Rainbow falls
I’ve never been to Niagara Falls, but I’ve heard it can bring out intense reactions of wonder and awe. In 1842 Charles Dickens described his experience in such terms:
I was in a manner stunned, and unable to comprehend the vastness of the scene. It was not until I came on Table Rock, and looked — Great Heaven, one what a fall of bright-green water! — that it came upon me in its full might and majesty…. Then, when I felt how near to my Creator I was standing, the first effect, an the enduring one — instant and lasting — of the tremendous spectacle, was Peace. Peace of Mind: Tranquility: Calm recollections of the Dead: Great Thoughts of Eternal Rest and Happiness: nothing of Gloom or Terror. Niagara was at once stamped upon my heart, an Image of Beauty; to remain there, changeless and indelible, until its pulses cease to beat, for ever.
It sounds counterintuitive that something powerful, even intimidating, can cause such a sense of peace. Can we really be stunned into happiness? But this is transcendence, a particular kind of joyful feeling that comes from shifts in perspective: elevation, proportion distortion, or extremes of scale. These encounters pull us out of our established reality, causing a rapid zooming out, an understanding of the context we exist within, and often a sense of belonging and interconnectedness.
As AoJ reader Greg Whincup once pointed out in a comment on this blog, Albert Einstein described exactly this feeling on looking up at the night sky: “One feels as though melting into nature. One feels the insignificance of the individual even more strongly, and is happy about it.”
At first it seems odd that “feeling insignificant” is a positive thing. But in fact, joy is often a feeling of self-transcendence, where the ego gets out of the way of the emotion, where “I” gives way to “we,” and we discover delight in unity and belonging. In this sense, joy is less something we feel; more, it’s something we become when we move beyond ourselves.
These colors on the falls, superimposed by floodlights, add another layer to an image that we might become numb to with regular exposure, renewing the sense of wonder.
Image: Shot by Joseph Paxton Blair III in 1956, from National Geographic Found, celebrating 125 years of National Geographic.
Charles Dickens quote from Brilliant by Jane Brox.
Discussion (4 Comments)
The role that our environment plays in the emotions we embody and the feelings we carry is often overlooked, especially when it comes to attitudes about ourselves and our own happiness. You summed it perfectly in “joy is often a feeling of self-transcendence, where the ego gets out of the way of the emotion”. It reminds me of Paulo Coelho and his writings in his novel “Aleph” (ever read it?) where he highlights the importance of understanding not only our own energies and identities but also the energies of the spaces around us, and how we innately seek to find some greater alignment between these two. He goes on to describe that an aleph is that moment of clarity when you feel a sense of enlightenment, resolve, and oneness with the space you are in.
As such, joy and happiness evolve from a feeling, which can be fleeting, to an embodiment of who we become, as you describe when we seek to move beyond ourselves. I guess the question becomes, how often do we actively seek these moments?
Kudos!
Thank you for this post. Every year I make an annual pilgrimage to the pacific coast The great mother of all mothers, the ocean always has a message for me. It’s as if she plants an idea in my mind-something I need to hear.
This year it was, ” You are of small consequence.”
At first I was a bit annoyed. The mother of all mothers sometimes sends messages we don’t want to hear.
However, after a short period of reflection I knew this was an important message for me, it comforted me and soothed my worry and anxiety.
Her majesty knows best.
My mother grew up in Niagara Falls and we visited my grandmother there many times. The falls are truly breathtaking and most beautiful at night with the lights on them. If you ever get a chance to ride The Maid of the Mist I highly recommend it. Yes, it’s a touristy thing but there is something about the air there that calms and centers you. I live overlooking a river and love going to the beach very early or late in the day just to watch the ocean. Those waterways are so powerful and yet so soothing.
Annie, I love your story – thanks for sharing. I’ve never been to Niagara Falls but it’s now on my list. I look out over a river too, though albeit the East River, but I love seeing the water flowing and the boats going up and down. Powerful and soothing indeed!