Goines On: Plateaus and peaks

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Goines was struck by something he had read by psychologist Abraham Maslow about “sacral” experiences. Maslow distinguished between “plateau” experiences (noetic, or intellectual, cognitive) and “peak” experiences (emotional, climactic). Climactic – Goines supposed that included sexual ecstasy. Certainly orgasms were emotional, and peak – piercing and short-lived. And they involved physical arousal and release, which seemed much more related to emotions than to cognitions.

    But M. Scott Peck, on his road less traveled, had pointed out that sexual climax was often an “Oh, God!” experience, and he seemed to think it had a “spiritual” component, which is commonly thought to be “higher” somehow on the scale of human experience. Goines remembered that he himself used to label some of his own heightened experiences “mystical.” But he had backtracked on that, coming to believe that he had really just been trying to find a special term – a term that added distinction – to experiences that had been particularly moving, blissful, serene, somehow elevating. Peck too might either have over-reached in the same way or have exaggerated in his assumed role as a sort of apologist for spirituality. By associating spirituality with sexual ecstasy, which most readers could be expected to have experienced, Peck could count on creating a touchstone for readers of his works. What better hook for spirituality than sex? Like being aroused by a woman telling you she “got wet” just thinking about you.
    Goines’ heightened experiences had been multiplying in recent years, possibly facilitated by having retired and being freed from an 8-to-5 work schedule. He thought of the example of the glow that had emanated from his chest a couple of days earlier and enveloped him and the man who needed to rent a trailer. He guessed that was the same sort off “unitive” glow he had felt many times in the aisles or checkout lines of stores, a feeling of compassionate connection with other people, or felt in his garden or along walking trails when he “encountered” a bird or a squirrel or even a wriggly worm.

    He thought of the example of being somehow “transported” while listening to, say, pianist Lang Lang’s performance of Debussy’s Clair de lune. Or twice, at least, when first the mere taste of a chocolate cookie and then of a toasted sunflower seed heart felt like sexual arousal.
    He thought of the example of the heavenly feeling (“heavenly” did seem the right word for it) that “descended” on him when driving to or walking through the parking lot of a mall and entering a store, and indulging the belief – if only in his imagination, or as an hypothesis – that he could enjoy the intimacy of mind and body with any woman he saw or encountered, with utterly no ill feeling, guilt, or regret on the part of anyone involved – himself or herself or anyone they knew or might know. This particular “sexy” feeling wasn’t sexual ecstasy. It was calm, it lingered, it seemed to empower, to reassure. It seemed to validate itself. It was more a “plateau” experience than a “peak.” As for indulging in sexual peaks whenever and as often as aroused to enjoy them, a millionaire might be able to buy the favors of many women, might even command the power to induce them to have sex with him, but a man of ordinary means could keep a bottle of Astroglide handy.

Copyright © 2019 by Moristotle