blossoms in March. The power and destruction of a winter storm and the compassion and generosity of individuals helping rebuild afterwards. Images of nebulae, the concept of geologic time, the understanding of the interconnectedness of biologic life on Earth. These things bring us the experience of awe, of that heady mix of wonder, admiration, surprise and fear.Awe inspires us. It inspires us to create, to live better lives, to help others and to protect. Nicholas Humphrey who has written The Biological Advantage of Being Awestruck says “being enchanted by the magic of experience, rather than being just an aid to survival, provides an essential incentive to survive.”
Religious communities have known this since the dawn of time. One of our earliest spiritual impulses is to be in awe of the universe, of creation as we experience it. God has often been seen as awe-ful, something which inspires fear, awe and and overwhelming sense of connection. Cathedrals, standing stones, ceremonies and even simple candlelight have been used to produce and
maintain awe in religious contexts. These days, science is backing up what we have known about awe since prehistoric times. One study out of Stanford found that regular incidents of awe leave residual benefits to the individual and are residual including an increased sense of empathy, compassion towards other increased altruism and general well being.That Stanford study defined awe as a experience of such perceptual expansion and vastness that you literally have to upgrade your mental schemata just to take in the scale of the experience. Paul Pearsall defines awe as an "overwhelming and bewildering sense of connection with a startling universe that is usually far beyond the narrow band of our consciousness."
A thundering waterfall. Frost on the grass and the crescent moon bright in the sky. Friends coming out of the woodwork to help you through rough times. A rose window. The Earth from space. A baby in a manger. What brings you awe?
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