The Nature of Awe

It was whilst experiencing the eclipse that I realized I was IN AWE. Awe makes one feel small and insignificant in the presence of something grand and jaw-dropping - it's almost like a primal punch in the gut!

And according to NASA, "The prominences spotted during the eclipse were many times larger than Earth itself" - how small and insignificant does that make one feel! Seeing such a spectacle initiates a feeling of insignificance, and of how unimportant our individual lives are in the grand scheme of things - sobering indeed. It's grounding and humbling to realize that we are essentially inconsequential - illusions of grandeur or self-importance have no substantive role in the Universe, they are delusions we harbor about ourselves.

In considering and analyzing the nature of this experience even more, I became acutely tuned in to this phenomenon when 'the science of awe' was referenced in the book I was reading (Heartbreak, by Florence Williams). How serendipitous! I just had to read more!

Psychologists Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt have studied the science of awe. They assert that while awe can be either positive or negative, the ability to be MOVED deeply is what helps put our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world into perspective. It becomes a transcendent experience - awe can "shift our attention away from ourselves, make us feel like we are part of something greater than ourselves, change our perception of time, and even make us more generous toward others."

This diminished focus on the self can be life changing. By seeing that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves, we can develop a healthy perspective and sense of belonging to the earth, and be open to wonder and amazement.

So, do you still have the capability to be awestruck?