@ Geo
2025-01-16 17:31:06
A couple of years ago psychologists at Berkeley have [delved into the phenomenon of awe](https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221094856)—how it affects us, when it arises, and how it can benefit us. Then I made this short summary, which I translated and edited a little today.
## What Characterizes Awe?
Researchers define awe as a distinct and complex emotion encompassing 8–10 positive feelings, such as wonder, admiration, delight, and respect.
I’d like to sprinkle in a touch of discomfort or even threat, but the study notes that this aspect of awe depends on cultural context. For instance, in Japan, awe is more closely tied to experiences of threat than in other countries—think earthquakes, emperors, Hiroshima, Godzilla, and other kaiju.
## How does our body respond to awe?
It turns out that awe can significantly improve both physical and mental health—even in “angry, bald apes” like us. The only caveat is not to mix it with fear or threat. Awe associated with those tends to be less beneficial.
The study identifies five key ways in which awe supports well-being:
1. **Neurophysiological bonuses**:
- Increased vagal tone.
- Reduced sympathetic arousal.
- Release of oxytocin.
- Decreased systemic inflammation.
- Lower activity in the brain’s default mode network.
2. **Reduced self-focus**:\
Over-focusing on oneself contributes to anxiety, depression, body image issues, addiction, aggression, and more. Notably, most people's profile pictures are close-ups of their faces. But among hikers, you’re more likely to see tiny figures dwarfed by vast, beautiful landscapes. If that’s not a literal shift away from self-focus, what is?
3. **Prosociality**:\
Even a brief moment of awe boosts cooperation, generosity, and altruistic behavior. Nowhere have I seen as much mutual help and free-flowing communication, even among strangers, as I have on hiking trips.
4. **Connection to the larger whole**:\
Awe fosters integration into strong social networks, a sense of connection to others, and harmony with nature.
5. **A sense of meaning, purpose, and significance**:\
Awe aids in making sense of life’s events, finding links between the present and the past, and aligning with one’s values, relationships, and life trajectory.
These five aspects form the foundation of both physical and mental health. Open any book, lecture, or treatise on human well-being, and you’ll find them highlighted in some form.
## How can you experience awe?
<img src="https://blossom.primal.net/46f89c89063c95b68833651fd09566613a9cf7e5b79f3fd4107e690d3a7d7242.jpg">
The good news is that opportunities to experience awe are varied and accessible to almost everyone. It’s both surprising and heartening that they don’t revolve around the modern-day idols of success, money, or power. It seems that, at our core, we’re geared toward other goals and often misled by false priorities.
Among the universally effective ways to experience awe, researchers highlight:
- Spiritual and religious practices.
- Shared ceremonies (cinema, music, dance).
- Visual art.
- Psychedelic experiences.
- Acts of courage and kindness (which inspire awe in others).
- And, of course, connection with nature.
When mountains and hiking entered my life, they brought more health, peace, friends, purpose, and meaning than I’d ever expected. This text is a direct result of the awe I feel each time I stand among peaks, cliffs, forests, lakes, and rivers.
It’s not a panacea, but in a time when we’re drowning in useless information, political madness, urban filth, and noise, we desperately need a breath of fresh air.
Let’s embrace awe!
<img src="https://blossom.primal.net/d2e3c29b06c3eb963005429494a1687fba8dc32eed8deb56e3650fdf2472cc39.jpg">