Embracing awe

Not long ago, the U.S. experienced its second total solar eclipse—during which the sun’s light is completely blocked by the moon—in recent memory. The midday sky grew dark, the temperature dropped, animals began their evening routines, and many people present looked up together in awe, a powerful emotion with a rich variety of benefits.   

What is awe? 

Awe is an emotion characterized by mind-blowing, larger-than-life experiences that defy our expectations. Eclipses can certainly evoke awe, but so can a wide variety of more everyday things, including nature, music, art, architecture, and other people. A core component of awe appears to be its ability to evoke a smaller sense of self—that is, feeling awe can reduce self-focus in the face of something bigger (physically or conceptually) than us. What’s more, research shows that feeling awe can produce a variety of personal and social benefits.  

Awe and its benefits 

After experiencing awe, compared to other emotions, people are more generous, humble, curious, and they report greater social connection—a core component of well-being. For example, during the 2017 solar eclipse, people who were in the path of totality, compared to those who were not, expressed greater awe and several markers of social connection in the language they used on social media—showcasing how awe-inspiring moments can impact connection on a massive scale.   

Several studies have also connected awe to decreased daily stress and boosted life satisfaction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a 22-day, longitudinal study of both healthcare professionals and patients found that the more daily awe people reported, the more well-being and the less stress and somatic health symptoms (e.g., neck/back/joint/ chest pain, trouble sleeping) they reported. Emerging work even suggests that awe might underlie some of psychedelics’ therapeutic benefits. 

How to experience awe 

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for an eclipse or travel to the Grand Canyon to feel awe and reap its benefits. In fact, research shows that taking 15-minute outdoor “awe walks” can be enough to boost positive mood among older adults. Although some people can be more prone to awe than others, it is possible to make feeling awe more likely with the right outlook.  

Evidence-backed methods suggest that awe is likely to occur when we try to shift our attention to the present moment, slowing down and pausing to take things in. Additionally tapping into a beginner’s mindset—such as imagining that you’re experiencing a particular moment (i.e., a song, view) for the first time—can help. Although you might have been to a particular park or listened to a song before, it’s likely that there are a wide variety of things that you might not have noticed before. Taking a different perspective can highlight new, potentially awe-inspiring details.   

Nature tends to be one of the most common sources of awe, but feel free to seek out awe in whichever way seems best to you. Who knows—by taking in an amazing experience, you might find yourself less stressed, more connected, and have a great story to share in the process.  

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.