In Toward A Psychology Of Being, Abraham Maslow includes this quote from the poet Samuel Coleridge:
“If a man could pass through Paradise in a dream, and have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his soul had really been there, and if he found that flower in his hand when he awoke - Ay! And what then?”
Maslow’s case is that peak experiences - in the form of mystic, creative, aesthetic, love and insight experiences - can affect a person so profoundly as to make a lasting change. Just as with Coleridge’s adventure into Paradise, our finest experiences grant us proof that life can be more beautiful and more meaningful.
Then we decide to realize our vision.
For the transcript: Peak Experience A Beautiful Thought
