“Because of this experience I began to use the word “non-peaker” not to describe the person not capable to have peak experiences, but more so the person who fears them, represses them, denies them, turns away from them or “forgets” them.
Every person whose character structure (or belief system or way of life) forces him to be exclusively rational or ‘materialistic” or mechanistic, has the tendency to become a non-peaker. That means, such a view on life turns the person in question to be disposed to regard peak and transcendental experiences as a sort of insanity, a complete loss of composure, a realization of being overwhelmed by irrational feelings, and so on. The man who is afraid to become insane and thus clings desperately to to balance, self-control, reality, and so on, seems to be shook up by peak experiences and tends to fend them off.
For the compulsive neurotic, who organizes his life around the denial and control of emotion, the fear to be overwhelmed by a feeling (what is explained as a loss of control) is enough to mobilise his entire means of destruction and defense against the peak experience.”
Thanks Julia!
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2 Comments
I think too though that schizophrenics are peakers that kind of confirm the fears of the no-peakers. (funny typo, “non peakers”=No peekers!)
Schizophrenics have a lot of trouble dealing with their peak experiences. That’s all it is based on. People that have hallucinations they can’t deal with very well. Other people can have hallucinations and be fine with them, can integrate them.
Shamans have “visions” schizophrenics have “hallucinations”
Non peakers operate basically on conditioning.
I think that’s a fantastic point about its not that hallucination or wild out there perceptions are the problems, but the ability for people to safely experience them, integrate them into ordinary life and still make healthy positive life affirming decisions and behaviors!