Awe & wonder: a feeling that’s good for you

Vastness can be physical, like a canyon or the night sky, or it can be about meaning, like a huge act of courage or a big idea.

Awe often comes with a sense that you need to rethink something. That’s why it can feel humbling and exciting at the same time.

Awe tinged with fear, like watching a huge storm or a disaster, doesn’t seem to bring the same benefits as awe that feels safe and positive.

Acts of courage, kindness and people thriving against the odds were the most common source of awe worldwide. Parents’ stories about their children came up often too.

Singing together, dancing at a festival, a stadium cheering as one: being part of a group moving together can bring awe.

Nature is a powerful source of awe, from mountain views to a spider web covered in dew.

Music is one of the eight wonders. Many people feel awe at a live concert or when a piece of music moves them to tears.

A great cathedral, a skyscraper, a painting or a beautifully made object can stop you in your tracks.

Many people find awe in worship, prayer, meditation or sacred places.

Being present at a birth or with someone at the end of life is a deep source of awe for many people.

The “aha” of understanding something new, from science to a personal truth, can bring awe.

Awe tends to make people feel smaller in a good way. This can quiet self-focused worry and help you gain perspective.

In experiments, people who felt awe were more generous and more helpful to others, even when it cost them something.

Older adults who looked for awe on short weekly walks reported more joy and less distress in daily life over eight weeks.

In studies, people who felt awe felt they had more time available and were less impatient.

People who often feel awe had lower levels of a marker of inflammation (IL-6) in one study. This is a link, not proof that awe causes better health.

Awe doesn’t erase what hurts. It can sit alongside it, offering a moment of breathing room.

Life and death are one of the eight wonders. Some grieving people find moments of awe in memories, rituals or nature that bring comfort.

In the rafting study, people in the same raft showed similar emotions, suggesting awe can spread through a group.

• A nurse calming a scared patient
• A neighbor shoveling someone else’s path
• A child sharing without being asked
• An athlete or musician at the top of their game

Looking up is free and always there. Try watching one sunset a week without your phone out.

Snowflakes, a seed sprouting, a bee in a flower, the pattern of a leaf. Slowing down and looking closely can be as awe-inspiring as a big view.

Museums, nature documentaries, biographies of inspiring people and space images are all ways to find awe from where you are.

Awe often comes from what is new to you. Doing the exact same thing over and over may lose its effect, so mix it up.

Writing about a past moment of awe is one of the practices researchers use to help people feel it again.

Walk somewhere, leave your phone in your pocket, and look for things that surprise you or feel bigger than you.

Short awe-inspiring videos are used in research to bring on awe. A nature documentary or space footage works at home.

Since other people’s goodness is the most common source of awe, try noticing one act of kindness, courage or skill each day and writing it down.

1. Pick one thing: a tree, a painting, your hand.
2. Look at it for five minutes without judging.
3. Notice colors, textures and details you missed.
4. Ask: what is surprising here?

For many people, religious practice is a regular source of awe and meaning.

You don’t need to be religious to feel awe. Nature, science, art and people’s goodness are open to all.

Moving or singing in sync with others, from a church choir to a crowd at a ballgame, can create shared awe.

Lantern festivals, harvest celebrations, ceremonies and storytelling can all carry a sense of wonder across generations.

• “What’s the most amazing thing you saw today?”
• “How do you think birds know where to fly?”
• “What would it be like to be as big as a mountain?”
• “Who did something brave or kind today?”

• Free museum days
• Library science or space events
• Stargazing from a dark spot
• Watching a storm safely from a window
• Visiting a farm, beach or forest

Stories of courage and kindness, from family members or history, are a powerful way to share awe.

Instead of seeking big moments, notice one small thing each day: warm light, a song you like, a kind word.

Feeling numb or empty for a long time is worth paying attention to.

Treat awe practices as invitations, not tests. Some days, simply being outside or listening to music is plenty.