John Elfers | Sofia University (USA) (original) (raw)

Papers by John Elfers

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 2013

This final chapter summarizes the major themes of the book drawing from the research on the lived... more This final chapter summarizes the major themes of the book drawing from the research on the lived experience of gratitude and the major conclusions from social science research. A focus is placed on the distinction between personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal gratitude and the shifts in felt experience and the nature of benefit that occurs within these three domains. A discussion of the growing recognition of the importance of gratitude to human growth and happiness is presented as a framework from which to appreciate the direction of future research into the construct of gratitude.

The structure and features of second-order emotion experience are used to extend the phenomenal e... more The structure and features of second-order emotion experience are used to extend the phenomenal experience of gratitude to the context of human relations. Various ways to categorize emotion, including approach/avoidance emotions and the negativity bias, are used to characterize the role of gratitude as a distinct, positive emotion experience. The intentionality of emotions has a direct relationship with the nature of benefits received. Current research on the impact of gratitude on boundaries in interpersonal relationships is presented with an emphasis on the value of gratitude in attenuating boundaries and enhancing mutuality.

In order to better understand the dynamic role of gratitude in human functioning, theories of sub... more In order to better understand the dynamic role of gratitude in human functioning, theories of subjective wellbeing, eudaimonic happiness, and psychological wellbeing are contrasted. The measures used to quantify these constructs are presented with the goal of identifying them as distinct constructs. Examples from the current research on gratitude are presented to highlight some of the influence of the cultivation of gratitude on coping, trauma and resilience, aggression and violence, materialism, forgiveness, depression, and spirituality. The major strategies used to cultivate gratitude are presented along with descriptions of some of the practices and interventions used in gratitude research.

Springer eBooks, 2016

This chapter discusses the role and function of cooperation and reciprocity in the development of... more This chapter discusses the role and function of cooperation and reciprocity in the development of ultrasocial human societies. Patterns of sharing of resources that include kin selection and reciprocal altruism are described as well as the ways that social groups deal with the ever-present problem of free-riders. Emotions that accompany patterns of exchange include feelings of obligation and indebtedness as well as gratitude. The role of gratitude as a feature and reinforcement of social exchange is presented. The basic elements of gratitude include a benefit, a benefactor, and a beneficiary. Sentiments of gratitude emerge out of an interaction in response to generous, thoughtful, and caring gestures as well as an unanticipated benefit.

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Dec 31, 2014

The qualitative report, Dec 21, 2020

This participatory action research was designed to create guidelines and strategies to improve th... more This participatory action research was designed to create guidelines and strategies to improve the delivery of mental health services to immigrants from Central and South America to the US. The demand for appropriate strategies for addressing the mental health needs of this population is increasing. This study recruited 17 traditional healers and their clients in the US and Peru to share their understanding of mental health needs, the conditions for which someone might seek treatment, and those aspects of traditional cosmology and practice that could inform modern approaches. The findings identified patterns of generational trauma still evident from colonialism, the need to respect the traditional worldview of immigrants in relation to diagnosis of mental distress, connection to nature and place, and the role of community and ancestors to the process of healing and recovery. Recommendations for practitioners to be a bridge between traditional and modern approaches to mental health are offered.

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Jul 1, 2013

The struggle between the Doukhobors, a nonviolent society committed to communal values, and the C... more The struggle between the Doukhobors, a nonviolent society committed to communal values, and the Canadian Government epitomizes the tension between values of personal rights and independence on the one hand, and social obligation on the other. The immigration of the Doukhobors from Russia to the Canadian prairies in 1899 precipitated a centurylong struggle that brings issues of social justice, moral obligation, political authority, and the rule of law into question. The fundamental core of Western democracies, founded on the sanctity of individual rights and equal opportunity, loses its potency in a community that holds to the primacy of interdependence and an ethic of caring. The transformation of individual identity from an isolated ego to a transpersonal state of interdependence presents profound implications for personal morality, social justice, and ecological awareness. The struggle of the Doukhobors invites us to imagine self-interest and community interest as no longer distinct and work toward a transformed vision of relational interdependence that embraces all of life.

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. Maya Angelou ALTRUISM On Febr... more When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. Maya Angelou ALTRUISM On February 20, 1945, a 17-year-old US Marine named Jacklyn "Jack" Lucas was on the island of Iwo Jima in some of the fi ercest fi ghting in World War II. Jack and three other marines were creeping through a ravine toward an enemy placement. The four soldiers were pinned down

International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology

The present study investigated the relationship between cultivating gratitude and coping with gri... more The present study investigated the relationship between cultivating gratitude and coping with grief. The primary research question guiding this study was: What is the correlation between resilience in grief, transcendent gratitude, and nondual awareness? Five measures were administered to collect data for this study: Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory, Adult Attitude to Grief Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire 6, Transpersonal Gratitude Scale and Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment. A diverse demographic pool of survey respondents (n = 619) was recruited to determine what correlations might emerge from the data. Bivariate correlational analysis revealed strong correlations among total scores and specific subscales of grief, gratitude, and nondual awareness. Subscale correlations suggested positive correlations among transcendence, valuing a relationship, resilience, and personal growth; and negative correlations with efforts to control the overwhelming emotions associated with grief. Nondual awareness showed moderate correlations with resilience and personal growth, pointing to the centrality of whole-person transcendence in the association of gratitude with flourishing after profound loss. A regression model demonstrated that gratitude and nondual awareness predicted resilience in coping with grief. Conclusions include the potential value of pre-loss cultivation gratitude to enhancing competence in coping with grief.

The Spectrum of Gratitude Experience, 2016

Gratitude is considered to be a moral emotion with a variety of relationships with moral function... more Gratitude is considered to be a moral emotion with a variety of relationships with moral functions. The evolution of gratitude in human development occurs in stages and these stages are discussed while drawing parallels to the origins of morality and moral development in children. Distinctions between moral cognition and affect are related to the role of gratitude as a moral function. Gratitude finds a home with other moral emotions such as shame, guilt, pride, and awe, all of which perform important functions as motivations of human behavior. Finally, the role of transcendent gratitude to moral communities is discussed.

The Qualitative Report, 2020

This chapter presents an overview of the history of gratitude research and the many ways of under... more This chapter presents an overview of the history of gratitude research and the many ways of understanding this important construct. The levels of development and complexity of gratitude are discussed with the goal of characterizing the range of features. The interdisciplinary nature of the study of gratitude is presented with recognition for the many contributions to the field made by a host of theorists. Finally the goals for the remainder of the book are outlined.