Psychologist and scientist. I am specialized in the social and emotional development of intellectually talented adolescents and adults. (MS in Psychology, KULeuven; PhD in Psychology, Vanderbilt University, USA). In my doctorate I researched determinants of happiness, thriving, fulfillment, social participation and success in cognitively talented individuals throughout life (Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, a 40-year longitudinal study). I worked for Vanderbilt’s Programs for Talented Youth, Modesto (“Helping talented people attain happy and productive lives”; founder), CBO Nijmegen (Radboud Universiteit), Project Talent (KULeuven) and the Expert Unit Giftedness (PraxisP, KULeuven; co-founder)
Transspiritual monk. After my PhD, I continued studying existential self-development, using more delicate-empirical methods. Together with artistic researcher Elke van Campenhout I started a transspiritual practice center for experiential and artistic research about contemporary embodied philosophy and spirituality. Currently this research continues as the House of the Beloved (www.houseofthebeloved.eu). Next to my work with people that reason well, I accompany palliative patients, their health care workers and their families (www.avondgloed.be).