Have you ever had a “glimmer”?

I can’t remember when I started noticing them, since I’ve had them for many years. What I realized not too long ago was that they’re always connected to present moment awareness. For instance, I was in class—teaching high school students—and I caught myself observing the kids, the classroom, and myself. It was as if everything froze for a moment and I could feel an immense joy, coming from inside, a feeling of peace, fulfillment, and contentment, as if that moment were absolutely perfect and I had all my needs met.

I’ve had many of those unplanned moments at work.

I’ve had many glimmers.

“A Glimmer is a moment of unexpected joy or connection that arises spontaneously, often in response to something seemingly insignificant.”

(Deb Dana, 2018)

Glimmers are small moments that spark joy or peace that can be found in different places and situations. They can vary from person to person.

You can have a glimmer when you are in nature appreciating its greatness, when you hug a person, pet an animal, see a baby smile, witness an act of kindness, when you feel gratitude, or eat your favorite food. They can happen anytime, and anywhere, at home, at work, right before sleeping in the comfort of your bed after a long day, or when you first open your eyes in the morning.

Glimmers are very personal and they sometimes surprise us, proving our innate human capacity for joy and well-being, independent of external circumstances.

One of my mentors, Dr. Deepak Chopra, had talked about glimmers in his teachings and writings back in the late 1980s and 1990s. He referred to glimmers as “moments of joy that come from within for no reason,” as a prelude to deeper spiritual enlightenment.

How are “glimmers” different from “triggers”?

Triggers are cues, accurate or not, that move the body into those fight-flight-freeze response states—connected to the sympathetic nervous system I describe below.

Glimmers are also cues, but they move the body into that feeling of safety, peace and connection—small moments that spark joy or peace that activate our parasympathetic nervous system I describe below.

But Glimmers are not just tiny moments of happiness for no reason; they can also help us shift our mindset from focusing on the negative to noticing the positive in our lives. They can spark ease, relaxation, safety, connection or a feeling that everything is okay, even for a fleeting moment. Some people call it “being in the flow,” which for me implies feeling a strong connection with something bigger than us, something that is guiding us to make the best decisions and attract our dreamed life. When I feel that type of connection, I feel a glimmer.

Eckhart Tolle called it “glimpses of enlightenment” or “grace” to evoke the idea of fleeting moments of causeless joy and inner peace.

“The joy of Being, which is the only true happiness, can only be found in the present moment. That’s why we need to become aware of our habitual tendency to avoid the Now. You can practice this by observing your breathing as often as possible.”

(Eckhart Tolle)

But… Why is it so difficult for many people? To answer that question, we need to understand how we’re wired and how our brain works.

Our autonomic nervous system is a part of our body that controls involuntary actions, such as our heartbeat, our breathing, digestion, and temperature. It helps us survive and adapt to different situations, searching for and reading clues to determine whether we’re in danger or not. These clues can be in the world around us (like sounds, smells, colors, faces, voices, words) or inside us (feelings, emotions or sensations). Our brain reads these clues, very quickly and without us noticing most of the time, prompting us to react to different situations in the best way possible. This process is called “neuroception.”

Our autonomic nervous system has two branches:

The sympathetic branch is usually compared to the gas pedal of a car. It makes us go faster and stronger when we need to.

For example, when you are running away from a threat, or when we’re playing a competitive sport. Our heart beats faster, our breathing is quicker, our muscles tense, and our senses sharper.

We’re alert and ready to fight or flight.

The downside is that in order to conserve energy it shuts down or slows down functions that are not needed during a moment of threat, such as digestion, healing or growth.

The immune system weakens, the production of saliva and tears decrease, and the reproductive organs shut down.

Sometimes we may feel scared or angry without a reason because of stress, trauma, illness, or bad experiences that activate the sympathetic nervous system.

When this happens, it can affect how we behave, how we relate to others, and our own well-being.

The parasympathetic branch acts like the brake pedal of a car.

It makes us slow down and relax when we don’t need to be alert, fast, or strong to respond to a threat, like when we’re sleeping, cuddling with a loved one, or reading a book.

The parasympathetic nervous system makes our heart beat slower, our breathing deeper, our muscles relax, and our senses calmer.

It also starts or speeds up some things that are important for our health and well-being, such as our digestion or our repair mechanism for healing and growth.

Glimmers can help us regulate our overwhelmed

nervous systems and improve our mental health.

By noticing and embracing glimmers, we can create more positive experiences and emotions in our lives 😀.