This study investigates outdoor educators’ spiritual experiences in wilderness from a retrospective point of view. The aim is to understand their meaning-making and the role of such experiences in their life and career as well as to draw out possible implications for outdoor education (OE) with special regards to a sustainable future of our planet. For that purpose, qualitative, semi-structured interviews were held with six American OE professionals aged 28 to 53, and analyzed in the manner of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The paper examines the concepts of wilderness, nature-based spirituality and OE, describes a number of relevant studies, and dedicates a critical chapter to the philosophical foundations of IPA. Due to participants’ varying comfort levels with spirituality, the paper suggests to refer to awe-inspiring experiences rather than spiritual experiences. The interviews show the significance of such experiences for the individual, and stress the importance of understanding them as part of a personal story, set in a framework in which participants make meaning. The paper identifies a number of elements that foster the awe- inspiring experiences reported in this study, and presents five ways they inspire the beholder on an intra-, inter- and extrapersonal level. In regards to OE, the paper emphasizes the crucial role awe-inspiring experiences may play in a perpetuating positive cycle towards environmental care and stewardship.

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Awe, an emerging topic within the field of modern psychology, has shown to have many benefits, including improved health for mind and body. This essay is trying to explore what links there are between the spiritual concept of the numinous established by the religious scholar Rudolf Otto and the definition of awe put forward by one of the most prominent and influential researchers in the field of Self-Transcendent Emotions, Dacher Keltner. Is the modern concept of awe and the numinous the same thing with similar health benefits? Through a content analysis the study will show that there are many common denominators between the two phenomena in question and that a healthy outcome of spiritual awe is not just possible but common for human beings. Yet that the concept of the numinous still has in some ways its own unique position. Suggestions are made on how further research could be done regarding how to stimulate awe and through that perhaps spirituality, for the benefit of health and the connection with others.

In order to keep the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C, greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced. However, larger measures need to be implemented as it has been established that today's measures will not be enough. The Port of Gävle has plans to install a water electrolyser for hydrogen production of either Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) or Alkaline Water Electrolysis(AWE). The size of the electrolyser will be approximately 10 MW and will have the capacity to produce 2,000 tons of fossil-free hydrogen per year that might supply 100 heavy trucks. However, it is currently cheaper with fossil hydrogen production. Therefore, an article review is conducted containing a calculation part where the purpose is to investigate the amount of by-products produced and whether they can be sold in other areas of use to make renewable hydrogen more economically competitive. Information for the study has been retrieved from databases, search engines, companies, authorities and individuals deemed relevant to the study. The by-products from the 10 MW electrolyser in the Port of Gävle have been compared with 1,5 MW and 17 MW electrolysers, then a sensitivity analysis has also beenperformed on the 10 MW electrolysers. The potentially generated heat depends on the type of electrolyser where AWE generates 77 MWh of residual heat per day and PEM potentially generates 67 MWh of residual heat per day. Furthermore, AWE needs 64 kWh of electricity to produce 1 kg of hydrogen while PEM needs 66,5 kWh of electricity per kg of hydrogen produced. Revenues from residual heat sales for AWE were estimated annually to approximately 7 million SEK and for PEM approximately 6 million SEK. For electrolysis-produced oxygen to compete with cryogenic oxygen, the price should not exceed 108 SEK/tonne. For the 10 MW electrolyser, oxygen sales are estimated to generate approximately 1,1 million SEK annually for both AWE and PEM. Total income for AWE will annually be just over 8,1 million SEK and 7.1million SEK annually for PEM. The AWE process is then preferable as it is more economically sustainable as the income from the by-products is 12% higher than PEM due to higher production of oxygen and greater generation of residual heat. / För att hålla Parisavtalets mål att begränsa den globala uppvärmningen till väl under 2°C bör utsläppen av växthusgaser minska. Däremot behöver större åtgärder genomföras då det har konstaterats att dagens åtgärder inte kommer att räcka. Gävle hamn har planer på att installera en vattenelektrolysör för vätgasproduktion av antingen