By Claire Sullivan
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.
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A memorable moment for me as a child was when I was visiting my cousins in Washington. Being the calm, cool, and collected 8-year-old that I was, I pretty much knew I had life figured out. On one of those crisp summer nights that vacation, I was laying on the trampoline with my two cousins, and my uncle came out to lay with us. We all were amazed at the starry creations above us—so clear that it seemed like I could touch each star with my hand. While gazing at the vast Milky Way with the towering pine trees framing the night sky, my uncle started telling us about how the world was created and about all the other planets, galaxies, and creations in the universe. I was completely mind-blown. I didn’t realize it then, but I was experiencing awe for the first time.
Have you ever had an experience like this? Perhaps a time you were in complete shock at the natural beauty around you? Maybe a time you felt part of something greater than yourself? Any feelings aroused by these instances are probably related to awe. Awe has been described as the experience of admiration and elevation in response to physical beauty, displays of exceptional ability, or moral goodness. The awe-inspiring stimulus can be experienced as “vast” and “difficult to comprehend” (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Awe can be inspired by physically or spiritually large things—mountain peaks, starry skies, etc.—and can challenge one’s worldview, surpassing the scope of their current frame of reference.
Awe is transformative, living through a critical moment that initiates a process of change (Chirico & Yaden, 2018). Having experiences that broaden the mind and impact self-perception can be highly impressionable and motivating. The emotion allows an opportunity to reflect on one’s life and reassess one’s value as a person. Keltner and Haidt (2003) speculated that “awe-inducing events may be one of the fastest and most powerful methods of personal change and growth” (p. 312). Many studies have illustrated that awe has the potential to generate self-transcendence and initiate the pursuit of the authentic self.
Authenticity is when a person feels they are in alignment with their true or genuine self (Sedikides et al., 2019). When one prioritizes their values and lives a life aligned with the principles behind those values, they are living in accordance with their true authentic self. Yet, how does awe motivate the pursuit of the authentic self? Jiang and Sedikides (2021) found that self-transcendence facilitates such a pursuit. Self-transcendence is the process of expanding or reaching beyond one’s self-boundary. This construct can increase one’s feelings of connectedness with a larger context. Therefore, experiencing awe empowers people to transcend beyond the limits of that moment and liberate themselves from the mundane trivialities of life (Bonner & Friedman, 2011). Experiencing awe grants individuals to feel less separate and more integrated into the larger surrounding world. This integration is part of self-transcendence which promotes a pursuit of one’s authentic self.
So, how does this relate to you? Well, according to Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy of needs model, there are five motivational needs: physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and—at the top of the hierarchy—self-actualization. Maslow proposed that when these five needs are fulfilled, humans have the potential to enter a transpersonal realm. They can seek to answer the questions of what makes their life worthwhile, pursue a cause beyond the self, and experience a sense of identity beyond the personal self. To have this peak experience, one must obtain self-transcendence. Only when individuals reach self-transcendence can they fully become their authentic self. So, in the scenario when you feel like you are in a rut, you don’t understand your true meaning in life, you want more personal growth, or maybe you just need some extra motivation and guidance, experiencing awe can help you.
The benefits associated with awe are numerous. First, awe influences general pro-sociality, which refers to actions intended to benefit others (Jiang & Sedikides, 2021). Awe encourages a sense of belonging, decreases daily stress and stress-related symptoms, increases well-being in daily life satisfaction, and is associated with compassion, gratitude, optimism, joy, and love (Anderson et al., 2018). With all these benefits, it is likely that one will gain a sense of power, psychological well-being, self-determination, and autonomous motivation. One may find their meaning in life and understand their purpose.
Are you sick of going through the motions of life? Do you want to find your true authentic self and live your life to its full potential? Experiencing awe may be the trick. Here are some tips for how to experience awe and reach a point of self-transcendence…
Distinguish your values. If you are having a hard time determining what your values are, consider trying some value exercises, such as The Life Compass or The Bull’s Eye activities from the Engaged Living module on mybestself101.org.
Determine a time and place where you can have an awe-related experience. This can be with friends or by yourself, but try to have an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable to be your true self.
Engage in an activity that will promote an awe-inspiring experience. Activities can range from going on a hike, star gazing, attending a religious sermon, listening to a person who inspires you (maybe reading their biography), creating an awe-inspiring playlist or journal, or traveling somewhere with a long and proud history.
Share the experience. If you are with friends during this awe-related experience, discuss your thoughts and feelings. What have you learned about yourself? How will you change because of this experience? If you are alone, share with a trusted person how the activity went for you and what you gained from the experience. These conversations can help others learn from you and allow you to learn from them.
Reevaluate your values and goals. Did this experience change your perspective? How did it help you grow? Is there anything you want to change in your life? Take the time to plan how you will implement your insights into your life. Maybe you recognized a new goal you want to pursue, maybe you want to change your career, or maybe you simply want to call your dad who you haven’t seen in a while. Whatever it may be, plan out a way to implement these new goals or values into your life.
Awe is an amazing emotion. It has the power to help someone reach their authentic self through self-transcendence. This experience of wonder can empower someone to have more motivation, feel connected with the world, have better psychological well-being, and so much more. Understanding one’s place in this large world can be crucial, and awe is a way to find the meaning of one’s life.
“If the world could remain within a frame like a painting on the wall, I think we’d see the beauty then and stand staring in awe.”
References
Anderson, C. L., Monroy, M., & Keltner, D. (2018). Awe in nature heals: Evidence from military veterans, at-risk youth, and college students. Emotion, 18(8), 1195–1202. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000442
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Awe. In APA dictionary of psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/awe
Bonner, E. T., & Friedman, H. L. (2011). A conceptual clarification of the experience of awe: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Humanistic Psychologist, 39(3), 222–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/08873267.2011.593372
Chirico, A., & Yaden, D. B. (2018). Awe: A self-transcendent and sometimes transformative emotion. In H. C. Lench (Ed.), The function of emotions (pp. 221–233). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77619-4_11
Jiang, T., & Sedikides, C. (2021). Awe motivates authentic-self pursuit via self-transcendence: Implications for prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 123(3), 576–596. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000381
Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930302297
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. Harper and Row.
Sedikides, C., Lenton, A. P., Slabu, L., & Thomaes, S. (2019). Sketching the contours of state authenticity. Review of General Psychology, 23(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000156