The afterglow
When euphoria is so strong that it lingers on
As a fan, Ticketmaster is my sworn enemy. (Seriously.)
But even I must give credit to the marketing team for their ad, subtitled “The Afterglow.” It’s a slideshow of snapshots of friends and family basking in that hum of happiness as they journey from the stadium back home.
“When the game ends, that feeling begins…”
I may not be a sports fan, but this feeling is incredibly familiar to me. It’s something we can probably all relate to: that emotional thrum that goes on following an immensely happy experience.
The afterglow might last an amazingly long time, particularly after experiences that are more intense. For instance, in a qualitative study about experiences at EDC Las Vegas (the massive 3-day EDM festival), one repeat attendee explained that he felt “re-energized” for about a month after the event. This emotional recharging was accompanied by a change in mindset and in the way he treated others: “my faith in humanity had kind of been restored… I do feel like I have tried to be a better person, after seeing people being nice to each other” (qtd. in Little, Burger, & Croucher, 2018, p. 18).
Such experiences can, of course, positively influence us for much longer than a month. They can even change our lives. But the afterglow seems to be a critical period where the feelings, and maybe particular mindsets, persist without any effort. We can think of it as a distinct sub-phase of the broader synthesis phase.
It seems that all kinds of peak experiences come with an afterglow, so we can look at research in other areas that might also apply to collective events. For instance: psychedelic experiences, which are usually quite intense and meaningful.
An early description of the psychedelic afterglow reads: “mood is elevated and energetic; there is a relative freedom from concerns of the past and from guilt and anxiety, and the disposition and capacity to enter into close interpersonal relationships is enhanced” (qtd. in Evens et al., 2023).
Sounds kind of similar, right? A meta-analysis of the psychedelic afterglow revealed diverse effects that usually lasted at least two weeks and sometimes up to a month or longer. These effects were mostly positive: fewer clinical symptoms (like depression and anxiety), improved mood and overall well-being, positive social outcomes and behavior change, and differences in attitudes and values like increased optimism, creativity, and gratitude (Evens et al., 2023). It is also theorized that the psychedelic afterglow period is a time of enhanced therapeutic effectiveness.
Overall, the magic of the afterglow seems to go beyond just feeling good. We may be a bit more flexible, a bit more open, a bit more motivated. Our whole selves are refreshed, in a way. However long the feeling lasts, it’s worth noticing the potential of that energy.
And so it is unexpected, but ultimately understandable, that Ticketmaster is “selling” the afterglow. In the ad, we know absolutely nothing about the excitement of the games these people watched, whether their team won or lost, and certainly not the service experience at the stadium. Those things are important, but what actually, really matters? What is “going to the game” all about?
The afterglow is a pretty good answer: the warm feelings of closeness to others, the uplifted mood, a satisfied and buzzing kind of tiredness. George Jackson’s sincere refrain puts it well, and simply, as the soundtrack in Ticketmaster’s video: “I’m living good, I’m living so good.”
Party-starter guide: Bathing in the afterglow
Practice savoring to appreciate your lingering positive experience: turn your attention to your current feelings, not just your past memories. Try a body scan to locate these emotions in your body, or journaling about the afterglow
Make social plans to capitalize on the feelings of openness to connect with others (Afterparty, anyone?)
If you feel creatively inspired, motivated towards your goals, or drawn towards healing work, follow that energy while you have it
Note for designers:
Consider how the afterglow might affect timing of any surveys you send. It may be beneficial to capture these positive emotions, but asking participants to be too analytical too soon may not be optimal
Afterparty talk
How would you describe your own afterglow feelings following a big event (like a game, concert, festival, or retreat)? How long did the feelings last, and did they change over that time? Besides changes in emotions, did you also notice any differences in your energy, mindset, or motivation?
Party on
Share this post to keep the conversation going.
References
Evens, R., Schmidt, M. E., Majić, T., & Schmidt, T. T. (2023). The psychedelic afterglow phenomenon: a systematic review of subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 13, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/20451253231172254
Little, N., Burger, B., & Croucher, S. M. (2018). EDM and ecstasy: The lived experiences of electronic dance music festival attendees. Journal of New Music Research, 47(1), 78-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/09298215.2017.1358286 (reprint version retrieved from here)