Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences
Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences is a 1964 book about psychology by Abraham Maslow. Maslow addressed the motivational significance of peak experiences in a series of lectures in the early 1960s, later published these ideas in book form.[1]
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Abraham Maslow |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Psychology |
| Publisher | Ohio State University Press |
Publication date | 1964 |
| Media type | |
Overview
In contrast with the preoccupation of Freudian psychopathology, Maslow insisted on a "psychology of the higher life" which was to attend to the question "of what the human being should grow toward."[2] In his work, Maslow described the experience of one's life as meaningful as being based on a feeling of fulfillment and significance.[3]
Maslow's theory of “peak-experiences” has been compared to William James' “healthy-minded” religion.[4] Maslow hypothesized a negative relationship between adherence to conventional religious beliefs and the ability to experience peak moments.[5]
In Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences, Maslow stated that the peak experience is "felt as a self- validating, self-justifying moment which carries its own intrinsic value with it." Furthermore, the person is the "creative center of his (or her) own activities."[6]
References
- Koltko-Rivera, Mark E. "Rediscovering the later version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs: Self-transcendence and opportunities for theory, research, and unification." Review of General Psychology 10, no. 4 (2006): 302.
- O'Connor, Dennis, and Leodones Yballe. "Maslow revisited: Constructing a road map of human nature." Journal of Management Education (2007).
- Battista, John, and Richard Almond. "The development of meaning in life." Psychiatry 36, no. 4 (1973): 409-427.
- Burris, Christopher T., and W. Ryan Tarpley. "Religion as being: Preliminary validation of the Immanence scale." Journal of Research in Personality 32, no. 1 (1998): 55-79.
- Breed, George, and Joen Fagan. "Religious dogmatism and peak experiences: A test of Maslow's hypothesis." Psychological Reports 31, no. 3 (1972): 866-866.
- Yeagle, Ellen H., Gayle Privette, and Frances Y. Dunham. "HIGHEST HAPPINESS: AN ANALYSIS OF ARTISTS'PEAK EXPERIENCE." Psychological Reports 65, no. 2 (1989): 523-530.