Contents

What a piece of work is man
On human potential.

A peak experience characterized by no anxiety
For a few minutes I lived without anxiety and observed the workings of the mind.

What a Piece of Work is Man

Sitting in a favorite cafe one afternoon, I noticed some art placed under the glass table cover. It looked like a commercial print--colorful and decorative, reminiscent of Van Gogh. I noticed similar art at other tables and on the walls. Looking closely, I was surprised to see that they were not commercial prints at all, but children's paintings. There had been an art contest at the local Montessori school--these were the entries.

That the pictures casually passed as commercial art reveals their quality. Some students drew better than others, but every picture was remarkable in composition and colors. Each was a true work of art.

Most were landscapes--not surpising, since this was in Flagstaff, Arizona, a scenic area where people remain close to Nature. A common feature was roads winding into the distance, often into beautiful mountains. The symbolism seemed to convey life's journey, as it unfolds to a mysterious destiny.

These children revealed archetypes of their unconscious. They showed an understanding of how this life is a prelude to something greater. There is something in the distance, far away, yet near. Something wonderful to which we are headed. I wish I had an image to show here, because the pictures were strikingly evocative.

As I marveled at how these children could be aware of such things, Shakespeare's words sprang to mind:

Each child--and each person--has within their soul immense riches. Each has the sensibilities of an artistic genius--the most profound insights, yearnings, hopes, dreams. Truly we are all made in the image and likeness of God.

The souls of the artistic genius and the 'average' person are alike in their immense beauty. The difference is only that the artists, for some reason, can retrieve these inner truths from the depths of their mind and represent them externally. But the inner truths are present in all. Great art would have no purpose if the viewer's soul was not as deep as artist's.

This realization is cause for the deepest respect for each person. Even your worst enemy is a person of incredible beauty and wonder.

I pondered how many of these children would grow up, take jobs as accountants, lawyers, computer programmers, or corporate executives, and lose sight of their true nature. Our society needs to change in this respect. We must learn to recognize the depth of others, and to acquire the habit of responding to each other at that level.

First, perhaps, one must recognize this nature within oneself. One must regain a sense of one's sacredness and beauty.

Top

A Peak Experience Characterized by No Anxiety

This essay has four short sections. The describes the circumstances leading to the experience. The second describes the experience itself. The third suggests possible physiological mechanisms. The fourth discusses the personal and psychological outcomes and implications of the experience.

The Circumstances

The circumstances were as follows:

One evening in a bookstore coffee shop, some students were preparing for an exam together. They were stuck on calculus problem, and I volunteered to help.

The problem was to calculate the work done in filling a half-hemisphere (6-foot radius) with water. It is a good problem that requires use of calculus, algebra, physics, and analytic geometry.

After a few minutes I thought I had the answer, and guided the students through the calculations. Then I left, first jotting down their cellphone number in case any afterthoughts occurred.

A mile down the road I realized an error. I called them as soon as I reached home to give the now "correct" answer.

But, after another hour, I realized it still wasn't right. Making a distinct effort, I arrived finally at the true solution. Rather than call them again, I took a chance and returned to the bookstore. Luckily they were there, and I explained the answer.

The Experience

A few minutes after returning home the second time from the bookstore the experience occurred.

It was not like anything I've experienced before. There was an element of satisfaction and relief--like that when one finishes a difficult task. But there was more than that.

The best description is that there was a complete absence of anxiety. As I write, I cannot remember exactly what the contents of my thoughts were. But that is partly the essence of the experience. For there was none of the anxious, ruminative thinking common in ordinary thought.

All of that was gone. It was obvious that to allow worrisome or anxious thoughts into awareness was pointless. There was recognition that such thoughts just don't belong.

I did think about certain tasks that needed to be done. Simple things like balancing a checkbook--which ordinarily cause anxiety and procrastination. But in that state, I saw that (1) these things needed to be done, and (2) there was nothing about them that should cause worry. They were just something to do for 15 minutes then move on.

In the state I saw how I make mountains out of such molehills. I saw clearly how I tend to procrastinate, why I do so, that I shouldn't. There no judgmental aspect to this--it was merely an uncomplicated awareness of what I should be doing.

The fading of the experience was as noteworthy as the experience itself. It felt as if various anxious thoughts probed my state of calm, looking for a weak spot--and one such thought eventually succeeded. At first I could resist the thought and remained in the clear mental state. But after a brief while I could see that the anxiety was going to prevail.

The next few moments were the most memorable. I realized that I was about to return to the usual state anxious thought--the mode in which I and most people live. And I realized that to do so would be to loose touch with important truths that I was then seeing. I also realized I could not prevent the transition from occurring.

In those last few moments, I held onto the as much of the feelings, insights and conclusions as possible. So the anxiety returned--to some degree, it has remained since that experience. I do not remember all the feelings of that state. And I am painfully aware that now, under the influence of anxiety, my judgment is obscured.

However I can remember certain conclusions I drew in the state--conclusions about the kinds of things--thoughts and actions--which are relevant and important, and those which are not.

Cause

Perhaps the intense mental activity depleted brain neurotransmitters (norepinephrine?), limiting the ability of anxious thoughts to propagate across neurons.

But, as a colleague has noted, something beyond intense mental activity must have been operating. Consider, for example, that in the workplace, intense thought on a demanding problem often leaves one stressed and anxious.

There must have been something unique about the type of mental activity that evening. Perhaps it was that the problem involved many different parts of the brain. As mentioned, it required algebra, calculus, physics and analytic geometry. Further it took a fair amount of visualization.

As I got closer to the correct solution, there was a sense of an impending "breakthrough." It was as if I needed to make a concerted effort, an act of exertion, to produce the correct answer in final form.

This suggests an alternative to the "neurotransmitter depletion" explanation. It may be that the effort noted above was the suppressing the anxious thoughts. Then, once those were stopped, the answer came forth clearly.

In any case, there was a noticeable difference between the last time, when I produced the correct answer, and the two previous times, when I produced incorrect ones. There was more of an effort to "focus." There was a sense of bringing something forth that was already there at an unconscious or subconscious level. The experience is reminiscent of an "act of creation," a psychological experience which has been considered in the literature.

Implications

The experience had a lasting effect. Though I cannot recreate the feelings, I can remember the conclusions. I saw the extent to which anxiety its defenses dominate thinking.

I understood that procrastination is a major issue. I recognized various follies--activities that seem worthwhile, but which really serve to avoid more important things.

The experience was challenging. Now I feel like a drunk person who knows their thinking is distorted and desires sobriety. But now that I know the kinds of problems my thinking is prone to I am more able to avoid them.

Since the experience I find myself testing thoughts and actions. I say things like "is this something you would have considered good in that state?" Although I cannot recreate the feelings of the state, I do seem able to test thoughts and actions in this way. I can judge whether they are consonant with that state.

The experience renewed my appreciation for intellectual stimulation. It is significant that it occurred when working with college students. Their desire to learn motivated me to work harder to get the right answer than I would have otherwise.

It was reassuring and instructive to see that my mathematics ability is better than ever. I do not think older people are any less able to learn--they just stop placing demands on themselves. The experience left me with the belief that intellectual and creative challenge is not just good, it is a necessity for normal mental function and growth.

Top

© 2001  John Uebersax, PhD
Revised:   12 March 2002