What if I told you that I had something that could make you happier, healthier, and even feel more connected to people? And what if I told you it had zero side effects and was absolutely free? Too good to be true? Actually, not! In fact, it’s pretty awesome! Literally. The complex and mysterious emotion known as “awe” has recently been given more attention and a growing body of literature supports what mystics and philosophers have known for generations. Experiencing awe has a magical effect of making us feel simultaneously both humble, compared to something that is vast and transcendent, and more connected, in a way that makes us more generous and open hearted.
Selfishly, I am moved to write about awe after having been to Death Valley this past weekend. For me, it was like the Disneyland of natural wonder. I walked on a basin of salt, climbed and ran down sand dunes (giggling like a kid), hiked to the base of rainbow and red rock canyons, and viewed the bright starscape enveloped in a very dark night sky. I was so overdosed with awe that it felt like a drug I want to keep taking! What struck me most was the intense experience of simultaneously recognizing both my absolute insignificance and my complete uniqueness. I felt insignificant compared to the tremendous forces and time that created these monuments of nature and completely special in how lucky I was to be alive and to have the gift of the ability, with my senses and human capacities, to take in the beauty.
Fortunately, research shows you don’t have to travel to natural wonders to experience awe. You can find it in watching the birds in our backyard, listening to a great piece of music, or taking in a moving piece of artwork. Some research shows that watching awe inspiring videos or reading a story can elicit our sense of awe with all its benefits. In fact, there was a direct correlation in most studies between the level of awe reportedly evoked in a subject and the amount of improvement in stress reduction and well being. Overall, research shows that people who reported more “wonder and sense of amazement” had lower levels of inflammation (linked to chronic disease).
One of the most profound effects of awe is how it can change our perspective. Awe can lead to what is referred to as the “smaller self” effect. We literally perceive ourselves as smaller in relation to the rest of the world. Awed people are able to see the balance of strengths and weaknesses within themselves more clearly and, in addition, to recognize how outside forces contributed to their successes. In other words, awe brought a sense of humility and a less self centered point of view. This may be why people who experience awe are more likely to offer help or be more generous.
Too busy to take the time to experience awe? Awe can even help with that! Several studies have found that awe tends to expand our perception of time. Study participants who were induced to feel awe agreed more strongly with statements suggesting that time was plentiful and expansive compared to control subjects induced to feel general happiness. I know, personally, standing next to layers of striated rock that took millions of years to form certainly made me feel time on a much grander scale. Feeling rushed felt kind of silly, noting that my entire lifetime was represented by less than a millimeter of rock in the immense wall I was standing next to.
Finding awe can be a daily practice, fortunately. Most practitioners who study or work in fields promoting awe explain that awe can be a matter of attitude. When we look for it there are awe inducing phenomena all around us. Taking an awe walk, for example, can lead to hearing or seeing things in a different way. Just by looking up at tall trees has been shown to induce awe! Or you can read awe inspiring stories or watch awe inspiring videos on the internet. Even watching a talented performer or athlete can evoke awe or having thoughts about someone you love. The good feelings will be well worth the effort. And as far as I know, there are no rehab centers for awe junkies. The high you experience is totally natural and is not illegal in any states I know of, yet.