Protonutbytesmembran (PEM) eller Alkalisk vattenelektrolys (AWE). Storleken på elektrolysören kommer vara ungefär 10 MW och har kapaciteten att producera 2000 ton fossilfri vätgas per år som kan försörja 100 tunga lastbilar. Dock är det i dagsläget billigare med fossil vätgasproduktion. Därför genomförs en litteraturstudie innehållande en beräkningsdel. Där syftet är att undersöka mängden biprodukter som produceras samt om de kan säljas inom andra områden för att göra förnyelsebar vätgas mer ekonomiskt konkurrenskraftig. Information för studien har hämtats från databaser, sökmotorer, företag, myndigheter och enskilda personer som ansetts relevanta för studien. Biprodukterna från 10 MW elektrolysören i Gävle hamn har jämförts med 1,5 MW och 17 MW elektrolysörer, sedan har även en känslighetsanalys utförts på elektrolysörerna. Potentialen att generera värme beror på typen av elektrolysör där AWE genererar 77 MWh restvärme per dygn och PEM genererar potentiellt 67 MWh restvärme per dygn. Vidare behöver AWE 64 kWh el för att producera 1 kg vätgas medan PEM behöver 66,5 kWh el per producerat kg vätgas. Intäkterna från restvärmeförsäljningen för AWE beräknades årligen till ungefär 7mnSEK och för PEM ungefär 6 mnSEK. För att elektrolysframställd syrgas ska kunna konkurrera med kryogent framställd syrgas bör inte priset övergå 108 SEK/ton. För 10 MW elektrolysören beräknas syrgasförsäljningen kunna inbringa omkring 1,1 mnSEK årligen både för AWE och PEM. Totala inkomsten för AWE blir drygt 8,1 mnSEK/år och 7,1 mnSEK/år för PEM. AWE processen är att föredra då den är mer ekonomiskt hållbar då inkomsten från biprodukterna är 12% högre än PEM på grund av högre produktion av syrgas samt större generering av restvärme.

This is an empirical study of myself as a present, and non-present, performer with the aim to study in what ways can the connectivity and communication start, evolve and progress within sensory theatre performance for disabled and diverse young audiences. I have examined the areas of performative; space, play, awe, curiosity, anticipation, action, listening and responding. The opportunity of finding my own methodology has included stepping out of my role to embrace failure and disorder, which has been very stimulating and exciting. The challenges have been many but some of them were concerned with how to analyze and evaluate human connection, when the experience is a felt experience, from my perspective as an actor/performer, and not an intellectual proposition. In the results I present a methodological model of performative connection which consists of steps that can loop in different intervals and are correlated and dependent on the others. The conclusion states that the core is found in the one-to-one encounters and the deep human connection between performer and audience participant. The underlining aim of my project and this essay is a theatre practice where all humans are welcomed and celebrated, which promotes a more accepting and inclusive society that embraces disability and challenges traditional conceptions of what theatre should be. / <p>In this essay I have a film of the sea and a sound recording. These are not availiable in the Diva form. </p>

In this collaborative Craft Master project by Ulrika Barr and Kristina Levén, we have investigated how glass can affect an environment to create a space in between. A “Ma-space” that could offer a pause in the everyday life in relation to the public sphere. We have worked parallel with two expressions of glass in relation to a room. Rocks of Glass casted hot glass together with Foamglas and colors and Veils of Glass- fused window glass in leaded techniques. By using filming as a medium, projections brings out the inner world of the glass. Sound is another layer in the collage installation outcome.The collaboration has been from first idea and intuitive investigations in the workshop to the final installation.The material outcome is a unique expression for this Glass Craft duo called BarroLevén. The written part of the project includes both common and separate parts. / <p>In collaboration with Ulrika Barr</p>

La ricerca sul tema del Sublime ha spesso considerato questo fenomeno come un'emozione originata da stimoli talmente vasti da richiedere una modifica profonda dei nostri schemi concettuali (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). Tuttavia, il sublime risulterebbe più simile ad un'esperienza complessa piuttosto che ad un'emozione. Nel dettaglio, essa è emersa come un'esperienza trasformativa in grado di influenzare persino le tendenze più stabili in modo permanente. L'obiettivo di questa tesi è contribuire alla ricerca orientata a comprendere la natura del sublime, il suo potenziale trasformativo e la sua induzione sperimentale. Abbiamo esplorato nuovi metodi per restituire al sublime elicitato in laboratorio le sue sfumature, la sua originaria intensità e complessità. Abbiamo, inoltre, sviluppato una serie di tre studi basati su una metodologia esperienziale avanzata, la Realtà Virtuale (RV), aprendo la strada ad un nuovo modo di studiare e progettare esperienze di sublime nel laboratorio. In primo luogo, partendo