A shooting star in the sky, a piece of piano, a plunge into fresh water: and suddenly, we are overwhelmed by intense happiness. How do these moments of grace occur?
During a concert just over two years ago at the Festhalle de Frankfurt, singer Lewis Capaldi could not finish his song “Someone You Loved” due to a ICT caused by his Tourette syndrome. He suddenly found himself on stage, Tremblant, his voice lacking him. Fans continued to sing the song for him. A magical moment that moved many people. “My heart opens” or “I have goosebumps, it’s as if all the voices united in one,” could be read in the comments under the video, which has been viewed tens of millions of times.
Such moments are not planning: they simply occur, fall on us, even are offered to us. We probably all remember such moments: the first time we saw northern lights, when we fell madly in love or the first time we looked at our child in the eyes, overwhelmed and amazed.
The “flow” or the right degree of challenge
According to the psychiatrist and psychotherapist Gregor Hasler, there is no need to climb the summit of Kilimandjaro or to live a transformative experience during a shamanic ritual in Ayahuasca. The intensity already appears when we are “in the subject”, when we are concentrated. This state is also called “Flow”. The “flow” describes a feeling of total immersion and concentration in an activity, where we get lost completely in the present moment and where we forget everything around us. This state occurs when the task requirements perfectly match our own capacities.
The term was invented by the Hungarian psychologist and researcher on happiness Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. The “flow” is a time when you are active, explains Gregor Hasler. For example, dancing, playing chess or climbing in nature. However, to reach the “flow”, you need an activity, a challenge. Taking a day off and lengthening in a hammock generally does not generate “flow”.
Children are more inclined to find themselves in this state: they get lost in the game, time and space no longer play any role, time even stops. It is the body, not time, which manages us in the here and now.
The moment that gives goosebumps
While we can actively target the “flow”, the “advanced experience” – or “peak experience” in English – cannot be forced. This is characterized by intense joy, euphoria and a feeling of connection. It is a moment when you feel more alive, more accomplished and more complete than in everyday life. The term was invented by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow in the 1940s, which considered him an important element of personal development. According to Gregor Hasler, these moments of elusive happiness are rarer than the “Flow State”.
Religions also allow many people to experience intense moments, moments of fullness felt. According to Gregor Hasler, we have largely lost this in the centuries -old world. But it is not necessary to have spiritual experiences to reach sublime moments. In what is called “feelings of wonder” (or “awe -feelings”), as described by the American moral psychologist Dacher Keltner in his book “AWE – The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder” (“The wonder – the transformative power of daily wonder”), it is also a question of “moral beauty”. This is a positive feeling of “being useful”, that is to say to be there for someone, rather than a spiritual feeling. The ego goes into the background, it is transcended and sacrificed for a good cause. The result is an existential wonder, a deep feeling of being touched.
The wonders of everyday life
Dache Keltner has studied such moments worldwide. This includes the birth of a child, the death of a person, intense experiences in nature, mystical and religious experiences. The magical moment mentioned during the Lewis Capaldi concert probably also belongs to this category.
Besides, Lewis Capaldi’s latest album is called “Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent”, in French “broken by the desire to be sent divinely”. Perhaps a vague memory of this magical moment when, in distress, it was supported and carried by its audience. And perhaps also the reason why he was able to have a few days ago, after two years of break, again enthusiastic people on this same scene.
Christine Schulthess (SRF)/Ain
