Epiphanies & Peak Experiences

As professors, we have the power to shape the learning environment of our students to create an abundant opportunity for discovery. Discovery facilitates epiphanies. Epiphanies help solidify new concepts. We each have the power to make our learning milieu a place where students share ideas and enjoy participating in the online classroom experience. We also have the power to turn students off if we are not attentive to the classroom the same as a face to face class. Great instructors check in daily, answer more threads than the average, and are those who never forget what it was like to be a student. Great instructors also remember what it was like to have a not so great instructor or classroom experience. Sometimes, as individuals, we need to relearn how to de-stress, grab life by the horns, and recharge our life expectation before we can effectively profess knowledge. As the airline attendant instructs the adult to place the O2 mask on first before the child, the instructor must take care of the self before (s)he can take effectively profess to others.

We have all heard of the old saying, “Stop and smell the roses.” This phrase is exactly what Abraham Maslow was trying to convey to those who took interest in his Theory of Needs. In order to have a Peak Experience [PE], an individual must have the capacity to recognize one. Peak experiences are moments that occur in life that bring epiphanies or goose bumps or make the hair on the back of your neck prickle. Peak experiences can be visual, physical, or auditory. They may be experiences that brand our memory with delightful remembrances of special moments or achievements of ourselves or others. Such experiences bring warm, internal feelings of elation. They also have a positive impact on our physiological state, which in turn, brings responses similar to adrenaline rushes.

The most obvious kind of experiences are as in the birth of a child, a graduation or a special Christmas morning after discovering a most coveted toy. Births are essentially easiest to relate to when explaining what a PE consists of. When a child enters the world we are so excited to meet this tiny little being—to inspect the delicate fingers and toes, and to see who the child most resembles. The entire birth experience becomes one that will never be forgotten, especially for the mother. For most, meeting a newborn the first time brings elation, a summation of nine long months of anticipation. While staring into the face of this new little being, we savor the moment with endless hopes for the future.

The more positive life experiences we are able to feel, the more likely we are to seek out choices time and time again that reward us with more PEs. A most notable PE includes earning a diploma—an uplifting experience, which brings promise and hope of a new direction in life. Getting an A in a class that was extremely challenging brings a realization that hard work is justly rewarded. Creating a beautiful piece of furniture brings hope that the craftsmanship will be of such quality that the article will generate years of appreciation by the owner, or a beloved pet accepting us into their quality world accentuates the meaning of unconditional love for us is deeply realized. Upholding family values or morals enhance individual integrity, and provide us with a sense of pride. These are just brief samples of efforts that not only create a PE in the moment, but are of such concentration that they continue to reward through the fond memories we recall throughout our lives.

Many PEs require a more in-depth concentration or attuned vulnerability to everyday life. One has to be open to experiencing warm fuzzies without the tendency of dismissing meaningful occurrences as nothing. Little PEs can be magnified when the person allows themselves to feel the impact of their message. There is no denying that a first kiss sparks warm, wonderful feelings of joy. But there are more subtle experiences such as attending a Symphony concert and absorbing the sweet sounds of string instruments enveloping the mind and the soul. Witnessing an individual you care about being awarded for their achievements, or watching a foal struggle to its feet shortly after birth brings warmth to the heart. Hearing a song that brings reminiscence of an old flame or beloved long gone ancestor assists with recall of beautiful life memories that were excellent teachers of life.

Recognizing PEs enables the individual to maintain homeostasis [balance] in the mind and soul. Physiologically, PEs provide us with the antioxidants that help promote good health, which in turn counterbalances stress. Let’s face it…what is better for us? Getting High on Life or succumbing to the many stressors life provides us with in abundance? When we are able to naturally uplift our spirits through positive life occurrences, we are better able to maintain our mental health—a feeder to how we respond to life.

If you need practice on how to identify PEs, sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and start with remembering how you felt when your eyes locked with your spouse on your wedding day at the start of the ceremony, or how you felt seeing your newborn the first time, or the first time you fell into love. What did it feel like to finally have your first driver’s license or to cash your first paycheck? How about going on your first date or attending your first prom? How about seeing the joy on your toddlers face first thing in the morning when you peek at them in their crib? The goal here with PEs is to try to have at least one a day. If you are able to achieve more than one a day, more power to you! Remember, the body is the best natural medicine cabinet on the planet. If we pay attention to our feelings and CHOOSE to pursue optimism, PEs, a well rounded quality world and genuine, loving relationships—what more could we ever want in life? How will this realization affect our teaching? Through recognizing the definition of PEs, you are able to sample the true meaning of life. So, how peak are your experiences?