da una revisione della letteratura sperimentale sul sublime, abbiamo argomentato in favore di una nuova metodologia in grado di cogliere l'intensità e la complessità del sublime come esperienza, superando la concezione di questo fenomeno come emozione. Abbiamo identificato la RV come principale candidato per diverse ragioni. Innanzitutto, la RV sarebbe in grado di fornire agli utenti la possibilità di navigare all'interno di ambienti immersivi, realistici e interattivi che possono elicitare un senso di “presenza” (i.e., la sensazione soggettiva di "essere e agire lì" all'interno di una realtà simulata come se fosse la realtà). Inoltre, la RV sarebbe in grado di generare eventi paradossali e situazioni altrimenti impossibili nella realtà, frammentando, così, i nostri schemi di pensiero abituali. Questo aspetto risulterebbe un asset cruciale per l'induzione del sublime. In terzo luogo, la RV potrebbe essere utilizzata per registrare il comportamento e le risposte fisiologiche degli utenti insieme ai report soggettivi retrospettivi, permettendo di realizzare una misurazione integrata dell'esperienza. Nello studio 1, alla luce di queste premesse, abbiamo esplorato sperimentalmente la possibilità di indurre il sublime anche attraverso un format basilare ma altamente realistico di RV, detto video 360°. Abbiamo progettato due contenuti emotivi (1 inducente il sublime e l'altro neutrale) i quali venivano mostrati su un display a 360° oppure su uno schermo piatto, per manipolarne il senso di presenza associato. Infine, abbiamo testato l'effetto di tale manipolazione sull'intensità del sublime derivante dall'esposizione a tali stimoli sia tramite un assessment psicofisiologico (Conduttanza cutanea, Blood Volume Pulse, sEMG) sia tramite misure retrospettive ad hoc. I partecipanti hanno percepito un livello di sublime significativamente superiore nella condizione 360° con contenuto sublime rispetto a tutte le altre condizioni. La combinazione del medium 360° e del contenuto ispirante il sublime è risultato in un boost di quest'ultimo. Inoltre, per la prima volta, le misure psicofisiologiche del sublime hanno dimostrato il ruolo cruciale del sistema parasimpatico per definire tale fenomeno. Nel secondo studio, ci siamo spinti oltre testando un format di RV più avanzato includente la componente di interattività. Il vantaggio principale è consistito dal fatto che gli ambienti immersivi e interattivi in VR (VEs) riproducessero istanze differenti di sublime. Seguendo le linee guida fornite dalla letteratura, abbiamo progettato e validato un ambiente neutrale naturalistico in RV e 3 ambienti interattivi ed immersivi (i.e., Foresta, Montagne innevate, Visione della terra dallo spazio) per indurre il sublime. 36 partecipanti sono stati esposti a tutti gli ambienti in RV seguendo un ordine controbilanciato. I partecipanti hanno riportato i propri livelli di sublime, affettività generale e senso di presenza dopo ogni esposizione. Tutti gli ambienti sono risultati in grado di elicitare i medesimi livelli di affettività positiva e presenza, tuttavia, differivano in relazione al tipo di sublime elicitato. Questo studio ha fornito le prime linee guida di progettazione basate sull'evidenza utili sia per future ricerche interessate a studiare il sublime come esperienza all'interno del laboratorio, sia per studiosi e professionisti che intendano utilizzare tali ambienti virtuali per creare training di induzione del sublime. Fino a questo punto è stato considerato solo un format RV immersivo ed interattivo. Tuttavia, abbiamo trascurato la componente di realismo tipica della RV (i.e., il livello di dettaglio in cui un VE sia in grado di simulare la fisica del mondo reale). Quindi, abbiamo confrontato i risultati dello studio 1 con quelli dello studio 2 in relazione all'induzione di sublime da parte dei due differenti formati di RV (i.e., realistico vs. immersivo/interattivo) utilizzando un confronto tra gli effect size, in quanto il disegno di ricerca era il medesimo. Abbiamo riscontrato un livello superiore di sublime indotto dal formato realistico del video 360° rispetto ai VEs immersivi. Questo suggerirebbe che la componente del realismo, in qualità di dimensione chiave del senso di presenza, sia un elemento chiave da manipolare per progettare forme più complesse e intense di sublime in laboratorio. Quindi, nel terzo studio, ci siamo basati sui risultati delle due ricerche precedenti allo scopo di testare l'impatto di una forma di sublime intensa, come quella indotta dai video 360°, sul pensiero creativo, il quale è di solito considerato come una tendenza relativamente stabile. Abbiamo ipotizzato che questa forma intensificata di sublime in RV sarebbe stata in grado di influenzare il pensiero creativo più di un contenuto neutrale mostrato attraverso il medesimo display. Per testare il legame tra il sublime come esperienza e la creatività, abbiamo impiegato video 360° precedentemente validati per indurre il sublime e un contenuto neutrale ed abbiamo assegnato 40 partecipanti in modo casuale a tutte queste condizioni che sono state controbilanciate. Dopo, abbiamo misurato livelli di sublime e le abilità di