Peak moments and peak glimpses
Peak moments can be described as life-changing spiritual experiences that typically involve perceiving a light that shines in everything, understanding - no, really understanding at a cellular level - that all is one and having an experience of the “peace that passes all understanding.” Some examples are the conversion of Paul (from the Christian Bible) on the road to Damascus and Eckhart Tolle’s spiritual experience that he describes in the introduction to his book, “The Power of Now”. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, in her book, “Fingerprints of God”, describes them as quantum changes, and tells many stories of such occurrences, including one of her own. Hagerty cites statistics that suggest that 18% of Americans report having spiritual experiences that are so bizarre that they might be considered evidence of mental illness. These earth-shaking experiences change the person from the inside out; people report they they never are the same after.
Then there are the rest of us, those who don’t have earthquake-proportioned spiritual experiences, who may have peak glimpses that are tantalizing but can be measured only in nano-seconds. I am one of the rest of us.
If you are in the majority that hasn’t had a quantum change, but still considers yourself a spiritual seeker or mystic, you can’t help but feel somewhat second-class. Why hasn’t Source selected you for such a mind-blowing experience? Why can’t you attain that bliss? Are you a fraud?
Just like we are all given many talents and strengths, so are we given spiritual gifts. My gift, and perhaps yours, has not been, at least up to now, to have a peak moment that shatters my misperceptions and leaves me completely changed. My gift has been to recognize the peak glimpses instead and to be grateful for them.
Peak glimpses can be the feeling of gratitude in nature, in playing with young children, or seeing someone’s smile. Peak glimpses can come to you in a tingle on your face, a sparkle of light when speaking to someone. It can be the aha experience of seeing the Divinity in a person.
Living with your eyes and heart wide open allow you to become aware of the peak glimpses. That is what most of us must be extremely grateful for.
Lightning is no more beautiful to me than a butterfly or a flower hidden in the cracks of rocks where I least expect it. Sometimes the true spiritual gift is being able to see the small glimpses daily as we have to look deeper and be more aware. The heart wide open is the gift, and I believe it enriches not only our lives but those around us.
Thank you so much for a beautiful article.
Mariel,
Thanks for your comment! Yes, the spiritual gift is in the small, everyday glimpses.
Blessings,
Kristin
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