In Awe

Think back to the last moment you felt awe—watching a thundering waterfall, spotting a shooting star, or being swept up by a moving performance. It’s a deeply human emotion, one that connects us to something bigger than ourselves. 

Yet only in recent decades have scientists begun to uncover just how profoundly awe can support our well-being. The best part? By tuning into the small wonders around us, we don’t have to wait for rare, extraordinary moments—we can invite awe into our everyday lives. 

The science of awe

Growing up in New Mexico, Craig L. Anderson spent a great amount of time camping, looking up at skies full of stars. It was this feeling of awe that motivated him to study psychology, eventually undertaking a PhD with Dacher Keltner, a pioneer in the study of awe and author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (Penguin Random House, 2024).

In his book, Keltner defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” While early emotion science focused on only six distinct emotions—and just one positive one (happiness)—Keltner’s research has shown that awe is a distinct emotional state, triggered by experiences with nature, spirituality, collective movement, and psychedelics.

Such experiences impart a feeling of vastness of the universe, leaving people feeling enlivened in a way that is difficult to put into words. 

“Awe can be recognized in the face and voice universally across cultures around the world,” says Anderson, now an assistant professor of marketing at HEC Paris. “And the kinds of experiences—both positive and negative—that elicit it make it quite unique.” 

Awe can be experienced in relation to events that evoke wonder and joy (think a sunset or the northern lights) but also a sense of fear (say, a tsunami or a hurricane). 

A bounty of benefits

Awe is more than a feeling—it can also be a pathway to better physical health.

One reason for this is that positive emotions can potentially counteract the detrimental effects of other stressful experiences in our daily lives, lowering cortisol levels. Research shows that awe has the potential to activate our vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system, helping us feel more relaxed. Awe may also be able to reduce markers of inflammation and increase the release of oxytocin, which improves feelings of well-being. 

Awe also supports our mental health and strengthens social cohesion. Experiencing awe can help shift us toward a state of greater care for and connectedness with others. It can provide us with a sense of meaning and sense of serving a larger purpose. Awe can also spark creativity and curiosity: a 2024 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychology found that experiencing awe in relation to artwork inspired participants to want to learn more about art and history.

Anderson says he’s been struck by how long the benefits of awe can last. For instance, after leading a group of veterans on a white-water rafting trip, he says participants reported higher levels of well-being for weeks afterward. 

Cross-cultural perspectives

Anderson cautions, however, that the benefits of awe might not be universally transferable. He recently collaborated on a study showing that, in China, awe is more likely to be interpreted along with negative emotions such as fear or feelings of self-diminishment than in the United States, where it is associated with positive emotions. 

“If awe is mixed with fear, there is some evidence to suggest that the relationship between awe and well-being starts to break down,” Anderson says. Any social programs seeking to use awe as a force for good should consider the different ways the emotion can be interpreted among target populations. 

Everyday awe

Even when it feels distant, awe is something we can all learn to cultivate.

“People associate awe with extreme, mind-blowing experiences, like seeing the northern lights for the first time,” says Anderson. “But we can’t all go to the Arctic Circle—so how can we leverage awe in our day-to-day lives for the same benefits?”

Just like being a “little bit scared,” Anderson says we can feel “a little bit of awe.” Research demonstrates how “awe walks”—strolls where we visit new locales and consciously try to tap into our sense of wonder—can help us to harness the mental, physical, and social benefits of awe. 

Spending time in nature, including observing the night sky, can help induce awe, as can listening to music and dancing, particularly in group settings. 

While awe is an emotional state, some people are higher in what researchers call “trait awe,” experiencing the emotion more frequently and intensely in their daily lives. Awe-prone people are generally more open to novel stimuli, more sensitive to deep emotions, and more receptive to new perspectives. 

By reminding yourself that something awesome might be just around the corner, you might be able to see everyday objects and occurrences around you in a new light.

This article was originally published in the August 2026 issue of alive magazine.