Psychologist Abraham Maslow formalized and popularized the term “Peak Experience” in the 1960s. According to Maslow, peak experiences are especially joyous and exciting moments in life, involving sudden feelings of intense happiness and well-being, wonder and awe, and possibly also involving an awareness of transcendental unity or knowledge of higher truth.

Maslow (1970) describes how the peak experience tends to be uplifting and ego-transcending; it releases creative energies; it affirms the meaning and value of existence; it gives a sense of purpose to the individual; it gives a feeling of integration; it leaves a permanent mark on the individual, evidently changing them for the better. Peak experiences can be therapeutic in that they tend to increase the individual’s free will, self-determination, creativity, and empathy (see wikipedia for more on Maslow and peak experience).

What does peak experience have to do with photography?

I believe there is–and have personally experienced–a synergistic relationship between photography and peak experience. That is, I have found that photography can help to bring on peak experiences; and also, that peak experiences often feed positively into photography to help create especially compelling and transcendent images.

Truth be told, in fact, I think the main reason I have continued to pursue photography is because of its ability to help me have these “peak experiences”. When you recognize something transcendent in a scene you are photographing and are able to capture it, or later on when looking through your photos, you see some bit of beauty or truth you would have never seen without the stop-action capability of still photography, you are beholding the “magic” photography provides for entering peak psychological (and spiritual?) states.

Of course, photography isn’t the only way to truth, beauty, and peak experiences. Other common means are other artistic pursuits, art appreciation, meditation, yoga, intense physical exertion, relationships with others, exposure to nature, and so on. Photography just happens to be a means that suits me and my life situation well at this point, and may (or may not) continue to be a particularly effective and convenient means for the rest of my life.

I have also found that intense physical activity, writing, reading, and exposure to nature have gone a long way toward helping me achieve “higher” states of consciousness. And whenever possible, I try to combine them and/or play them off of one another to help prolong and spread the influence of my transcendent experiences from one sector of my life & pursuits to another.

I recently bought and read the book “Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing“, By Philippe L. Gross, S.I. Shapiro. In most respects, I think it’s worth reading. It showcases many inspiring photos from the author Gross and several significant photographers from photography’s history (e.g,. Minor White, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Weston, Wynn Bullock, Ansel Adams, etc).

The book makes the case that the photographer’s state of mind and all that that includes (clarity of perception, stillness/centeredness, patience, relaxed expectations) is the most important factor determining whether a “successful” photograph will be made. It acknowledges that some technical knowledge and expertise are required to make an effective or compelling photograph, but that these requirements are relatively easily acquired and pale in importance compared to the photographer’s state of mind and “being”.

I am in 98% agreement with the book’s message; the photographer’s state of mind is critical in making transcendent photographs. Without the proper mental disposition and awareness, inspired photos are unlikely to happen. When photography students are taught things like “The Rule of Thirds”, such mental constraints can actually get in the way of making inspired photos. Here are some other “barriers to seeing” listed in the book (paraphrased):

• The need to conform, win approval, or be a member of a group; the inability to disagree, be unpopular, or stand alone.
• Over-respect for authority or a great practitioner; becoming a disciple, loyal follower, and unable to affirm oneself.
• The need to be dominant and in control versus non-interfering and receptive.
• The need to rubricize and categorize versus simply experiencing.
• Intolerance of ambiguity.
• The need for radical novelty versus seeing what is special in the familiar.

As I said, I think this book is worth reading and I’m mostly in agreement with it. Ironically, my biggest disappointment in the book is that it presents its case in a somewhat uninspired, almost “academic” way! The photography is inspiring, the ideas are inspiring, but the writing is kinda, well, uninspiring and not as compelling or insightful as I would have expected. Yet, there aren’t a lot of other options out there covering these ideas. (Here are a few others that may at least get close to some of these issues if you’re interested.)

So, getting back to Maslow (who, by the way, is mentioned a few times in The Tao of Photography)…

I have found photography to be an effective vehicle for achieving peak experiences, and for peak experiences to inform and feed my photography in a way that brings it to a higher level. When things are going optimally, a reverberative cycle is created in which the peak experience feeds into the quality of the photo, which then–being inspired and transcendent–flows back to me in the form of an even more elevated state of peak experience. This elevated perceptual state then further influences the photos I’m capturing, leading to photos that are even more original and/or transcendent.

I imagine that if this feedback cycle were to continue indefinitely, the photographer would likely lose himself and go insane or something! The reality is that the cycle is usually somewhat short-lived; and also, that since the photographer is, in fact, focusing his heightened perception on physical reality (that’s what’s in his viewfinder!), it tends to fortuitously tether him to physical reality–i.e., to keep him somewhat “grounded”.

Even though this highly exhilerating feedback loop is fairly short-lived, the effects of it are not; there’s often a residual “aura” of stimulation that goes on to enhance the photographer’s thoughts and perceptions the rest of the day–if not over the course of multiple days–though at a lower, more sustainable level.

I think I could on and on about the relationship between photography and peak experience, but I think it may be an issue better explored in book format due to the amount of discussion involved to really flesh it out. Maybe I’ll write that book! Or maybe I’ll just return to the subject multiple times here at the blog.

In any case, I think peak experiences are the true reason I do many of the things I do in life, including photography. Photography is just a means to get there, and it is a means I–and hopefully you too–quite enjoy…:-).

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