8 Facets of Awe

8 Facets of Awe

In his latest book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, Keltner (2023) explains the stories he and Yang Bai have collected over the years across the world. Although the manuscript is still under review, Keltner highlights some of the main findings of his study. To go beyond “WEIRD” samples, where studies are composed of disproportionate amounts of people who are Western, Educated, Individualist, Rich, and Democratic, stories from participants of all religions, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, political parties, and both collectivistic and individualistic values were collected. Participants were presented with Keltner and Haidt’s (2003) definition of awe, which is encountering something perceptually vast or conceptually vast that transcends one’s current understanding of the world, and then asked to write about a personal experience they had with awe. After translating 2,600 narratives in 26 languages from around the world, Keltner and Bai (2023) found what people around the world consider the “eight wonders” of life to be. Or in other words, eight ways people feel encompassed in awe. Here, I will briefly explain what each facet of awe consists of and what it would look like. As you read through these eight facets of awe, consider for yourself what each one looks like in your life.

1. Moral Beauty

Around the world, the most common thing that led people to feel awe was others’ courage, kindness, strength, and overcoming (Keltner, 2023). Although the physical beauty of landscapes and art has been known to move people in fascination, the moral beauty of other people’s virtue, character, and ability works under a different kind of aesthetic. Courageous acts such as watching a person save another’s life by giving CPR or witnessing others kindness, such as having a meal paid for by a stranger, evoke awe. Witnessing others' courage, kindness, strength, and overcoming activities activates regions of the brain such as the vagus nerve, and oxytocin is released (Piper et al., 2015). The physiological signals people’s bodies give them, such as tears and goose bumps, help them come to understand that they are part of a community (Piper et al., 2015). This awe-inspiring moral beauty awakens the soul inside, allowing acts of reverence to quickly follow.

2. Collective Effervescence

Collective effervescence is a term coined by French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1912). According to Durkheim (1912), collective effervescence is a unison of movement in a big group of people that makes up the soul of religion. He analyzed the emotional core of religion and theorized that moving in unison shifts people to exalted feelings and helps develop an awareness of what unites people to others (Durkheim, 1912). Keltner (2023) and Bai received many stories of people being inspired by this collective self, tribe, and oceanic “we” when being merged by some life force with others. Examples of this collective effervescence would be doing the wave at a soccer game in Madrid with the crowd, going to a graduation at a university, playing on a basketball team, or attending a wedding ceremony and dancing. Any instance where there is collective movement allows people to feel a part of something larger than themselves, and they are more inclined toward feelings of awe and experiencing wonder

3. Nature

Since the beginning of time, nature has been a source of awe for humanity. However, as industrialization and modern technology have amped up in the last few hundred years, nature has slowly dwindled due to man-made products. Back in 1749, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was concerned about this shift in ever-evolving culture and pondered if “...the progress of the sciences and arts [had] done more to corrupt morals or improve them?” This question weighed down on him, and in a trance state, Rousseau realized that the promised message of the Age of Enlightenment, science, industrialization, formal education, and so on was all a lie. He knew it was destroying the soul of humanity, and because of this epiphany, Romanticism was born. Romanticism is all about freeing oneself from the confines of civilization and exploring one’s passions (Blanning, 2012). From the Romantic’s point of view, the search for awe is called the sublime. Natural processes and nature itself are sacred and have spiritual meaning. It is how one finds the sublime. This revolution of Romanticism was Rousseau’s cry for people to go outside and be in nature. Considering this was of concern back in 1749, it is even more crucial today! Kuo (2015) discovered that the sights, sounds, scents, and tastes of nature activate the vagus nerve and reduce sympathetic nervous system responses. This means that awe-related experiences in nature reduce blood pressure, cortisol, inflammation, and boost dopamine and immune function in the human body (Kuo, 2015). Other benefits of nature include helping people concentrate better, handle stress with more resilience, and perform better on cognitive tests (Berman et al., 2008). Activities such as walking in a forest, sitting in grass, smelling wildflowers, and swimming in a lake all create spaces to feel awe and experience wonder. So, take advantage and enjoy the outdoors; it will help you more than you realize.