pensiero creativo (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking) di tutti i partecipanti. I risultati hanno mostrato non solo che il pensiero creativo era significativamente superiore nella condizione di induzione del sublime rispetto a quella neutrale. In particolare, il sublime percepito era predetto significativamente da 3 dimensioni di creatività su 4, come abbiamo dimostrato attraverso l'approccio del Modello Lineare Generalizzato. La spiegazione che abbiamo proposto per questi risultati è in linea con l'approccio teorico delle esperienze Diversificanti (DEs), esperienze peculiari di vita considerate in grado di promuovere elevati livelli di pensiero creativo. In particolare, abbiamo considerato il sublime come potenziale membro della famiglia delle DEs. In generale, i risultati di questi studi hanno provato la natura complessa e ricca di sfaccettature propria del sublime e hanno dimostrato la fattibilità di una sua induzione in laboratorio. Specificatamente, abbiamo dapprima validato una nuova procedura per la progettazione e la selezione degli stimoli migliori per l'induzione del sublime. Tale metodologia è stata poi applicata in laboratorio con un formato RV interattivo e immersivo. Abbiamo mostrato che nonostante il sublime mostri un'attivazione chiave del sistema parasimpatico, sarebbe in grado di scaturire anche da stimoli attivanti ed interattivi. Abbiamo utilizzato la RV per creare diverse esperienze prototipiche di sublime, le quali hanno mostrato differenti profili in termini di vastità e bisogno di accomodamento, degne di approfondimento. Infine, il legame tra l'esperienza del sublime e la creatività è emerso chiaramente, aprendo alla possibilità di un training orientato al sublime e basato sulla RV che sia in grado di potenziare anche il pensiero creativo. Concludendo, abbiamo fornito anche linee guida per la progettazione e per la ricerca orientata ll studio del sublime come esperienza e non solo come semplice emozione. / Research on “awe” has often considered it as an emotion arising from stimuli so vast to require an accommodation of pre-existing knowledge structures (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). However, awe resulted as closer to an experience than to an emotion. Specifically, awe resulted as a transformative experience, able to affect even stable tendencies in life permanently. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to research on the nature of awe as a transformative experience and on its experimental study. I explored new methods to restore nuances, intensity and complexity of awe-experience even in the lab. I developed a set of three subsequent studies based on a new experiential methodology – Virtual Reality (VR) – opening to a new way of studying and designing awe in the lab. First, starting from a review of experimental literature on awe, I discussed in favour of a new methodology able to capture the intensity and complexity of awe as an experience, instead of only as an emotion. I identified Virtual Reality as the main candidate for many reasons. First, VR endowed the users with immersive, realistic, and interactive environments that can elicit a sense of “presence”, that is, the subjective experience of “being and acting there” in a simulated reality as if it was real. Second, VR allows to generate even paradoxical and impossible situations breaking our conventional fixed patterns of thinking, that is another key asset of awe. Third, VR can be used to fully track users’ behavioural and physiological responses, allowing for an integrated assessment of the emotional experience, both concurrent and retrospective. In study 1, drawing from these conclusions, I empirically explored the possibility to induce awe even through basic but highly realistic VR format, that is, 360°-videos. First, I designed two VR contents (1 awe-inducing and 1 neutral) displayed either on 360°-videos or on flat screens. Then, I exposed 42 participants to ad hoc awe-inducing (i.e., Forest) and neutral (i.e., hens scratching about the grass) contents displayed either on a 360° or flat screen to manipulate the sense of presence. I tested the impact of this manipulation on awe intensity. They self-reported their sense of presence and awe after each exposure. At the same time, their Skin Conductance, Blood Volume Pulse, sEMG levels were assessed while they were watching each video. Participants felt significantly more awe in the 360° awe-inspiring condition compared to others. The combination of 360° medium with awe-inspiring content resulted in a boost of awe. Moreover, psychophysiological measures of awe evidenced, for the first time, the parasympathetic system as a core component of the psychophysiological profile of this emotion. In study 2, I moved forward by testing a more advanced VR format, which includes the component of interactivity. The main advantage was that immersive-interactive Virtual Reality environments (VEs) could give rise to a variety of awe-experiences. Following guidelines provided by literature, I designed and validated one naturalistic neutral VR-environment and 3 ad hoc immersive-interactive VR-environments (VEs), to induce different instances of awe (i.e., Forest, High Snow Mountains, Earth view form the space). 