self‐transcendence are associated with well‐being and other psychological benefits, but have rarely examined the lived experiences of highly self‐transcendent people.
Method
Black and White men and women in late‐midlife completed Life Story Interviews and self‐report measures of self‐transcendence. In Study 1 (N = 144, M
age = 56.4), we used grounded theory methodology to differentiate the stories told by participants scoring either extremely high or extremely low on self‐transcendence. In Study 2 (N = 125; M
age = 60.4), we created a quantitative coding scheme and scored 1,375 new life story scenes.
Results
In Study 1, six narrative themes were identified (closure, interconnectedness, lifelong learning, secure attachment, self‐actualization, and spiritual pluralism) as part of a “humanistic growth story.” In Study 2, four of the narrative themes were found to predict self‐transcendence scores with significant effect sizes of β = .26 to .47.
Conclusions
In our sample, highly self‐transcendent individuals tended to narrate their lived experiences as spiritual journeys of humanistic growth. This study adds to our understanding of one path of personality growth in late‐midlife, that toward self‐transcendence.