Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

What You Will Learn

• The psychological and biological mechanisms behind awe

• How awe shapes perspective, humility, creativity, and vitality

• Why awe reduces stress and strengthens your sense of meaning

• Practical ways to cultivate awe in everyday life

• The role of micro-awe moments in long-term well-being

Introduction: Why Awe Matters More Than Ever

We live in a fast-paced world where routines easily flatten our days into predictable patterns. Between obligations, screens, and endless to-do lists, it’s rare to pause long enough to feel something bigger than ourselves. Yet research shows that one of the most transformative emotions for mental health is also one we rarely prioritize: awe.

Awe is a complex emotion—a blend of wonder, admiration, and even smallness in the face of something vast. Psychologists Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt describe awe as the feeling we experience when confronted with something “greater than ourselves” that challenges how we see the world. And this emotion does more than inspire; it reshapes us.

Awe shifts our perspective from the narrow lens of daily stress to the broader horizon of meaning. It softens self-criticism, nurtures humility, sparks creativity, and revitalizes our sense of connection. Unlike fleeting pleasures, awe has deep psychological effects that can last long after the moment has passed.

This article explores the science of awe, the benefits it brings, and how to weave it into your everyday life—no mountains or miracles required.

The Science of Awe: What Happens in the Mind and Body

Awe doesn’t just feel good—it rewires how our brain processes the world.

1. Awe quiets the default mode network (DMN)

The DMN is the brain system responsible for self-talk, rumination, and mental chatter. Studies using fMRI scans show that awe reduces activity in this network. When awe is activated, the brain shifts from “me-mode” to a more expansive, outward focus. This shift is linked to lower anxiety, reduced self-criticism, and more emotional clarity.

2. Awe triggers vagal activation

Awe stimulates the vagus nerve, supporting calmness, heart-rate regulation, and physiological grounding. This creates a subtle “reset” effect that makes the body feel more balanced, restored, and open to new experience.

3. Awe increases time perception

Researchers have found that experiencing awe expands our perception of time—moments feel richer and longer. This counters the feeling of being rushed or overwhelmed and increases patience, presence, and life satisfaction.

4. Awe boosts pro-social behavior

Awe reduces the sense of self in proportion to the world around us. This ego-softening promotes empathy, generosity, and stronger social bonds. People who experience awe—even briefly—are more likely to help others or feel connected to humanity as a whole.

Awe and Perspective: Seeing the Bigger Picture

Daily stress often traps us in tunnel vision. But awe cracks open our mental frame.

When we witness something vast—whether it’s a star-filled night, a powerful story, or an act of human kindness—we temporarily step outside our own concerns. This expanded perspective helps us:

• Break out of rigid thinking

• View challenges from a more balanced angle

• Reduce overwhelm

• Feel part of something bigger than our individual struggles

Awe does not erase problems; it right-sizes them. The emotion subtly whispers, “There is more to life than this moment.”

This shift is why awe is increasingly used in resilience training and trauma-informed therapy. By offering a gentle zoom-out, awe helps the mind reorganize its narrative and regain clarity.

Awe and Humility: A Powerful Antidote to Ego Stress

Contrary to what we often assume, humility is not about shrinking ourselves—it’s about recalibrating the ego so it doesn’t dominate our emotional world.

Awe naturally induces humility by showing us the vastness of life, time, or human achievement. When we feel awe, we aren’t thinking about our flaws, our deadlines, or whether we are “enough.” Instead, we feel:

• Grounded

• Connected

• Open

• Curious

• Less preoccupied with comparison

What’s remarkable is that this humbled state improves well-being. Humility is linked to better relationships, higher resilience, and more balanced self-esteem. Awe helps us reach this state without force or self-judgment—it simply expands our emotional field until perspective realigns.

Awe and Creativity: Opening the Mind to New Possibilities

Creativity thrives on spaciousness, and awe provides exactly that.

When awe reduces mental chatter and broadens perspective, the brain shifts into open-mode thinking—a cognitive state associated with originality and insight.

Research shows that:

• People exposed to awe perform better on tasks requiring creativity

• Awe increases cognitive flexibility

• Awe enhances curiosity and wonder—two essential drivers of creativity

This is why writers, musicians, and scientists often describe awe-inspiring moments—sunset walks, breakthroughs in nature, encounters with art—as catalysts for new ideas.

Awe helps us step outside habitual patterns. It invites us to explore, to imagine, and to think beyond the boundaries of our current understanding.

Awe and Vitality: A Renewed Sense of Energy

Awe isn’t just about quiet, contemplative beauty. It also stimulates a sense of vitality—a feeling of being alive, present, and energized.

The physiological effects of awe—slower breathing, deeper presence, reduced rumination—create space for renewal. Many people describe awe as “refreshing,” “revitalizing,” or “spirit-lifting,” even if the moment lasts only seconds.

Vitality increases because awe:

• Reduces mental fatigue

• Encourages natural curiosity

• Strengthens mind–body coherence

• Restores emotional equilibrium

This makes awe a surprisingly powerful tool for combating burnout.

