Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

6 Lessons from Existential and Transpersonal Psychology

29 snips
Apr 6, 2026
They compare existential and transpersonal psychology, highlighting freedom, agency, and how confronting mortality shapes meaning. They trace Maslow, May, Yalom, and Grof while exploring altered states, peak experiences, and the porous nature of the self. They discuss anxiety, choice overload, letting go of self-focus, and how bravery plus humility can deepen a meaningful life.
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INSIGHT

You Might Have More Agency Than You Think

  • You have more agency than you often feel because existentialism asserts meaning is made, not given.
  • Forrest links Sartre and Rollo May to the idea that we're thrown into creating ourselves, so choices form who we become.
INSIGHT

Anxiety From Freedom Can Be Useful

  • Anxiety from confronting freedom is normal and can be clarifying rather than purely pathological.
  • Rollo May framed normal anxiety as protection for values and existence, warning apathy replaces useful anxiety with numbness.
ADVICE

Examine Payoff And Cost Before Changing Habits

  • Investigate the origins, payoffs, costs, and alternatives of a problematic habit before trying to change it.
  • Rick treats stuck clients pragmatically by mapping why a pattern developed and what concrete alternatives exist now.
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