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Awe
- smaointecbt
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Murray Mackenzie
I recently had an experience during a session with a client which had a powerful emotional and physiological effect on me. I was very aware of tears forming and a melting sensation in my chest.
I had been moved by my client’s account of how he carried out some therapy “homework.” He had gone way further acting in accordance with a “new way of being” than either of us had previously anticipated. In a gesture which would have previously been unthinkable for him, he found the courage to share a piece of his own music with someone who was going through a difficult time. The piece he shared ended up providing powerful solace to a loved one and he found himself greatly encouraged by this outcome.
It was only some days later, when I came across some research on awe, that I realised this was likely what I had experienced. I have since learned from doing some reading on the subject and by becoming more attuned to awe experiences in general, that it’s an emotion we can proactively access to boost our mental health.
According to Dacher Keltner, a psychologist who specialises in the study of emotions, we experience awe when we encounter something vast which transcends our current experience of the world. Such an experience brings us out of ourselves and can have transformative effects on our physical and mental health. Physiologically, awe experiences are associated with goosebumps, reduced flight or fight sensations, increased cardiovascular resilience and lowered inflammation. There also seems to be a quietening of the default mode network, the cluster of brain regions responsible for the internally focused processing which occurs when we dwell on the past or worry about the future. Mental health benefits include a heightened sense of connection, presence, and meaning and a reduction in anxiety, depression and feelings of social rejection.
Keltner and others have done large scale, cross cultural studies on peoples’ personal accounts of awe. Universal sources of awe include nature, spiritual engagement, music, dance and the moral beauty of others. In fact, witnessing or contemplating outstanding moral acts by others is the most commonly identified source of awe across cultures. The moral acts in question might involve outstanding kindness, courage or the overcoming of adversity.
It is worth noting that approximately a quarter of awe experiences may not contribute positively to health. These are experiences of vastness that are simply too overwhelming where we are unable to make the accommodation in our perspective demanded by the object. I remember my mother comparing her emotional response to two different awe experiences. One was visiting the Grand Canyon in Nevada, the other was experiencing significant ground tremors in Greece around the time of an earthquake. Although confronted with vastness on both occasions, the fear induced by the ground shaking in Greece was too overwhelming for her to have a positive awe experience.
It is possible to cultivate positive experiences of awe, both by increasing our awareness of awe inspiring situations in the everyday and by actively seeking out experiences which are likely to induce the state of awe. After reading about the positive health effects associated with awe experiences, I resolved to devote a week to recording both planned and opportunistic experiences of awe. As the impetus for doing this came from an instance of moral beauty, I biased my efforts toward this particular source.
Like many people, I donate monthly, via standing order, to a charity which I rarely stop to think about. I’m sure I’m not alone in accruing piles of unopened newsletters relating to a charity subscription which has become automated and unconscious. I decided to start by reading the latest newsletter from Sightsavers and actually considering the work that is being done by that organisation. Mentally visiting another continent was a great way to launch a more external focus and the lead story allowed me to reflect on one doctor’s immeasurable contribution to a rural community in Malawi. I could not help but be affected by testimonies of patients who had had their sight restored by his interventions. For many, restoration of sight allowed them something I would usually take for granted, namely the capacity to go out and make a living to support their family. The image prompted by “people do dance here in this hospital” has stayed with me. Not only did this piece of reading make my monthly subscription more meaningful, but it also unexpectedly connected me to my father, who has previously made several trips to Malawi to deliver humanitarian aid.
I am fortunate to work in a location next to an arboretum. Anyone who visits the campus of UCC cannot miss the pair of Giant Redwoods towering above the Boole Library.
Despite the fact that these 150 year old trees are nearly 30 metres tall, it is somehow easy for them to blend into the background if you’re passing them every other day. Neuroscientist Fred Previc proposes that our visual brain has a separate system for the space above the horizon. Looking up brings our perception into an “extrapersonal space” which brings us beyond the space around us. I made the short trip from my workplace during one lunchtime and took time out to be filled with fresh awe at these redwoods. This refreshed my awareness of the arboretum as a whole and renewed my receptivity to its healing powers.
My preferred natural environments are trees and the ocean. I reflected this week, while watching the waves in Fountainstown, that awe is inevitably part of the experience when I contemplate the ocean. I remember when I moved to Youghal in a previous phase of life the first conversation I had with my new neighbour. I mentioned that the main reason I had favoured Youghal was its nearness to the ocean. He simply replied, “there’s great healing in it”.
Another evening, I decided to spend time remembering a specific instance of moral beauty that had moved me in the past. The moment I chose to revisit was the last time that my wife laid eyes on her father in the funeral home. Witnessing her love, grace and lightness amidst the gravity overwhelmed me at the time and I now realise, can be a constant source of awe.
Towards the end of the week and my experimental journal, I happened to meet someone while out walking with my 13 month old baby. This person was clearly weighed down by life circumstances and there was initially no spark as we greeted one another. My daughter’s name is related to sunshine and she has a fittingly warm and engaging nature. A couple of minutes into the conversation there was a complete shift in this person’s demeanour as they became captivated by her smile. I doubt any adult could have effected such a momentary transformation which seemed to be a response to a young child’s innate warmth and goodness. I recalled this moment the next day when another client, who I had invited to identify “someone who has a 100% positive influence on others” gave the example of a new born baby. I don’t know for certain whether my response to this fits the profile of an awe experience, but I believe so as I feel a very consistent physical response to encounters with moral beauty.
Shifting my attention towards awe for a week enhanced my sense of connection to others and the world of living things. It also consistently opened the door to meaning and purpose. Consciously opening up to experiences of awe provides us with an antidote to the self-focused, downward looking way of being that can contribute to our mental distress.
Suggestions for inviting awe:
Seek out expansive natural environments: the scale and power of nature can diminish the self and inspire wonder.
Witness acts of profound kindness and moral courage: observing moral beauty can evoke a deep sense of admiration and awe for the human spirit
Attend collective gatherings with shared purpose: whether the occasion celebrates sport, music or religion, feelings of unity and shared energy can be a powerful source of awe
Practice intentional “awe walks”: dedicate walks to consciously noticing and appreciating the extraordinary in the everyday
Tell and listen to powerful stories: allow yourself to be moved by narratives which depict extraordinary events, human resilience or profound truths
Explore spirituality and transcendence: practices such as meditation, prayer and contemplation can promote feelings of connection, vastness and a sense of something larger than yourself
Maintain an awe diary or journal: recording and reflecting on experiences of awe can increase attunement and amplify the benefits of these experiences over time.
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