By Leini Jenkins
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
Is there a time that made you stop and take in what was happening due to feeling a sense of vastness, wonder, or a loss for words? I had one of those moments when I was seven years old. The Winter Olympics were happening, and my family was very invested in watching the various events. One evening, we watched the women’s figure skating event. Michelle Kwan, one of the top figure skaters for the U.S., was getting ready to do her skating routine. I remember that once she started, I was entirely consumed by her performance. All my attention and energy were focused on her and her skating. I had never seen anyone skate like that. I was blown away. Her skating inspired me, and I still love to watch figure skating. But what I was feeling that day all those years ago was awe.
Awe is a complex emotion arising from a feeling of perceived vastness (Keltner & Haidt, 2003) that transcends your current frame of understanding or view of the world (Reese, 2023). A feeling of awe might occur when out in nature, at a musical or theatrical performance, while engaged in a spiritual practice or witnessing an act of courage or kindness. The benefits of awe are just as vast as the feeling itself, benefiting both mental and physical health. Awe has been shown to produce a sense of connection to things and people (Liu et al., 2023), relieves stress (Bai et al., 2017), calms the nervous system (Chirico et al., 2017), and increase an individual's desire to act in ways that benefit others (Keltner et al., 2014; Stamkou et al., 2023). While experiences of awe are associated with more significant, profound events, before you go packing your bags for an exotic vacation or signing up to go deep sea diving, awe can also be found in simpler encounters and something you can experience in your everyday life (Reese, 2023; “Small Wonders,” 2023). Dr. Keltner, a leading researcher of awe, claims that opportunities to experience awe are all around us, providing an opportunity to experience its benefits (“Small Wonders,” 2023).
Pausing to notice and take in small moments of awe in daily life is a simple way to give your body and mind a break from the fast-paced, stress-filled environments we often find ourselves moving throughout the day. Let’s explore three strategies that researchers within psychology have found to bring a sense of awe.
Nature
The world is full of different natural landscapes and being in nature often elicits awe (Bai et al., 2021). Nature-induced awe generates feelings of connectedness (Piff et al., 2015), improves overall well-being, and reduces stress (Liu et al., 2023). Therefore, being in nature and witnessing natural events can be one way we experience the benefits of awe in our daily lives.
When outside, notice the surrounding nature, notice local wildlife such as birds or other animals, sit in your yard and take in the sights and smells, watch a sunset or sunrise, and if you are out at night, pause and gaze at the stars. Listen to a thunderstorm, buy fresh flowers or a house plant and notice the small details that make these plants or flowers unique such as texture, smells, or colors. If getting outside is difficult, you might watch documentaries or TV series that highlight nature and expose you to the diverse ecosystems that exist on our beautiful planet.
Being in nature is one of my favorite ways to experience awe. Listening to thunderstorms, pausing to take in a sunset, taking walks in a local park in my neighborhood, and watching documentaries about nature and wildlife are ways I enjoy small moments of awe from nature.
Kindness of Others
Another way to have awe experiences is to notice small acts of kindness, generosity, or courage. In a New York Times article highlighting Dr. Keltner’s research on awe, he points out that we often overlook the kind acts people do (Reese, 2023). Experiencing awe from witnessing acts of kindness benefits us by shifting our focus off of ourselves. This diminished self-focus benefits our minds and bodies (Monroy & Keltner, 2023). Along with noticing the in-person acts of kindness, another tool is to listen, read, or watch documentaries about individuals in the present or from history who have done inspiring acts of kindness or courage.
Recently, I noticed someone stopped to help an older man put heavy items into his car after grocery shopping. I frequently drive by the same outpatient recovery clinic where a woman sits outside and smiles and waves to everyone passing by. After a recent snowy day, I came out of work to find a stranger scraping the snow off cars in the parking lot. Each of these experiences allowed me a brief moment of awe at the goodness humans possess. I love learning about history and one resource I've enjoyed is listening to Sharon McMahon’s podcast, Here’s Where it Gets Interesting. She regularly highlights seemingly ordinary people in history who did incredible acts of kindness and courage. I frequently listen to these episodes and feel awe-inspired by those I learn about.
Novelty
In his book, Dr. Keltner says another way to experience awe is to seek novel and new information (Keltner, 2023). Being open to new experiences and willing to learn new things can produce a sense of awe and wonder, bringing various benefits of awe, as mentioned. Be on the lookout for opportunities to expand your knowledge by learning the details of how something works, finding a piece of music you haven’t heard before, or watching someone compete or perform in an event or sport.
Recently, I saw an article that showed a picture of construction crews building a massive skyscraper. I just sat and scanned the details of the photo and marveled at what I saw and the realization of the intense amount of mechanics and processes that would need to go into constructing a skyscraper. This pause let me experience a moment of awe from simply looking at a picture and thinking more deeply about something I had not thought much about.
A Moment of Awe
The potential to experience awe is everywhere, often just requiring some awareness and being open to what is already present. It is also not limited to what I’ve touched on in this blog post. As you go about your day, pause to take in small moments of awe. Doing so allows you to enjoy a moment of wonder, get outside yourself, decrease stress, and feel a sense of connectedness.
“Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.”
References
Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., McNeil, G. D., Peng, K., & Keltner, D. (2017). Awe, the diminished self, and collective engagement: Universals and cultural variations in the small self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(2), 185–209. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000087
Chirico, A., Cipresso, P., Yaden, D. B., Biassoni, F., Riva, G., & Gaggioli, A. (2017). Effectiveness of Immersive Videos in Inducing Awe: An Experimental Study. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1218. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01242-0
Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Penguin Press
Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition & Emotion, 17(2), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930302297
Keltner, D., Kogan, A., Piff, P. K., & Saturn, S. R. (2014). The Sociocultural Appraisals, Values, and Emotions (SAVE) Framework of Prosociality: Core Processes from Gene to Meme. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(Volume 65, 2014), 425–460. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115054
Liu, J., Huo, Y., Wang, J., Bai, Y., Zhao, M., & Di, M. (2023). Awe of nature and well-being: Roles of nature connectedness and powerlessness. Personality and Individual Differences, 201, 111946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111946
Monroy, M., & Keltner, D. (2023). Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(2), 309–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221094856
Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018
Reese, H. (2023, January 3). How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html
Small Wonders. (2023, December 17). Character Lab. https://characterlab.org/character-hub/tips/small-wonders/
Stamkou, E., Brummelman, E., Dunham, R., Nikolic, M., & Keltner, D. (2023). Awe Sparks Prosociality in Children. Psychological Science, 34(4), 455–467. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221150616