MY EXPERIENCE OF AWE
Scrolling
I didn’t plan for it. Just out for a walk, pacing the same loop with Murphy, my dog. Usually, I take my phone and scroll the morning news. With my head down I thumb through what’s happened in the world since I went to bed.
Multi-tasking
Besides the news, my mind travels in more than one direction, all the while, considering what’s on my calendar and what I can do with the time left. I carry my worries, my what-ifs—until something makes me stop.
In an instant, it may be silent, loud, or dramatic.
4 Examples of Awe
- One, a chameleon darts from brownish gravel up the stalk of a green plant, changing colors as it moves into new territory. Flexibility and openness are critical as we find ourselves in new surroundings. The chameleon changes its’ colors, not its essence. We don’t change the creatures we are.
- A different day, a bossy goose chases another one for who knows what reason. It’s wings widen in defiance of the other one, which reminds me we can let others into our circle of friends, even if we’re not comfortable at first. We might learn something or make a new friend.
- On another day, the wind shifts, a storm is on the way. I check the clouds and see an figure, whether a phoenix, a dog lopping, or a sword surfing across the sky. My imagination creates what the clouds provide. And intentionally, we too can assert and use our own creativity for the enjoyment of others.
- And still again, the squawk of a Blue Jay calls to one another in flight. My first thought is that it reminds me I will have a productive writing day. A second thought comes: or does it challenge me to write productively that day. What’s the metaphor for me?
The Result of a Moment of Awe
Regardless of the moment, it draws my attention from the anxieties of our times that are speaking to me on my phone. In that moment when awe marches into my world, anxiety slinks out.
RESEARCH SUPPORTS MY EXPERIENCE
In recent years, research sheds light on the topic of awe. Dacher Keltner in his book, AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (2023), tells us that the human mind treats social threats as an invading pathogen. Things like chronic stress, loneliness, and/or being the target of prejudice can elevate inflammation or cytokine levels in our bodies.
On the other hand, awe offers a larger context for our lives, gives us metaphors to reconsider how we view our lives, and heightens our sense of being loved and supported by a connected community.
Researchers theorized that everyday awe could lower our bodies’ inflammation. They gathered physical measures of inflammation against people’s experience of positive emotions, like pride, amusement, awe, and others.
The Result
Basically, of all the positive emotions studied, the only predictor to lower inflammation was awe.
“Awe occurs in a realm separate from the mundane world of materialism, money, acquisition, and status signaling—a realm beyond the profane that many call the sacred.” (Keltner, p. 19)
Whether we look for awe or get captured by it, it can transform our day, our outlook, and our physiology. And regardless if we are travelers, writers, or armchair readers, we can use a dose of awe that comes from paying attention to the life around us.
How About YOU?
Also referenced in Keltner’s book is another research project of daily diary writing, in which researchers learned most study participants encountered awe 2-3 times a week. That’s about every other day. Why not several times a day? I must admit, I fall into the 2-3 times a week, as well.
When, where, and how do you experience awe in your life?
