Peak Emotional Experiences and Their Antecedents

Peak Emotional Experiences and Their Antecedents

A survey on the incidence of peak emotional experiences, based on the descriptions of Maslow and others, conducted among 364 staff members of a British university college, revealed that some 85% of respondents admitted to having had at least one such event, and usually several. The most frequently cited triggers were music, creative activities, and problem solving. Sex, drugs and childbirth, mentioned by Maslow as potential antecedents of "peak" experiences were, however, poorly supported by the study findings. Most experiences were of short duration, and were generally believed by the beholder to have originated in their own mind. Men generally reported more experiences than did women. There were significant, positive correlations between frequency of experience and educational level (e.g. r = .188, P = ＜.001), and with scores on an absorption scale (e.g. r = .473, P = ＜.001), but not with age. Tentative conclusions regarding the nature of peak emotional experiences are offered.