In
psychological terms, a peak moment is a
moment when an individual surpasses their
normal limits, both mentally and physically.
Top athletes often experience peak moments. Years of training and repetition of certain actions until they become second nature give them ability to do things most people could never manage to accomplish. Peak moments are by no means limited to athletics, although they are usually associated with some kind of difficult, demanding task that requires lots of practice and concentration.
It's hard to accurately describe what a peak moment is like, but you will most likely know if you have one. Usually, they only last for a few seconds, but some people can keep them going for much longer. The feeling is amazing... an unparalleled high.
My own first peak moment came playing Crazy Taxi, although I have since had such moments doing other things. I'll try to describe my experiences. It's like watching yourself almost... you don't have to worry about how you will do things, you simply decide to do them and they happen. Your brain takes care of all the details. While playing Crazy Taxi I could even see into the immediate future. I know the exact route I would take, each and every maneuver, every square centimeter of the level I would pass over, just how I was going to bounce my wheel on every curb. Of course, this was because I really did know the game like the back of my hand, although my predictions always seemed to play out. My score increased 30% that day.
It's like being on the ball, in the zone, at the top of your game - except 100 times stronger. And the best bit is, unlike many drugs, you are in complete control!
Of course, the above paragraph does not do the experience of a peak moment justice, you really have to have one yourself, which unfortunately is quite hard to do. Generally, it requires a lot of practice at a given activity. I find meditation also helps, just thinking about the activity, remembering each action, every aspect of it. Deconstructing everything you do also helps, for example when playing a video game I try figure out a sequence of distinct events that make up every action, until I can't break it down any more. I think about each event, how it occurs, what factors effect it, what it feels like to be controlling it. However, even with massive amounts of practice you are not by any means guaranteed to have a peak moment.