What is Awe?

What is Awe?

Awe is an overwhelming feeling or sensation that occurs when you encounter something so vast, powerful, or profound that you struggle to fully comprehend it. Put another way, encountering something perceptually vast (a physical realm) or conceptually vast (an idea) that transcends one’s current understanding of the world is awe (Keltner and Haidt, 2003). Something that is perceptually vast could be the ocean, while something conceptually vast could be the Big Bang Theory. There can be a feeling of a “diminishing self” amidst this vastness (Stellar et al., 2018). Essentially, this sense of vastness can allow one to transcend their current frame of reference and have their understanding of the world expand. Keltner (2023) adds that vastness can be physical, temporal, semantic, challenging, unsettling, and destabilizing. Overall, awe can relate to practically anything in life, depending on your perception.

What is Wonder?

Known as the “central feature of the human spirit,” wonder is a heightened state of consciousness and emotion brought about by something unexpected (Davis, 2021). Wonder is the launching pad for creativity, resilience, and connection. It can be experienced as a joy-filled amazement at life and allows one to receive uncertainty with openness. This splendor that “unexpectedly prompts you to take charge of the next beautiful phase of life” has the potential to overcome barriers and finesse challenges in pursuit of one’s aims (Davis, 2021). This sensation can influence one to feel more curious and have a great desire to understand or explore something. An awe-inspiring experience sparks wonder within us, which then manifests into a state of action and curiosity.

How are Awe and Wonder Different?

There can be much overlap between awe and wonder, and the two terms are often used synonymously. It is tricky because there is a noun and a verb form for the word “wonder.” Google will tell you awe is “a feeling of wonder.” How confusing, right? Well, if we are getting technical, there are some slight differences in the two concepts. Awe is sometimes referred to as the “small-self” effect (Stellar et al., 2018). Awe can lead to a shrinking of the ego and give us a more balanced and accurate view of ourselves and the world around us (Stellar et al., 2018). So, when observing something vast and great, it can naturally make us humans feel smaller and more humble. Awe is more about encountering something vast and potentially overwhelming that requires cognitive adjustment, often blending emotions like fear and admiration. Awe may also be thought of as an emotion people undergo, which is then the catalyst for the sensation of wonder.

Wonder encompasses the “delight of being” and living in the present (Davis, 2021). Wonder helps people remain open to new experiences and receive the uncertainty of life; rather than flee from it. The action of wondering is like questioning something, but wonder is not just about curiosity. While wonder can be related to curiosity, which propels people to investigate, wonder also surprises and delights, makes connections, sparks creativity, builds resilience, and so much more. Awe is about our relationship to the vast mysteries of life, while wonder allows us to dive into those vast mysteries and learn more (Keltner, 2023). Wonder is more about curiosity and fascination with something new or mysterious, inspiring exploration and appreciation without necessarily challenging existing beliefs. In other words, awe is related to observing the world, while wonder is related to trying to understand the world (Darbor et al., 2016). These two concepts often go hand-in-hand, but they are two different aspects of an experience one may have.

Wonder also has two different ways of being thought of: the noun form of wonder is about the feeling or state of being one is in, while the verb form of wonder relates to the action of curiosity and desiring to know something. Both are interrelated. Wonder can often get confused with joy. Joy is full of optimism and a warm, sunny state of mind; however, wonder is something that can dwell in a space between bright rays of light and eerie, gray shadows of the night (Davis, 2021). Wonder can be attached to melancholy or cheerfulness, but either way it can carry profound insight and launch people forward in their journey in life.

Before we delve deep into this concept of awe, it is important to debunk a stereotype about it first. Some may assume that awe will make people dumbfounded or dazed, leaving them ready to subordinate to dogma, misinformation, blind faith, and so forth; however, research would suggest otherwise (Keltner, 2023). The state of wonder that awe produces allows one’s thoughts to be more rigorous and energized (Keltner, 2023). In a study by Griskevicius and colleagues (2010), they found that after having college students recall a time of looking out at an expansive view, which is a form of awe, the students better discerned between strong, research-based and weak, opinion-based arguments. This rigorous thought struck by feeling awe beforehand demonstrates the power awe has in leading people to critically think and be energized, rather than dumbstruck. In awe, our minds can break through barriers and open into the limitless opportunities of wonder.

VIDEO:

Video with Jonah Paquette on Awe (TedTalk)

Julia Baird Discussing Smallness and Awe (TedTalk)