There is a light at the end of every tunnel. Some tunnels just happen to be longer than others. - Ada Adams
That tunnel could also be a tube, Ada.
But how would you explain to a person that has never been surfing the merits of getting tubed?
Well according to several scientists you don't even need to be a surfer to achieve that specific state of mind - to find your own light at the end of the tunnel.
The American psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow used to call these states 'Peak Experience'. He was convinced that these type of situations could make life extraordinary valuable by their occasional occurrence, that they gave meaning to life itself and proved it to be worthwhile.
He wasn't the only one who investigated into that direction.
It seems that these peak experiences are even more contributive to our survival than one might actually believe!
Seeking the peak
The so called 'flow state' is a time in which, whether in a physical or mental capacity, a person finds themselves capable of otherworldly speed, clarity, and efficiency in their work.
Stephen Kotler added in his book The Rise Of Superman: "It's a moment where a person's true potential is unlocked." (Source)
It turns out that this special human phenomenon also known as the zone is more frequently lived by action sports athletes (including surfers) than by any other group of people in the world.
According to Kotler, it’s imperative for our survival, especially when surfing waves outside our comfort zone.
Thus, the more we push ourselves in the water, the happier we should be as humans.
Seeking the flow - the zone - is an essential part of the surfing experience.
The generic driver to happiness
The Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered that the happiest people on earth were those who had the most peak (flow) experiences:
The feeling didn’t come when they were relaxing, when they were taking drugs or alcohol, or when they were consuming the expensive privileges of wealth. Rather, it often involved painful, risky, difficult activities that stretched the person’s capacity and involved an element of novelty and discovery. - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Source)
Stretching our capacity, stepping out of the comfort zone in order to fuel self-esteem is one key to personal satisfaction in life.
TED Talk: "Flow, the secret to happiness" (18 min.)
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states that money cannot make us happy. He looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."
In a reverse conclusion, when peaks reinforce our mental well-being, the're able to prevent mental distortion.
That's also what Abraham Harold Maslow found out.
The peak experience is felt as a self-validating, self-justifying moment... It is felt to be a highly and uniquely valuable experience. (...) They prove life to be worthwhile. To say this in a negative way, I would guess that peak experiences help to prevent suicide.
We don't even need to be a surfer to experience the peak.
It's inside all of us, and it can be discovered everywhere and at any time.
The great lesson from the true mystics is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard. - Abraham Harold Maslow [Source]
Go for it, steemians!
Marly -
Thanks for your valuable time!
This blog was launched at the end of July 2016
aiming to provide stories for open-minded
people who enjoy living on the edge of their lives,
stepping out of comfort zones, going on adventure,
doing extreme sports and embracing the new.
Welcome to the too-much-energy-blog!
PS: Don't forget to visit my new site surfermarly.com
Sources: Paul Walker quote found on quotefancy.com and Kelly Slater quote found on pinterest.com. Additional sources indicated inside the content.