Striking a Chord... - How wonder heals: cultivating awe

Striking a Chord...

by Valorie Brecht, TRG editor

In a world that is constantly on the go, it can be hard to find time to slow down, breathe, and take in the moment. Yet that may be exactly what we need the most.

In recent years, researchers have paid greater attention to the health benefits of experiencing awe. An inspiring emotion akin to joy, but mixed with a sense of fear and wonder, awe can find us at various moments in life, whether it’s witnessing the birth or death of a loved one; observing natural beauty such as a stately mountain range, rushing waterfall, or sunset; taking in or creating music or art; having a spiritual experience through prayer or meditation; or anything else that connects us to something greater than ourselves.

In her book “Positivity,” psychologist Barbara Frederickson defines awe this way: “[A]we happens when you come across goodness on a grand scale. You literally feel overwhelmed by greatness. By comparison, you feel small and humble. Awe makes you stop in your tracks. You are momentarily transfixed. Boundaries melt away and you feel part of something larger than yourself. Mentally, you’re challenged to absorb and accommodate the sheer scale of what you’ve encountered… Although a form of positivity, awe at times sits so close to the edge of safety that we get a whiff of negativity as well. Awe mixes with fear… Awe, like gratitude and inspiration, is a self-transcendent emotion.”

Awe is one of those emotions that makes life worth living. It also has lasting positive impacts on our physical and mental health. According to Paul Kiernan of ThoughtLab, some of these evidence-supported positive health impacts include:

• Reduced stress and anxiety. “When we experience awe, our brain’s sense of self—the constant chatter of our personal concerns, anxieties, and preoccupations— quiets down. In those moments, we’re less focused on ourselves and more absorbed by the beauty, grandeur, or mystery of what we’re witnessing,” Kiernan writes.

• Boosts the immune system. Awe-inspiring experiences trigger the release of neurochemicals like endorphins and dopamine that can help the body fight off illness.

• Lowers blood pressure. When we feel awe, our bodies release oxytocin—the hormone linked to love, trust, and bonding. This can lead to lowered blood pressure and improved heart function.

• Improved cognitive function. Awe expands our perspective and helps us get out of our typical thinking patterns, increasing our creativity and problemsolving capabilities.

• Increases happiness and kindness. Studies show that people who regularly experience awe tend to be more generous and compassionate toward the people around them.

It’s easy to see why people who lead simple lives, mostly spent in nature and away from screens, tend to be calmer and more content. It’s also easy to see why most people would want to pursue more awe-inducing experiences in their life. There are several easily accessible ways to make that happen, including the following (as suggested by Psychology Today): 1. Take “awe excursions” in nature, whether it’s hiking, spending time at the lake, or just taking time to notice the details of a flower or creature.

As a side note: Scientists at Northbay Hospital and UC Berkeley conducted an “awe study” in 2021 and found that practicing awe caused participants to feel a sense of timelessness, and reduced stress, loneliness, pain, and depression. Participants were asked to complete a simple exercise for 10-15 seconds, three to five times a day. The exercise went like this, using the acronym AWE:

• Attention: Focus entirely on something you appreciate, value, or find amazing.

• Wait: Slow down; pause.

• Exhale and expand: Amplify whatever sensations you’re feeling.

You can easily do this while taking a walk or spending time outside. All it takes is being mindful of what’s around you.

2. Go to “repositories of awe.” These could include cemeteries, conservatories, libraries, zoos, historical sites, houses of worship, or theaters, for example. It’s any place that gets you thinking about how you connect to the larger world around you.

3. Record awe experiences. Writing something down etches it in your memory to a greater degree. In one study, Melanie Rudd and colleagues found that research participants who took just a few minutes to write about “a response to things perceived as vast and overwhelming that alters the way you understand the world” reported stronger feelings of awe, less impatience, and greater interest in volunteering their time to a worthy cause than those who wrote about a happy experience.

4. Meditate on the awe-inspiring. This could involve using Scripture, inspirational readings, or sacred music as a starting point.

5. Use media to experience awe. In one study by Paul Piff and colleagues, participants who watched a 5-minute video of vistas, mountains, plains, forests, and canyons reported experiencing a smaller self and displayed greater generosity than those who watched an amusing or neutral video. Even if you can’t travel to an awe-inspiring location like the Grand Canyon, you can get a little taste of it. There are plenty of resources out there to help us sense our small place in a vast universe.

6. Be mindful of awe. There are plenty of opportunities to experience awe in daily life, but they may be small, subtle, or quiet. It takes intentionality to notice the beauty around us. May you have a truly “awesome” week ahead!

Also, happy Father’s Day on Sunday to all the dads, grandpas, and father figures out there. I am very blessed to have the dad I do. Dads play a vital role in the formation of strong, healthy families. We appreciate you.

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” – Billy Graham