Dr. Kevin St. Arnaud
Ph.D., Registered Psychologist
Research
My research lands at the intersection of clinical psychology, adult developmental psychology, and transpersonal psychology. I am interested in question of "the good life," that is, optimal well-being and the cultivation of wisdom, or what Abraham Maslow described as the “farther reaches of human nature.” Relatedly, I am interested in awe, mystical, peak, and plateau states. My work focuses on how such states can help resolve trauma and grief, foster psychological and spiritual growth, and deepen one's sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Awe is a powerful emotion that arises when we encounter something vast or profoundly moving, challenging our usual ways of seeing the world. Research shows that these moments create a sense of the "small self," where our everyday concerns and rigid self boundaries soften, allowing for new perspectives and self-expansion. This self-expansion thus involves a kind of letting go—a gentle surrender of who we thought we were to make room for who we are becoming. In this way, awe invites us to release old patterns and open to self-transcendence.
​
Related is the idea of developmental mourning—the process of grieving not only tangible losses but also the subtle losses that come with life: shifting identities, evolving beliefs, and the acceptance of life's boundary situations. Facing these experiences with openness allows for true transformation, and it is awe that often enables this openness. The vastness felt during awe creates a sense of perspective that softens the grip of the ego, making space for the necessary mourning that deep change requires. In these moments, awe is not just a response to the sublime; it is a companion and aid to mourning, facilitating the act of letting go and renewal.
​
The process of developmental mourning—when catalyzed through a sense of awe—allows for profound healing and growth towards self-transcendent wisdom. Inspired by the idea that individuation is both an approach to and preparation for the deaths-in-life, these experiences become pathways toward resilience, meaning-making, and personal growth.
Accordingly, a central focus has been studying the role for psychedelic substances, such as psilocybin, MDMA, cannabis, LSD, and ketamine, in fomenting awe and related states of consciousness, and through this, the cultivation of self-transcendence. Finally, these domains dovetail with my clinical interest in trauma and loss, boundary situations, existential anxiety, psychosocial oncology, and palliative care. I am particularly interested in how psychedelic-assisted therapy can be used to facilitate the developmental process of self-transcendence.
​
​
​