Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionIII. Humanistic/Existential
Theories- Maslow: Holistic
Dynamic Theory
© The McGraw−Hill^299
Companies, 2009Continued Freshness of Appreciation
Maslow (1970) wrote that “self-actualizing people have the wonderful capacity to
appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe,
pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy” (p. 163). They are keenly aware of their good
physical health, friends and loved ones, economic security, and political freedom.
Unlike other people who take their blessings for granted, self-actualizing individuals
see with a fresh vision such everyday phenomena as flowers, food, and friends. They
have an appreciation of their possessions and do not waste time complaining about
a boring, uninteresting existence. In short, they “retain their constant sense of good
fortune and gratitude for it” (Maslow, 1970, p. 164).
The Peak Experience
As Maslow’s study of self-actualizers continued, he made the unexpected discovery
that many of his people had had experiences that were mystical in nature and that
somehow gave them a feeling of transcendence. Originally, he thought that these so-
called peak experienceswere far more common among self-actualizers than among
non-self-actualizers. Later, however, Maslow (1971) stated that “most people, or al-
most all people, have peak experiences, or ecstasies” (p. 175).
Not all peak experiences are of equal intensity; some are only mildly sensed,
others moderately felt, and some are quite intensely experienced. In their mild form,
these peak experiences probably occur in everyone, although they are seldom no-
ticed. For example, long-distance runners often report a sort of transcendence, a loss
of self, or a feeling of being separated from their body. Sometimes, during periods
of intense pleasure or satisfaction, people will experience mystical or peak experi-
ences. Viewing a sunset or some other grandeur of nature may precipitate a peak ex-
perience, 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 nat-
ural 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 ac-
tivities and perceptions, more active, and more self-determined. Peakers experience
a loss of fear, anxiety, and conflict and become more loving, accepting, and sponta-
neous. Although peakers often report such emotions as awe, wonder, rapture, ecstasy,
reverence, humility, and surrender, they are not likely to want to get something prac-
tical 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 every-
day polarities.
The peak experience is unmotivated, nonstriving, and nonwishing, and during
such an experience, a person experiences no needs, wants, or deficiencies. In addi-
tion, Maslow (1964) says, “The peak experience is seen only as beautiful, good, de-
sirable, 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.
Chapter 10 Maslow: Holistic-Dynamic Theory 293