Psychology Today: The Awesome Psychology of Awe

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“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.”

“These are the words of Neil Armstrong, reflecting on the sight of looking down on Earth from the moon, 239,000 miles away (NASA, 2017). He was experiencing the overview effect, a psychological phenomenon that has been noted in astronauts reporting an “overwhelming emotion and feelings of identification with humankind and the planet as a whole” (Yaden et al., 2016).

This awe-inspiring experience is not solely one of positive appreciation and wonder, however. It is tinged with an eye-opening sadness, fear, and recognition of vulnerability. There are several interesting questions to be asked here. Why does such a breathtaking view prompt fear and vulnerability, rather than our traditional expectation of excitement in the face of something truly awesome? How is it that we have a built-in psychophysiological response to something as far removed from our life on Earth as space travel? Why do we experience awe in the first place—does it have any benefits?

The answers to all of these questions are rooted in our biology and evolutionary past. We did not always have the capacity for experiencing complex emotions like awe—most animals do not—yet all such complex emotions are created from the building blocks of more evolutionary ancient phenomena.

Awe is a mysterious phenomenon; it is "the sublime" which puzzled philosophers for ages. Yet thanks to modern advancements in neuropsychology, grounded in evolutionary theory, it can be understood as a complex adaptive emotion arising from a combination of more fundamental approach and avoidance motivations. Experiences of both fear and wonder are well-understood, and at times, they uniquely overlap to give us that truly awe-inspiring combination of vulnerability and interconnectedness.

The benefits of experiencing awe are not limited merely to the sublime feeling of wonder, or even to the lifestyle changes that may occur as a result of re-evaluating one’s priorities, such as smoking cessation. It is a shift of perspective that promotes ethical concern, open-mindedness, prosociality, and generosity. Awe is therefore not only a valuable experience for the individual but a prerequisite for our collective sociological and psychological well-being. Best of all, it can be induced at will through simple mindfulness exercises, such as reflecting on nature or gratitude, in a manner that will literally change your brain, body, and behavior. The benefits of awe are truly awesome.

Summary

• Awe can be understood as a complex adaptive emotion arising from a combination of fear and wonder.

• Experiencing awe promotes ethical concern, open-mindedness, prosociality, and generosity.

• We can experience awe not only by encountering something awesome, but through practicing mindfulness."

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#Awe #Well-being #Emotions

💬 Have you ever felt awe? How would you describe this experience?