36 participants were exposed to all VEs in a counterbalanced order. Participants reported their levels of awe, their general affect, and sense of presence after each exposure. Results showed that all environments elicited a similar positive affect and presence, but awe was differentially elicited by each environment, bringing forth diverse nuances of it. This research provided evidence-based design guidelines for future researches interested in the study of awe as an experience in the lab, as well as to scholars and practitioners willing to adopt validated VEs for creating awe-inspiring trainings. To date, I considered an interactive-immersive VR format. However, another key asset of VR relies also on the realism component (i.e., how a VE simulates the physics of the real world to minute details). Finally, since the experimental design was akin to Study 1, I could compare effect size of awe conveyed by 360° realistic video of Forest (Study 1) and immersive-interactive VEs of Forest (Study 2). I found that the most realistic form of VR (i.e., 360°-videos) could induce a slightly higher sense of awe, compared to VEs. This suggested that the realism component, as a layer of the sense of presence, could be crucial in manipulating and designing enhanced forms of awe in the lab. Hence, in Study 3, I relied on findings of Study 1 and 2 to test the impact of such intensified form of awe - induced by the most realistic form of VR - on creative-thinking cognitive process, which is usually considered as a relatively stable tendency instead of a contingent phenomenon. I hypothesized that the enhanced form of realistic VR-based awe would have impact on creative-thinking more than a neutral content displayed in VR. To test the link between awe as an experience and creativity, I used previously validated 360° awe-inspiring and neutral environments and I randomly assigned 40 participants to all these conditions in a counterbalanced order. Their levels of awe, presence and creative-thinking abilities (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking) were assessed after the exposure to each condition. Results showed not only that creative-thinking was significantly higher after awe-inducing 360°-videos compared to the neutral one, but especially that perceived awe significantly predicted 3 out 4 creativity dimensions, as demonstrated by a Generalized Linear Model statistical approach. We explained these findings in light of the framework of Diversifying experiences (DEs), i.e., peculiar experiences in life (e.g., multicultural experiences, psychopathology, schema-violation situations) considered as maximally creativity-conductive. Specifically, we considered awe as a potential member of the family of DEs. Overall, results of these studies provided evidence of the nuanced nature of awe and of the possibility to restore it as an experience even within the boundaries of a lab. Specifically, a new methodology for the design and the selection of best awe-inductors in the lab was validated. This methodology was applied both with immersive and interactive VR formats. Although awe displays a parasympathetic physiological response, it can arise even from interactive-activating inductors. I used VR to create several prototypical experiences of awe, which showed different profiles in terms of vastness and need for accommodation, to be deepened by future studies. Finally, the link between awe-experience and creativity emerged clearly, paving the way for new future awe-inspiring VR-based training to enhance creative thinking. To conclude, design and research guidelines were provided for further studies interested in pursuing and investigating awe as an experience and not only as an emotion.

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UNIVERZITA KARLOVA KATOLICKÁ TEOLOGICKÁ FAKULTA Katedra biblických věd Pavel Samec Nebojte se! Téma strachu v synoptických evangeliích Diplomová práce Vedoucí práce: doc. PhDr. Mireia Ryšková, Dr. theol. Praha 2019 2 Abstract The thesis deals with the topic of the fear in synoptic gospels. Fear is a phenomenon that affects every person and is subject of interest to several scientific disciplines. This thesis is focusing on fear as an emotion. The selection of gospel excerpts is narrowed to those containing call to overcome fear. The pericopes are categorized according to situations causing fear: fear of the future, fear of people, fear of tasks' difficulty, fear during miraculous apparitions, fear of death, and fear of apocalyptic dreads. The last topic of the thesis are general calls to overcome fear. The reactions of the biblical personalities are diverse and can be viewed as model attitudes inspiring modern society. In the introduction, the topic of fear is briefly characterized in perspective of psychology, philosophy and theology. The focus of the thesis is the exegesis of selected pericopes, thematically sorted into seven chapters ending with short recapitulations of the main ideas. After the generalizing conclusion, an overlap into spiritual life is suggested.