Peak Experiences

Moments that reveal what is most important to us

Abraham Maslow, a founding father of Positive Psychology, describes features of a Peak Experience (about 1964)

Maslow’s Peak Experiences

Described by Maslow as an ‘oceanic feeling’, a peak experience is one that generates feelings of wonder and awe - the recognition that something really important or special has happened. It is, in short, a magic moment.

(It was the same Maslow who described the Hierarchy of Needs I shared in the ‘Source - What’s at yours?’ piece, also in the February resources.)

And these particular experiences are valuable on our hunt for what is at our source, as they reveal to us what is fundamentally important and awe-inspiring to us. They are also experiences that not only help us improve our wellbeing (if we pay attention to what they are telling us), but are experienced more frequently, and more intensely, by those who have a healthy psychology - those who are ‘self-actualised’.

So it seems only right then, to identify when we have experienced these golden moments of awe, and to be open to what they are telling us about what is significant and meaningful to us in our lives.

Magic Moments

Imagine that sense of being entirely taken over, in what in the past might have been described as a mystical or religious experience. These moments can’t be designed, as they are entirely subjective - dependent on the viewer and their point of view. But they give you a sense of connectedness, a feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself.

They are not reserved for the religious, the spiritual or the mystical. They are found across all populations and are described by those who experience them as a catalyst for change. They are those precious moments, which, when you later look back, provide you with a meaningful moment of change, an opportunity for clarity, or a signifcant change of heart.

Features

According to Maslow, there are 3 key features of these sorts of experience:

Significance: The experience leads to an increased awareness of one’s own life, which could become a turning point for them

Fulfilment: These experiences are intrinsically rewarding and generate positive emotions

Spiritual: During the experience, one feels at one with the world and loses track of time

It is these features, regardless of the context, which help us recognise and relate to what is valuable to us - what is fundamentally significant and fulfilling for us. They help us understand what sparks us up, what provides us with that sense of connectedness and flow that can be so enjoyable, exciting, and energising.

The BIG question

So, the question is… what have been your Peak Experiences?

When, in your life, have you realised something new, important or integral - or you have shifted your view on something?

When have you felt those moments of connection, of flow, of being part of something bigger than yourself?

When have you been so absorbed, unattached to the usual distractions, that you have been in that beautiful state of FLOW?

An action

1. What?

Identify 3 peak experiences in your life.

When have you experienced moments of FLOW, when you loose track of time, perfectly balanced between interest and challenge?

When have you felt inspired, in awe, small against the backdrop of something bigger than you?

Don’t judge yourself or worry about whether you have the right types of example - only you will know! There are no rules as to what peak experiences should be about; instead, they could be mundane to someone else, though life changing for you.

Describe this experience in terms of how it made you feel.

2. So What?

What are these experiences telling you about what is important or valuable to you?

What was it about this experience that was significant?

What was it about this experience that was fulfilling?

What changed as a result of this experience?

What came after this experience, or since?

3. Now What?

How can you use this insight to guide your decision making or future actions?

How can this insight guide you towards your future sense of significance, meaning and fulfilment?

What small actions do you need to bring in or remind yourself of, to capitalise on this learning?

What do you need to let go of or move away from?

What do your peak experiences tell you about yourself and what you want from life?

Sources

https://www.centered.app/post/peak-experience