Micro-Awe: Experiencing Wonder in Small, Everyday Moments

A common misconception is that awe requires dramatic experiences: mountaintops, oceans, spiritual awakenings. But research shows that micro-awe—short, everyday moments of wonder—can be just as impactful.

Micro-awe moments include:

• Watching morning light move across a room

• Hearing a piece of music that gives you chills

• Noticing the detail on a flower, pattern, or texture

• Observing a child’s curiosity

• Feeling admiration for someone’s kindness

• Witnessing a small moment of synchronicity

• Looking up at the sky between buildings

• Reading a story that shakes something inside you

Micro-awe is accessible, free, and abundant—if we are willing to slow down and notice.

The Psychological Benefits of Cultivating Awe

A growing body of research highlights awe as a cornerstone of well-being. Its benefits extend across multiple domains:

1. Reduced Stress and Inflammation

Studies show that awe is associated with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This means awe may have a protective effect against chronic stress and health issues linked to inflammation.

2. Increased Life Satisfaction

Because awe expands perspective and enhances meaning, people who frequently experience awe report higher overall well-being and life satisfaction.

3. Stronger Meaning and Purpose

Awe often triggers thoughts like:
“What matters most?”
“Where do I fit in the bigger picture?”
This reflective quality strengthens our sense of purpose and personal values.

4. Greater Compassion and Connection

Awe fosters unity. It reminds us that we are part of a shared human experience, which deepens empathy and strengthens community bonds.

5. Emotional Regulation

Because awe quiets the ego and softens rumination, it helps regulate emotions and increases emotional stability.

How to Cultivate Awe in Daily Life

You don’t need a mountain, a museum, or a spiritual retreat to feel awe. Use the strategies below to incorporate awe into your everyday routines.

1. Practice Slow Looking

Choose a small object—a leaf, a cup, a pattern on fabric—and observe it for 30 seconds. Notice colors, textures, symmetry, and detail. This trains your brain to find wonder in the ordinary.

2. Spend Three Minutes Outside

Look at the sky, trees, horizon, or movement of light. Awe often appears when we shift attention to vastness or natural beauty.

3. Curate Awe Media

Watch short videos of nature, space, human achievement, or acts of kindness. Research shows that awe can be elicited even through screens.

4. Try an “Awe Walk”

A practice developed at UC Berkeley, awe walks involve slow, mindful walking with the intention of noticing beauty or vastness. Even walking around your neighborhood can evoke awe when done with intention.

5. Seek Inspiring Stories

Read biographies, historical accounts, or scientific discoveries that spark admiration and perspective.

6. Connect with People Who Inspire You

Witnessing someone’s courage, compassion, or creativity can evoke powerful awe.

7. Engage with Art or Music

Art expands emotional worlds. Music, in particular, is one of the most universal triggers of awe.

8. Explore Spiritual or Philosophical Inquiry

Awe often arises when we contemplate life’s mysteries—origins, consciousness, time, infinity.

9. Create Something

Whether drawing, writing, baking, coding, or crafting—creating something new can evoke awe in your own abilities and potential.

10. Practice Perspective Shifts

Ask yourself:
“What is the larger story here?”
“How will I see this moment five years from now?”
Perspective is the gateway to awe.

Awe as a Lifestyle: Turning Wonder Into a Habit

Awe is not merely an emotion—it can be a way of moving through the world.

When you invite awe regularly, you cultivate a mindset of openness. You begin noticing what you once overlooked. You slow down long enough to allow beauty, complexity, and mystery to reach you.

People who intentionally practice awe often report:

• Feeling less lonely

• Becoming more creative

• Experiencing deeper gratitude

• Reconnecting with purpose

• Breaking repetitive stressful patterns

• Feeling emotionally lighter and more spacious

The key is consistency. Awe builds upon itself. The more you practice, the more your mind learns to recognize wonder.

Conclusion: Let Awe Expand Your Life

Awe is one of the most transformative tools for psychological well-being. It widens perspective, softens the ego, awakens creativity, and replenishes vitality. And unlike many well-being practices, awe doesn’t require time, money, or expertise—it requires attention.

Whether through nature, stories, music, or small everyday miracles, awe invites you to step into a bigger emotional landscape. It reminds you that life is broader and more astonishing than your daily concerns suggest.

Make space for awe. Let yourself be moved. Let yourself be surprised. Because the bigger the feeling, the bigger the well-being that follows.

References

• Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition & Emotion, 17(2), 297–314.

• Stellar, J. E., et al. (2015). Awe and pro-social behavior: The role of self-diminishment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899.

• Piff, P. K., et al. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899.

• Bai, Y., & Keltner, D. (2016). Awe as a collective emotion. Emotion Review, 8(1), 27–34.

• Shiota, M. N., et al. (2007). The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cognition & Emotion, 21(5), 944–963.

• Sturm, V. E., et al. (2020). Awe, the brain, and health: The role of the vagus nerve. Emotion, 20(5), 807–818.

• Allen, S. (2018). The science of awe. Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley.

• Yaden, D. B., et al. (2017). The varieties of self-transcendent experience. Review of General Psychology, 21(2), 143–160.