There are moments that stop us in our tracks. The first glimpse of a vast mountain range. A piece of music that makes time disappear. A starry sky on a clear night far from city lights. These experiences of awe — of encountering something vast and difficult to comprehend — are not just beautiful. They’re transformative for our mental health in ways scientists are only beginning to fully understand.
Awe is one of the most underresearched and underutilized emotions in the field of positive psychology. And the evidence suggests we’re missing out on one of the most powerful and accessible tools for mental wellness available to us.
What Is Awe? Defining a Complex Emotion
Psychologists Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt defined awe in a landmark 2003 paper as an emotional response to encountering something “vast” — in size, scope, complexity, or moral magnitude — that challenges our existing mental frameworks and requires us to expand how we understand the world.
The Two Core Components of Awe
- Vastness: The perception that something is much larger — physically, socially, or conceptually — than what we typically encounter
- Accommodation: The feeling that our existing mental models are insufficient and must be adjusted to incorporate this new experience
What Triggers Awe?
Awe-inducing experiences include the natural world (mountains, oceans, storms), artistic achievement (a symphony, a cathedral), acts of extraordinary moral virtue, witnessing profound human skill, and even mathematical or scientific insights. Awe isn’t reserved for dramatic experiences — research shows it can be triggered by relatively small moments when we’re present and attentive.
The Neuroscience: What Happens in Your Brain During Awe
When you experience awe, several neurological processes activate simultaneously.
The Default Mode Network Quiets
The default mode network (DMN) is the brain region associated with self-referential thinking — the mental chatter about your worries, plans, and identity. During awe experiences, the DMN becomes less active. This is the same pattern seen during deep meditation. Awe essentially interrupts rumination.
The “Small Self” Effect
Research from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center found that awe reliably produces what they call the “small self” — a temporary but meaningful reduction in ego-focused thinking. Paradoxically, feeling small in the face of something vast makes people feel more connected to others and to the world, reducing feelings of isolation and anxiety.
Vagal Nerve Activation
Studies by Paul Piff and colleagues found that awe is associated with increased activity in the vagus nerve — the same pathway activated by deep breathing, cold water immersion, and other wellness practices. Vagal tone is directly linked to reduced inflammation, better heart rate variability, and improved mood regulation.
Mental Health Benefits: What the Research Shows
Reduced Stress and Anxiety
A 2015 study published in the journal Emotion found that participants who experienced awe showed significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines — biological markers of stress — compared to those who experienced other positive emotions like pride or amusement. Awe appears to have a uniquely calming effect on the nervous system’s stress response.
Increased Life Satisfaction
Weekly awe experiences are consistently associated with greater life satisfaction in longitudinal research. Participants in awe-journaling studies reported feeling that their lives were more meaningful and their daily problems less overwhelming.
Enhanced Creativity and Open-Mindedness
Awe induces what researchers call “epistemic openness” — a genuine willingness to update beliefs and consider new information. This makes people both more creative and more intellectually humble, reducing the cognitive rigidity associated with anxiety and depression.
Increased Generosity and Prosocial Behavior
Multiple studies show that awe makes people more generous, more patient, and more connected to their communities. After awe inductions, participants donated more to charity, volunteered more time, and reported stronger feelings of belonging.
Types of Awe: Not Just Mountains and Sunsets
| Type of Awe | Example Triggers | Primary Benefit | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural awe | Mountains, oceans, storms, night sky | Stress reduction | Seasonal, location-dependent |
| Artistic awe | Live music, theatre, visual art | Emotional processing | High, urban areas |
| Moral awe | Acts of heroism, sacrifice, courage | Inspiration, motivation | High (stories, news) |
| Intellectual awe | Scientific discoveries, complex ideas | Curiosity, openness | High (books, documentaries) |
| Spiritual awe | Prayer, ritual, religious experiences | Meaning, connection | Context-dependent |
| Everyday awe | A child learning to walk, a friend’s kindness | Presence, gratitude | Very high with practice |
How to Cultivate More Awe in Everyday Life
The Awe Walk
A 2020 study in Emotion found that instructing participants to take a weekly “awe walk” — going outside with the specific intention of noticing things that evoke wonder — produced significant improvements in positive emotions, reduced distress, and decreased self-focus compared to regular walks. The awe walk participants also smiled more in selfies taken during the walks, displaying genuine Duchenne smiles rather than posed ones.
The key is intention. The same walk, with the same scenery, produces different emotional outcomes when you consciously look for things that make you feel small or amazed.
Awe Journaling
Keep a simple journal — physical or digital — where you record awe experiences. Describe in detail: what you saw, how your body felt, what thoughts it triggered. Researchers have found that writing about awe intensifies and extends its benefits by helping the brain consolidate the experience.
Seek Out Vastness
Deliberately put yourself in the presence of things that dwarf human scale: visit a large body of water, attend a symphony, read about the scale of the universe, watch documentaries about deep sea life or the cosmos. Scale reliably triggers awe in a way that comfort rarely does.
Slow Down to Notice
Awe requires attentiveness. Modern life’s pace actively suppresses it. Practices that slow the mind — meditation, phone-free meals, walking without headphones — create the conditions where awe can emerge from ordinary moments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you experience awe if you’re depressed?
Yes, though it may require more deliberate effort. Research shows that awe inductions work even for people with depressive symptoms, and some therapeutic approaches now deliberately incorporate awe-based activities as part of treatment. The effects may be smaller initially but tend to build with practice.
Is virtual reality awe the same as real awe?
Partially. Studies have found that VR awe experiences produce measurable psychological benefits, including reduced anxiety and increased prosocial behavior. However, the effects of real-world awe tend to be stronger and longer-lasting, possibly due to physical presence and the body’s full sensory engagement.
How often should I seek out awe experiences?
Research suggests even weekly awe experiences produce significant benefits. Daily micro-awe moments — noticing something small but remarkable — appear to have cumulative effects on mood and wellbeing over time.
Can awe be harmful?
Awe can be uncomfortable, particularly when it challenges strongly held beliefs or confronts us with our mortality. Some experiences — natural disasters, terrifying heights — involve what researchers call “threat awe.” However, even uncomfortable awe tends to produce positive long-term outcomes when processed reflectively.
Why does awe reduce inflammation?
The exact mechanism isn’t fully understood, but researchers believe awe’s activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” system) reduces the body’s inflammatory stress response. Chronic low-grade inflammation is linked to depression, anxiety, and numerous physical health conditions, so anything that reduces it has broad benefits.
Conclusion
Awe is free, it’s accessible in some form to almost everyone, and its benefits for mental health are as well-documented as those of more commonly prescribed wellness practices. We don’t need to climb Everest to feel wonder — we need to cultivate the attention and intention to notice the remarkable things already present in our ordinary lives.
The next time you feel overwhelmed by your problems, try looking up. Look out. Look at something vast, something beautiful, something that makes you feel small. That feeling of smallness isn’t diminishment — it’s liberation from the cage of a self-focused mind. And that liberation, science tells us, is one of the most powerful emotional medicines available to us.
