“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
John Muir
Many years ago, my husband and I traveled to Alaska to hike the Chugach Mountain range. We were told that the mountains, which surrounded Anchorage, created a stunning skyline, so we looked forward to the view as we flew into the airport. Unfortunately, it was a dreary day with thick clouds that covered the mountain range. All we could see was rain, shopping centers, gas stations, and highways. It was not the introduction to the great outdoors we had anticipated.
Disappointed, we went about getting ready for our trip, renting our RV, buying maps, and stocking up on groceries. As the day wore on, we kept an eye on the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mountains, but it remained gray and bleak. We set about putting away our groceries and organizing the RV, thinking that perhaps the mountains were a bit further away from Anchorage than we had imagined. It was at that moment, in the grocery store parking lot, that the clouds parted, revealing the mountains as a massive wall of rock that seemingly rose from the side of the road and reached high up into the sky. We will always remember that moment when the Chugach Mountain range revealed itself to us: our jaws dropped, we caught our breath, heads tilted back, while we both gasped. Their presence was overwhelming, stopping us in our tracks.
Our experience in that grocery store parking lot is one we will always remember; it is also an example of the type of reaction that is common when we are in the presence of nature. Humans have a deep connection with the natural world; it has a unique power to inspire and change us, from a dramatic, towering mountain range to the intricate beauty of a vividly colored caterpillar. Although many experiences in life can be inspiring, studies have shown that nature is a particularly strong catalyst for growth and change. More so than other novel experiences, the awe that is inspired by nature has a unique ability to change how we see ourselves in relation to others and to the world.
Although a good deal of research shows that time spent in nature is associated with a rise in positive emotions such joy, gratitude, serenity, and hope, it has a unique ability to inspire feelings of awe. In the world of positive emotions, awe holds a special status. Whereas other positive emotions help us to dial down our defenses and establish a sense of calm, awe comes with a degree of risk and a whiff of danger, requiring a delicate balance between feelings of safety and fear. Awe is an emotion that requires us to take a risk, step into the unknown, experience something new and allow it to change us.
For centuries, awe was a reference to the sacred or holy, frequently used to describe the terror of being in the presence of a powerful deity. The word “awe” comes from the 13th century Old Norse word “agi” which translates as fright or terror. Use of the word started to shift in the 1700’s when Edmund Burke suggested that awe could be experienced outside of the religious realm, pointing to nature as a place in which one could be transfixed in its presence. The word is now commonplace and is used to describe a variety of experiences, from the Grand Canyon to a tasty ice cream cone. What hasn’t changed is the true experience of awe—a sense of being in the presence of something exalted, noble, and much larger than the self.
Wrapped up in wonder and inspiration, awe is hard to define, which for many years has made it difficult to quantify and study. One of the leading researchers of awe, the psychologist Dacher Keltner, has found that it arises from a perceived sense of vastness, stimulated by an experience of something that challenges us to rethink previously held ideas. Awe differs from wonder and inspiration in that it requires a change in our mental framework to incorporate new or novel information. It also initiates its own cluster of physical, mental, and emotional reactions; our body responds differently when we feel awe than it does with any other emotion. There are certain sounds elicited, regardless of language, when awestruck— “oohs”, “aahs”, or gasping. Regardless of one’s cultural background, the physical reactions are the same: jaws relax, eyebrows raise, and eyes widen while the pupils dilate. Keltner has found that awe activates the vagal nerves, which are clusters of neurons that regulate various bodily functions, resulting in a slowing of our heart rate and deepened breathing.
Can being awestruck make us better citizens, perhaps more pleasant to be around? Research suggests this may be true. A key ingredient of awe is that it inspires a sense of self-transcendence, compelling us to see ourselves as part of something much larger; it helps us to become less preoccupied with our own needs. Keltner found that awe triggers the release of oxytocin, a hormone that plays an important role in social bonding. Perhaps awe is hardwired, playing a role in our survival by maintaining social connections that allow us to pool resources, tighten community bonds, and keep us safe. Additionally, awe may help us be less self-absorbed; to experience something vast and much larger than oneself requires a shift in focus to the broader context of others and the world around us. Keltner’s research supports the social benefits of awe, finding that people who experience awe tend to be more social, feel more connected to others, and are more likely to help others.
Humans are knowledge seekers and storytellers; we seek patterns and familiar shapes that fit nicely into our mental frameworks. This is what helps us find order in a world full of chaotic sensory input. Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something so vast that it transcends our understanding of the world. It reveals that our current knowledge is insufficient, that we must somehow shift our mental constructs to make sense of what we have encountered. There is evidence that the most long-lasting impact of awe may be in how it changes our way of thinking. Awe forces us to shift out of our default mode of thinking, which tends to be self-absorbed and critical, leaning toward judging, analyzing, and planning. To make sense of a novel and seemingly overwhelming phenomenon, we must pause the analyzing brain and shift into a broadened and expansive way of thinking. Open mindsets are necessary to incorporate new information, make sense of it, and then integrate that experience into an updated mental framework. That awe can broaden and build our thinking is what makes it both challenging and inspiring; it offers an opportunity to explore, expand, and create a more accurate map of the world.
We don’t need to travel to exotic places with dramatic vistas to experience awe. There are plenty of awe-inspiring experiences literally right under our feet or outside our door. Watching a hummingbird drink at a feeder or noticing the patterns in a rose can be just as awe-inspiring as hiking the Grand Canyon. Rather than the right location, awe requires the right frame of mind, one that can be cultivated over time. According to both Keltner and Sharon Salzburg, a leading meditation teacher, our capacity to experience awe takes shape when we calm the chatter in our mind and start to pay attention to the world around us. Distraction and narrowed thinking are the enemies of awe. Every day we are surrounded by the sublime and magnificent, but they can be seen only when we are open to new experiences and ready to have our minds expanded. And the use of phones—so common these days to take selfies in front of natural places—completely obliterates any potential experience of awe. You can’t be awestruck while using a selfie stick.
With its power to relax and restore our attention, nature puts us in the right state of mind to experience awe. Provided we feel safe, nature creates an opportunity to “just be”, fostering a type of organic mindfulness that is characterized by a soft focus, deep breathing, and open awareness. It is in this mental space that we are best positioned to experience awe. And unlike human built environments, nature offers numerous unexpected opportunities for fascination and vastness. From small insects to an ancient oak, nature can quickly capture our attention and present something so massive or novel that it forces us to change our habitual thinking patterns. An owl in the backyard, the song of a Carolina wren, or a majestic pine tree may be all that is needed, provided we are ready and willing to experience awe.
When was the last time you experienced awe in a natural setting? How did it challenge you? How did it change you? Keep in mind that research is increasingly pointing to nature as a key component of well-being. Its effects are so robust that some physicians believe it should be considered medicine. The dose is reasonable, free of cost, and has no side effects; just 20 minutes outside is all we need to reduce our blood pressure, improve our mood, and reduce our stress. As we look to the summer months ahead, start making it a habit to find time for nature. By doing so, I hope you find the challenge and transformative power of awe, whether it is far away or in your own backyard.