Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health
Perspectives on Psychological Science August 22, 2022 Maria Monroy, Dacher Keltner 141 citations
Awe—an emotion often considered ineffable—promotes mental and physical health by engaging five processes: shifts in neurophysiology, diminished self-focus, increased prosocial relationality, greater social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning. Experiences of awe arising in nature, spirituality, music, collective movement, and psychedelics strengthen the mind and body through these pathways.