“Peak experiences as rare, exciting, oceanic, deeply moving, exhilarating, elevating experiences that generate an advanced form of perceiving reality, and are even mystic and magical in their effect upon the experimenter.” — Abraham Maslow

This is an excerpt, #9, in Benjamin Hardy’s excellent article: 30 Behaviors That Will Make You Unstoppable In 2019:

Maslow said that, in order to become self-actualized as a person, you need to have a multitude of “peak-experiences.”

Peak experiences are those moments where your soul is stretched such that it cannot go back to its prior dimensions.

Peak experiences, by nature, are novel and new. They involve experiencing or seeing the world in a new way.

In order for you to have a peak experience, you need to be open to new experiences. You need to be humble.

Peak experiences are more likely to happen outside of your comfort zone. They generally involve “experiential” learning.

Last week, my wife gave birth to two beautiful twin girls. They have my heart. They are gorgeous. Last week was a peak experience for me. I’m now a new person. My motivation has changed. My priorities have honed and clarified.

My vision for my future has expanded.

Creating peak experiences is how you change the trajectory of your life. They are those pivotal moments that are so meaningful that they serve as check-points — core memories — directing your future path.

Peak experiences don’t need to be rare. They are only as rare as your courage is exercised. If you begin being courageous daily, you’ll start having more peak experiences.

As you have more peak experiences, your emotional wellbeing will increase, and thus, your imagination and ability to direct and create your future will expand.

But even more — through having peak experiences, your memory will change.

A healthy memory is a changing memory. As you have new and powerful experiences, you’ll create new associations with your past, and thus, change the very fabric of your memories and identity.

Put simply, you can and must create experiences that change your identity. As your identity changes, your future will change. Einstein wisely said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” 

Change can only happen by imagining a different world, and then courageously seeking new and expansive experiences. Change happens as you learn and expand your world.

On a related note, be sure to watch Jason Silva’s freestyling riff on Mystical Experiences: