{"id":31013,"date":"2024-04-03T16:48:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T16:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mishajan.com\/?p=31013"},"modified":"2024-08-28T16:59:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T16:59:50","slug":"living-more-in-the-b-realm-moving-right-on-the-unitary-continuum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mishajan.com\/living-more-in-the-b-realm-moving-right-on-the-unitary-continuum\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Transcendence: Moving Right on The Unitary Continuum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This assignment, completed for a positive psychology assignment, addresses my inner battle through university of strategic resume cultivation versus being guided by my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My intentions for publishing this on the blog are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A) For others to connect with and be inspired by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B) To remind me of my core intention through the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living More in the B-Realm: Moving Right on the Unitary Continuum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misha Jan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carleton University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PSYC3302B: Positive Psychology<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jessica Desrocher<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 April 2024 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My path to psychology started after I navigated through intense pain and trauma which deepened my empathy for people’s struggles. Emerging stronger, my newfound sense of joy was so liberating that I felt compelled to guide others on their healing journeys. At university, I started to balance the heartfelt approach to my studies with the strategic cultivation of my resume for Ph.D. applications, noticing that compassion and collaboration, not competition, brought me greater fulfilment. This discovery has inspired my goal for the final project in this positive psychology course: to operate more from an intrinsically loving space. This intrinsically loving space has many terms in psychology such as the B-realm as coined by psychologist Abraham Maslow (Maslow, 1998), self-transcendence as a state, and peak\/mystical experience as a trait (Figure 4). I aim to achieve the goal of living more in the B-realm by engaging in a structured mindfulness activity and daily meditation for two weeks and quantifying the impact using the Light Triad Scale (LTS) (Kaufman, 2019). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 4: \u2018The Unitary Continuum & Self-Transcendence\u2019 adapted from Abraham Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs With Corresponding Self-Word Dichotomy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Theoretical foundations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivations: B-love versus D-love<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diving deeper, there are 2 forces behind our actions: ‘B-love,’ and ‘D-love.’ D-love  (Deficiency love) emerges from personal need or deficiency, whereas B-love (Being-love) represents an appreciation for the being of another (Maslow, 1998, p. 48). I like to think of it as D-love motivations being for the self (pleasure), whereas B-love motivations are for the other (vicarious joy). B-love aligns with concepts like agape\u2014selfless, unconditional love\u2014and altruism, which prioritises others’ welfare. This is akin to the character strength \u2018love\u2019 in positive psychology, which Martin Seligman emphasises is beyond the western idea of romantic love, and is actually a love of loving <\/em>\ud83d\udc97 <\/em>(Seligman, 2011, p. 252). Additionally, the term “post-ambivalence” describes a profound, unequivocal love that transcends dichotomy<\/em>, this point is important to remember because it describes the underlying mechanism of B-love.<\/em> (Maslow, 1971, p. 273-285; Kaufman, 2020, p. 225). To summarise: living in the B-realm means your intentions are fueled by B-love. It is the state of self-transcendence which leads to frequent peak\/mystical experiences (Kaufman, 2020; Maslow, 1970). This is achieved by overcoming the dichotomy between self and world, <\/em>as illustrated in Figure 1, which then enables acts of love to flow naturally (Yaden et al., 2017; Yaden et al., 2022).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1: \u2018Unitary continuum\u2019 adapted from: Yaden, D. B., & Newberg, A. (2022). The varieties of spiritual experience 21st century research and perspectives. Adapted from Figure 12.1, p. 234. Oxford University Press.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Unitary Continuum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The topic of self-transcendence is akin to \u2018flourishing\u2019 or \u2018eudaimonia\u2019 in positive psychology and is an inevitable result of living more in the B-realm (Seligman, 2011, p. 252; Zelenski, 2020, p. 105). The Unitary Continuum is a comprehensive framework that aligns concepts such as the B-realm, self-transcendence, flourishing, and eudaimonia, indicating their collective shift towards the right end of the continuum. Interestingly, a comprehensive study conducted by Kaufman and Yaden indicates that the Light Triad is positively correlated with self-transcendence and growth, hence the incorporation of the yellow (dark triad) and purple (light triad) into figure 1, where moving to the right (self-work dichotomy dissolution) increases light triad traits (Kaufman et al., 2019). To get a better depiction of the light versus dark triad, refer to figure 2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 2: \u2018Light Versus Dark Triad Scale\u2019 Adapted from Kaufman, S. B., Yaden, D. B., Hyde, E., & Tsukayama, E. (2019). The Light vs. Dark Triad of Personality: Contrasting Two Very Different Profiles of Human Nature. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 467. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2019.00467 and Paulhus, D. L.,
