As I tried to make sense of the psychology of these "self-transcendent emotions, " I began to realize that religions are often quite skilled at producing such feelings.

CNN: Why we love to lose ourselves in religion

"Voting is an expression to self, " said Kevin Lanning, psychology professor at Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University.

CNN: Voting-line camaraderie reflects 'we' spirit, expert says

Behaviorists reject the classic economic theory of human beings as ultra-rational self-interested actors and, drawing on psychology, examine the causes of seemingly irrational economic choices, such as not taking advantage of money offered in an employer-provided retirement plan or giving away more money to charity than can be explained by purely selfish motives.

NEWYORKER: Money Talks

When people act against their self-interest I see a flashing neon sign: Interesting Psychology Here!

FORBES: How Politicians Use The IDEA Of Choice To Pick Your Pocket On Healthcare, And Everything Else

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are well established terms in the literature on the psychology of motivation, primarily from a set of theories called Self-Determination Theory, which was developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan at the University of Rochester.

FORBES: 'For the Win': How Gamification Can Transform Your Business

Yale psychology professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, an expert on depression, has studied our penchant for self-punishing rumination when we face a problem -- a tendency that many of us have indulged during the past eight months.

CNN: What really makes people happy

"Elevated wealth status seems to make you want even more, and that increased want leads you to bend the rules or break the rules to serve your self-interest, " says Paul Piff, the lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate in psychology at the university.

CNN: Are rich people more unethical?