What Are Peak Experiences?
Have you ever had an experience where you felt a profound sense of unity and connectedness with something that was much bigger than yourself and impossible to put into words?
The Ancient Greeks referred to this experience as Ecstasis, which means to stand outside yourself and experience yourself as a larger whole connected to everything else.
Peak experiences are what science calls self-transcendent or unity experiences.
They are moments of self-actualization where we can explore our wider ecological self through powerful emotions like awe, wonder and reverence.
Peak experiences are defined by three major characteristics:
- Significance: The peak experience leads to an increased awareness of one’s path in life and can make for defining moments or turning points in life.
- Fulfillment: These experiences are intrinsically rewarding and generate positive emotions of awe, wonder, compassion and reverence.
- Spiritual: During the experience, one feels a sense of unity with the world with a wider ecological sense of selflessness, timelessness, effortlessness and richness.