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Williams, K. M. (2002). The Dark Triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Journal of Research in Personality, 36(6), 556-563. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0092-6566(02)00505-6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Measure: Light Triad Scale (LTS)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering these connections between the light triad traits and self-transcendence or the (aka the B-realm), I have opted to use the LTS  introduced by Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman and David B. Yaden in 2019. The LTS was developed through an empirical study involving a diverse sample of 1,518 adults, aiming to explore the positive aspects of human personality. This methodology included a comprehensive analysis of the LTS\u2019s correlation with life satisfaction, personal growth, and other positive psychological outcomes, demonstrating the scale’s reliability and validity in measuring humanitarian values (Kaufman et al., 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key feature of life in the B-realm is a foundation in humanitarian values, which the LTS measures through its three components: Kantianism (the principle of treating individuals as ends in themselves, rather than as means to an end), Humanism (recognition of the dignity and worth of each person), and Faith in Humanity (the belief in people’s fundamental goodness). Kaufman’s investigation into the LTS validates its association with various dimensions of psychological well-being and personality traits, such as life satisfaction, personal growth, self-transcendent experiences, Universalism (value), empathy, inclusive identity (quiet ego scale), love (character strength), agape (selfless love), and many other positive attributes (Kaufman et al., 2019). These correlations suggest that embodying the Light Triad traits are a good predictor of living in the B-realm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Method: Tally Counter App and Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to engage in a structured mindfulness activity, I set up my journal and a tally app with two distinct categories: \u2018B-love motivated\u2019 and \u2018accolade motivated\u2019. Each day for 2 weeks, I would enter each major activity I did such as facilitating a group, writing an article, applying for a job, reading a book, or any new projects I decide to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activity Rational<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness: Unconscious Manifestation of Dark Triadic Traits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reflecting upon my journey to enhance B-love over the years, I’ve come to understand the limitations of merely forcing myself into actions without a genuine change in my emotional state. This insight is partly born from my concerns about the potential unconscious manifestation of my dark triadic traits, which could be obscured by moralistic actions, leading me to deceive myself about my true intentions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing on the teachings of Dr. David Hawkins’ levels of consciousness theory and Ken Wilber’s integral theory, it is apparent that advancing through levels of consciousness cannot be achieved through force (Hawkins, 2012; Wilber, 2000). These theories emphasise the necessity of fully experiencing one’s current level of consciousness and allowing the process of growth to evolve naturally. Kaufman advises against dichotomizing the B-realm and D-realm. Instead, he advocates for their integration, suggesting that a solid foundation in our D-needs is crucial for effectively operating within the B-realm (Kaufman, 2020, p.244). Furthermore, Kaufman’s discussion centres on the acceptance of one’s entire self, which is the point of this mindfulness activity (Kaufman, 2020, p.258-270) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meditation: Priming For Peak\/Mystical Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meditation is associated with both a reduction in Default Mode Network (DMN) activity and an increase in cross-network connectivity (Panda et al., 2016). This suggests that meditation can lead to a more integrated brain state, characterised by decreased mind-wandering and increased attentional control through enhanced connectivity between brain networks. Interestingly, many researchers have revealed the connection between DMN deactivation and peak\/mystical experiences, which are essentially a transitory experience of full self-world dichotomy dissolution (Yaden et al., 2022, ch. 5). During these experiences, people report increased empathy and a sense of connectedness to the social and spatial world (exactly what we\u2019re aiming for)! The research suggests that as we move further right on The Unitary Continuum, the more our DMN deactivates, and new lateral connectivity emerges (see figure 3 photo and video depiction).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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