4. Music

For centuries, people from all over the world have been drawn to music. From indigenous tribes chanting in worship, to Mozart methodically playing chords on the piano, to singing Landslide by Fleetwood Mac in the car on your way to work, music has an element that seems to draw people in and leave them awestruck. Music is a way for people to come together and have a shared identity when being woven together by sound, allowing one to find moments of clarity and epiphany in the deeply significant notes and chords (Keltner, 2023). Even the lullabies that caregivers sing to their babies to rock them to sleep have significance. Researchers noted that singing lullabies, or listening to foreign lullabies, with soothing words and gentle touch changed the child’s physiology to a high-vagal, oxytocin-rich profile, indicating they had a sense of belonging and connection (Bainbridge et al., 2021; Collins, 2019). So, you don’t have to be a famous concert pianist or lead singer in a band to have music positively impact your health. Also, different kinds of music can have varying impacts on one’s body. Studies highlight how slow music can reduce heart rate and lower blood pressure, while faster music can increase blood pressure and heart rate, but lower levels of cortisol (Loomba et al., 2012; Trappe & Gabriele, 2016). Performing or listening to music that is moving can open one’s mind to curiosity, hope, exploration, admiration, and more—in other words, wonder.

5. Visual Design

This wonder of life may seem obvious, but there is something unique about visual designs. Whether it is analyzing a magnificent painting, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, taking in the brilliance of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, or analyzing carvings on the pyramids in Egypt, all these designs can help one feel awe in relation to cultural systems. Studies related to neuroaesthetics, which explain how the brain responds to art, have described four ways art moves one to feel awe: art reveals visual patterns, stores one’s ideas about objects, directs embodied experiences of awe, and lastly, ascribes meaning to a piece of art (Chatterjee, 2014; Kawabata & Zeki, 2004; Nadal & Pearce, 2011; Pelowski et al., 2017; Starr, 2013). While gazing at a visual piece of art, neurochemical signals throughout the brain help one detect patterns of light, color, shapes, and textures (Chatterjee, 2014; Pelowski et al., 2017; Starr, 2013). Art can prompt people to ponder concepts and creates responses in their bodies (such as the heart, lungs, and muscle groups), which then come together to make meaning of visual design through words, stories, interpretations, and cultural theories on life (Kawabata & Zeki, 2004; Nadal & Pearce, 2011). To be clear, awe can go two ways. Oftentimes, people think of awe as a pleasant, wonderful feeling; however, like wonder, awe has a darker side. Note that something can be described as “awesome” or “awful.” Both relate to awe, but they are two different sides of it. Both sides of awe can be striking and inspiring. For example, Francisco de Goya’s paintings, The Parasol versus Saturn Devouring His Son, evoke pretty distinct and different feelings, yet, both somehow evoke this sense of awe and wonder.

6. Spirituality and Religion

It is common to hear religious or spiritual people describe feeling part of something larger than themselves, being touched by the Spirit, or having some new sense of clarity. All these concepts relate to awe. In his revolutionary book from the early twentieth century, William James (1902) described religion as “...the feelings, acts, and experiences of men in their solitude. So far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they consider the divine.” Connecting with the Divine or something larger than the self is the essence of religion and spirituality, both of which go hand-in-hand with “mystical awe” (Keltner, 2023). One can find this connection through grace, love, terror, doubt, confusion, bliss, etc. and find it in any religion (Keltner, 2023). The pathways of mystical awe and this larger than life connection are infinite. Research indicates that as people feel this mystical awe and experience a sort of “surrendering” to something larger than themselves, the DMN deactivates and cortical regions related to joy and bliss activate (Beauregard & O’Leary, 2007; Newberg, 2018; Sheldrake, 2018). Surrendering or having a sort of decay of barriers between someone and the Divine leads to connection and growth. Also, similar to collective effervescence, religious practices commonly involve moving in unison with different religious ceremonies. One study revealed that Muslims practicing the salat (bowing in prayer performed five times a day) had increased activation in the cortical regions associated with acceptance, suggesting that reverence brings about physiological reactions and attention/acceptance to something greater than the self (Van Cappellen & Edwards, 2021). This acceptance with the Divine or something larger than the self reflects the greatness and limitless power of mystical awe.

