How Transformative Experiences Reshape Values, Worldviews, and Engagement with Sustainability: An Integral Inquiry

Climate scientists, systems theorists and policymakers increasingly suggest that global sustainability challenges stem from dysfunctional worldviews and values that drive individual and collective behaviors, undermining both human flourishing and planetary health. Recognizing that paradigmatic shifts in values and worldviews can arise from transformative experiences, this study employed Integral Inquiry in a mixed methods design to examine the relationship between such experiences and engagement with sustainability. A sample of 145 adults was recruited based on self-identification of having undergone a life-changing experience and demonstrated evidence of transformative growth and integration. Recruitment surveys gathered data on the practices participants used to integrate these experiences. In the qualitative phase, 73 participants completed an open-text survey detailing their perspectives on sustainability and their related practices and behaviors. Ten individuals from this subset were interviewed to explore the depth and dimensions of their engagement with sustainability. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory analysis, three key themes emerged: Intraconnection, Personal Equilibrium, and Defining Social Change. The central finding revealed that transformative experiences fostered a profound felt sense of intraconnection—a deep awareness of interconnectedness with all life. This awareness naturally clarified participants' values and beliefs, aligning their actions toward sustainability. Moreover, participants emphasized the importance of cultivating personal equilibrium—a state of inner balance and congruence in daily choices—as a foundation for meaningful social and environmental change. This study highlights the vital role transformative experiences play in bringing about more pro-ecological behavior, and it underscores the need for further research into how such experiences can be more readily integrated to support global sustainability efforts.