276 Part III Humanistic/Existential Theories
peak experience, but these experiences cannot be brought on by an act of the will;
often they occur at unexpected, quite ordinary moments.
What is it like to have a peak experience? Maslow (1964) described several
guidelines that may help answer this question. First, peak experiences are quite
natural and are part of human makeup. Second, people having a peak experience
see the whole universe as unified or all in one piece, and they see clearly their
place in that universe. Also, during this mystical time, peakers feel both more
humble and more powerful at the same time. They feel passive, receptive, more
desirous of listening, and more capable of hearing. Simultaneously, they feel more
responsible for their activities and perceptions, more active, and more self-determined.
Peakers experience a loss of fear, anxiety, and conflict and become more loving,
accepting, and spontaneous. Although peakers often report such emotions as awe,
wonder, rapture, ecstasy, reverence, humility, and surrender, they are not likely to
want to get something practical from the experience. They often experience a
disorientation in time and space, a loss of self-consciousness, an unselfish attitude,
and an ability to transcend everyday polarities.
The peak experience is unmotivated, nonstriving, and nonwishing, and during
such an experience, a person experiences no needs, wants, or deficiencies. In addition,
Maslow (1964) says, “The peak experience is seen only as beautiful, good, desirable,
worthwhile, etc., and is never experienced as evil or undesirable” (p. 63). Maslow
also believed that the peak experience often has a lasting effect on a person’s life.Gemeinschaftsgefühl
Self-actualizing people possess Gemeinschaftsgefühl, Adler’s term for social interest,
community feeling, or a sense of oneness with all humanity. Maslow found that his
self-actualizers had a kind of caring attitude toward other people. Although they often
feel like aliens in a foreign land, self-actualizers nevertheless identify with all other
people and have a genuine interest in helping others—strangers as well as friends.
Self-actualizers may become angry, impatient, or disgusted with others; but
they retain a feeling of affection for human beings in general. More specifically,
Maslow (1970) stated that self-actualizing people are “often saddened, exasperated,
and even enraged by the shortcomings of the average person” (p. 166), but never-
theless, they continue to feel a basic kinship with that person.Profound Interpersonal Relations
Related to Gemeinschaftsgefühl is a special quality of interpersonal relations that
involves deep and profound feelings for individuals. Self-actualizers have a nur-
turant feeling toward people in general, but their close friendships are limited to
only a few. They have no frantic need to be friends with everyone, but the few
important interpersonal relationships they do have are quite deep and intense. They
tend to choose healthy people as friends and avoid intimate interpersonal relation-
ships with dependent or infantile people, although their social interest allows them
to have a special feeling of empathy for these less healthy persons.
Self-actualizers are often misunderstood and sometimes despised by others.
On the other hand, many are greatly loved and attract a large group of admirers
and even worshipers, especially if they have made a notable contribution to their