Most of us walk through each day expecting few surprises. If we want to better ourselves or our lives, we map out a path of gradual change, perhaps in counseling or psychotherapy. Psychologists William Miller and Janet C’de Baca were longtime scholars and teachers of traditional approaches to self-improvement when they became intrigued by a different sort of change that was sometimes experienced by people they encountered–something often described as “a bolt from the blue” or “seeing the light.” And when they placed a request in a local newspaper for people’s stories of unexpected personal transformation, the deluge of responses was astounding.
William R. Miller, and Janet C’de Baca. (2001). Quantum Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insights Transform Ordinary Lives. Guilford Press. Abstract available (fee for complete article):