Are You Being Called by the Future? with David Yaden

David Bryce Yaden is a Research Fellow and PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he works in the Positive Psychology Centre. David's research focus is on the psychology and neuroscience of spiritual, self-transcendent and other positively transformative experiences. Specifically, he's interested in understanding how these experiences can result in longterm changes to wellbeing. And how they alter fundamental faculties of consciousness, such as the sense of time, space, and self. He's the editor of the book, Being Called. And he's currently writing a book called, The Varieties of Spiritual Experiences: A Twenty-First Century Update. His work is being covered by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and NPR.

In this week’s podcast, we explore how positively transformative experiences can leave us feeling called to our futures and the impact they can have on our wellbeing and performance.

Connect with David Yaden:

• https://www.varietiescorpus.com/

You’ll Learn:

• [03:53] - David explains why we’re called by our futures – not just pulled by the past - and what impact this has for our wellbeing.
• [06:28] - David outlines the difference between trying to find meaning and purpose in our work, to being called to the work we do.
• [09:07] - David shares what his research is finding makes a positively transformative moment possible for each of us.
• [11:06] - David explores if positively transformative experiences can be created or need to be allowed to spontaneously occur.
• [13:13] - David outlines what his research is finding in terms of the impact the positively transformative moments might have for us or others.
• [16:58] - David explores potential interventions workplaces can use to create positively transformative experiences for people and their limitations.
• [20:33] - David outlines ways workplaces can help people to feel more called to their work.
• [22:30] - David completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• Being Called by David Yaden
• The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James & Martin E. Marty
• Doug Hubbard on the Rationally Speaking Podcast

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review of the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care! Thank you David!