Peak Experience Tendencies

A new measure called the Peak Scale was developed to assess the tendency to have peak experiences. People who report peak experiences also often report intense happiness, but they are even more likely to report transcendent and mystical cognitive experiences, suggesting peak experiences are primarily cognitive events involving positive affect. Those reporting peak experiences are more likely to live by Being-values like truth, beauty, and justice. Self-actualizing individuals are more likely to report peak experiences, though the relationship is weak. Overall, results align with Maslow's theory.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The research reported here involved the creation of a measure of the tendency to have peak experiences called the Peak Scale, and the testing of several hypotheses drawn from Maslow's theory of peak experiences. It was found that although individuals who report having peak experiences are also likely to report having experiences involving intense happiness, they are even more prone to report having cognitive experiences of a transcendent and mystical nature. This suggests that although the peak experience involves positive affect, it is primarily a transcendent and mystical cognitive event. Individuals who report having peak experiences are more likely to report living in terms of Being-values, such as truth, beauty, and justice, than individuals who report not having peak experiences. Finally, self-actualizing individuals are more likely to report having peak experiences than less self-actualizing individuals, though the relationship is not a very strong one. In general, these results are consistent with Maslow's theorizing.