7. Life and Death

Only two things are guaranteed for everyone living around the world: everyone was born, and everyone will die. The beginning of life is a miraculous wonder. Around the world, no matter the culture, belief system, language spoken, and so forth, people are awe-struck by the wonder of childbirth. The idea that life can be created by something so small is astonishing. Many people experience awe when feeling their baby kick inside their womb while pregnant, watching a baby be delivered during labor, or simply gazing at their baby sleeping soon after birth. Research findings suggest that up to six months after the birth of their first child, both parents have decreased signals from the threat-based amygdala and increased levels of dopamine and oxytocin, a hormone that promotes openness and connection (Feldman et al., 2019). Childbirth marks the beginning of the eight wonders of life, and is the introduction to a life full of vast mysteries and wonders.

On the other end of this beautiful circle of life is death. Now, death can be a scary thought for many people. There is so much unknown, and fear embedded in this ominous and ambiguous idea. However, whether one has pleasant or daunting feelings toward the idea of death, both can be associated with awe. Keltner (2023) distinguishes three main principles that unfold while being with the dying: not knowing, bearing witness, and finding compassionate action. No one knows exactly what it is like to die or what happens after, but this unknown concept can invite us to be open, observe, and wonder. Although bearing witness to the dying can be frightening, being silent, listening, putting a hand on their arm, and breathing can allow you to follow where the dying will take you. Let them lead you on a journey of wonder and awe.

Lastly, it is important to be open to both suffering and compassion in relation to death. Research specifies that people respond to others’ pain in two ways: with their own distress, which is induced by spiked cortisol levels, or with compassion, which is better for the sufferer than those witnessing the suffering (Goetz et al., 2010). Leaning into the discomfort of suffering can help people be transformed, rather than avoiding suffering and staying stuck in a place of discomfort and fear. Death doesn’t have to be a scary thing; it too can be a moment of awe-filled amazement and wonder.

8. Epiphany

The final wonder of life ties all the rest together: epiphanies. Epiphanies are when someone suddenly understands essential truths about life; such truths can be philosophical concepts, scientific discoveries, personal realizations, and much more (Keltner, 2023). Awe creates a space for one to feel a part of something larger than themselves, and, in that, have a newfound clarity and understanding of their life (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). It may be difficult for English speakers to understand the nuance between the “self” and the collective “we," whereas collectivist cultures like Japan often have an easier time seeing the connection between the two concepts. For instance, in Japanese, one translation of the word “self” (jibun) means “shared life space” (Keltner, 2023). An easier way to understand the interconnectedness between all these wonders of life is to think of them all as part of a system. Systems are “entities of interrelated elements working together” to achieve a united goal or purpose (Keltner, 2023). Life is full of systems, from the microorganisms working together within a single cell, to one’s organs working in their bodily system, to working in systems such as schools, work organizations, communities, and countries as a whole. Everything in a system has a purpose and is related to other parts of the system. Similar to how successful romantic relationships work, a successful system needs to follow the pattern of interdependency. Although different parts of a system vary and perform distinct functions, they are still dependent on each other to succeed.

Life is about change. Systems are always evolving. Nature is a continuous cycle of birth, growth, change, death, and decay. Every step contains a new, awe-inspiring mystery to be unfolded. Whether one is being awestruck while listening to the concert opener of “Clouds” at a One Direction concert in the Rose Bowl of 2014 (yes, that is in the top three moments of my life), or walking through the Narrows in Zion National Park, or performing a dance on stage with their dance team, or holding a loved one’s hand as they breathe their last breaths, all tap into an awe-inspiring place that can help transform people’s outlook on life and help them feel a part of something bigger than themselves. Awe integrates us into the systems of life and helps us see where we fit in the grand scheme of life.