Sunrise on Himalayan mountain peaks. The first sight of my newborn infants. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The Mona Lisa.
These are just some of the many awe-inducing experiences in my life. Each time, I encountered something vast that challenged my understanding of the world. Each experience was colored by surprise, and gave me a new perspective about my place in the universe.
Researchers have identified psychological and physical benefits of awe.* It’s not surprising that feeling awe creates a diminished sense of self, greater humility, and an expanded perception of time. With awe, we have greater feelings of connectedness, and positive mood, and feelings of well-being. But that’s not all. Researchers also linked awe with an increased satisfaction with life, decreased materialism, and there were indications of increased kindness and generosity too.
Less obvious is the effect of awe on health -- specifically improved immunity. “Awe was the single positive emotion most likely to be linked to . . . lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines . . .” (according to research by Stellar, John-Henderson, et. al., cited in NBC News BETTER)
You can take a quiz to gauge your openness to awe here:
“Being amazed brings you into the truth of things, into relationship with the inherent mysteries and overwhelming gifts of existence, scaled from the molecular machinery of life to the love and forgiveness in human hearts to the dark matter that glues the universe together.”
- Dr. Rick Hanson
Oh wow! Awe is good for us!
*Sources:
“The Science of Awe,” The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, September 2018
“Why scientists say experiencing awe can help you live your best life,” by Sarah DiGiulio, NBC News BETTER, February 2019 https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/why-scientists-say-experiencing-awe-can-help-you-live-your-ncna961826
“Be Amazed,” by Dr. Rick Hanson https://www.rickhanson.net/amazed/
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