Dialogues in the dark: Reconceptualizing peak experience in night tourism through autoethnography
Tran Thi Tuyen
Tourist Studies August 4, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/14687976261474314 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | The author's own reflective field notes and experiential observations from Da Lat and Hon Son Island, Vietnam |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key findings | Argues that night environments trigger a sequential process: inner immersion, then emotional response, culminating in peak experiences. Proposes that dense, foggy Da Lat generates "confrontational depth" that intensifies memory and emotional reflection, while the open seascape of Hon Son Island generates "reconciliational breadth" that fosters calmness and emotional balance. |
Abstract
Night tourism is commonly examined through economic activity and entertainment consumption, while its emotional and introspective dimensions remain underexplored. This study investigates how nocturnal environments shape inner immersion and emotional processes that lead to peak experiences. Using analytic autoethnography, the research draws on reflective field notes and experiential observations from two contrasting destinations in Vietnam: the foggy mountain city of Da Lat and Hon Son Island. The findings reveal a sequential experiential process in which the night environment triggers inner immersion, this immersion releases emotional responses, and these emotions culminate in distinct peak experiences. Da Lat generates confrontational depth, where dense atmospheric conditions intensify memories and emotional reflection. Hon Son Island produces reconciliational breadth, where the open seascape fosters calmness and emotional balance. The study introduces the concept of inner immersion as a mediating mechanism and proposes a contextual framework explaining how different nocturnal environments shape transformative experiences.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The nature of peak experience in wilderness. Participants who had visited wilderness areas in Victoria, Australia, recruited via a... | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 39 |
| Qualitative and Quantitative Features of Music Reported to Support Peak Mystical Experiences during Psychedelic Therapy Sessions Individuals with extensive experience administering psilocybin or psilocybin-containing... | 2017 | Survey and qualitative/quantitative analysis | n = 10 |
| Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Participants recruited from seven online communities, median age 33, 81% male | 2020 | Mixed methods (qualitative interviews and quantitative survey) | n = 319 |
| Clarifying and measuring the characteristics of experiences that involve a loss of self or a dissolution of its boundaries. Adults who reported an experience involving dissolution of self-boundaries or loss of... | 2024 | Cross-sectional survey with confirmatory factor analysis and qualitative thematic analysis | n = 386 |
| The developmental impact of not integrating childhood peak experiences Adults recalling their childhood peak experiences | 2007 | Qualitative study | n = 12 |