Why You Need “Awe” in Your Life and 3 Ways to Get More of It
Research finds that experiences of vastness and transcendence benefit the soul.
Posted December 24, 2023 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer Ph.D.
Awe is a relatively new field of psychological study, but it has already demonstrated robust and positive impacts on our overall well-being. Awe is when we have experiences of vastness (which can be physical, perceptual, or conceptual) and/or transcendence, which challenge our assumptions and lead us to accommodate new information into how we make sense of the world.
A recent article on awe by Maria Monroy and Dacher Keltner of the University of California, Berkeley reviewed how it works and identified ways we can capture it in our own lives. According to the authors, awe activates five processes that improve mental and physical health:
So how can we incorporate positive experiences of awe into our everyday lives? Drs. Monroe and Keltner identified three ways:
One of the wonderful things about awe is that it can be found all around us, whether it be through a moving piece of music, a beautiful image, or learning something new—maybe even mind-bending. With little effort and attention , we have the immediate power to elevate our own everyday experiences into something, well, magical.
Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health. Monroy, M., Keltner, D. Published in Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2023 Mar;18(2):309-320. doi: 10.1177/17456916221094856.Epub 2022 Aug 22.
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Vinita Mehta, Ph.D., Ed.M. , is a clinical psychologist and journalist. She was formerly the Development Producer and Science Editor of PBS's This Emotional Life .
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.