The thrilling science of awe: How wonder boosts happiness and health

When considering ways to improve your life, the fleeting sensation of awe isn’t usually the first thing you you think of. But in a newly published book, ‘Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life,’ Berkley psychologist Dacher Keltner explains why it’s a key element to finding contentment.

While the word ‘awe’ comes from the Middle English ‘age’, meaning dread, terror and submission, Keltner says it has changed over the years and shifted with culture. He defines it as: “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.”

A recent study by a University of Toronto psychologist discovered that awe was one of the emotions most strongly correlated with lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Chronically elevated cytokines can negatively impact health, increasing the risk of depression, cardiovascular problems, and diabetes.

PhotoL Tim Mossholder

Keltner writes, "Twenty years into teaching happiness, I have an answer: Embrace awe." Research has linked awe to greater life satisfaction, humility, improved mood, and reduced materialistic feelings.

The benefits of experiencing awe extend beyond the individual. Multiple studies have shown that participants who were induced to experience awe exhibited more generous and cooperative behavior.

To increase the likelihood of experiencing awe, Keltner suggests minimizing distractions, being present in awe-inspiring moments, focusing outward, and staying open to inspiration. He believes people can find a touch of awe every day.

Keltner categorizes awe experiences into eight main groups, all of which serve as reminders that we "are part of many things that are much larger than the self."

Photo: Alfred Aloushy/Unsplash

When interviewing 2,600 participants from 26 countries, Keltner and his colleagues found that the most common sensation of awe was stirred by the courage, kindness, strength, or triumphs of others. It can come from admiring those you know or total strangers.

Taking part in something beautiful can be striking. Science shows that individuals’ physiologies, hormones, and brains even synch up when moving in unison or when participating in activities like concerts, sporting events or religious events.

Keltner's research demonstrated that awe-inspiring nature is universal across cultures and landscapes. "It might be mushrooms in Russia, the desert landscape in parts of the Middle East, or the ocean for surfers — but nature is directly evocative of awe," he said on the On Being podcast.

Music that moves us activates the dopamine circuit, opens our minds to wonder, and connects us with others. Physical responses like tearing up or getting goosebumps can break down self-boundaries, according to Keltner's research. Creating music can also evoke awe.

Art is another quintessentially human that can inspire jaw-dropping awe. You don’t have to seek out the Mona Lisa, as researchers found that subjects watching a slow-motion video of drops of colored water falling into a bowl of milk was enough to inspire awe.

Regardless of specific beliefs, any spiritual experience can be a source of awe. One study even found that writing about a past spiritual experience was enough to provoke powerful feelings of awe and help dissolve the ego. Spiritual experiences include religious gatherings, ceremonies, prayer, meditation, yoga or feeling connected to nature.

Ever have an idea blow your mind? Whether it’s a question raised in a poem, hearing about quantum physics or learning about evolution, grappling with big ideas has also been shown to bring more awe into your life.

Photo: Julia M Cameron/ Pexels

The final major category involves encountering some of the most potent forces in existence: life and death. Although death can often be a source of suffering, Keltner asserts that it is frequently accompanied by awe and can lead to profound experiences.

A Guardian book review complimented the book but also said it didn’t address the dangers associated with awe. For instance, it says fascism was adept at harnessing the feeling through monumental architecture and political rallies.