The neurobiological basis of the awe experience in affective disorders: an exploratory EEG study
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience June 4, 2026 Elena Bondi, Flavia Carbone, Giandomenico Schiena et al.
People with affective disorders (ADs) show emotional processing deficits involving disrupted brain network activity, especially in default mode and fronto-temporal circuits with abnormal theta and alpha oscillations. This exploratory study used virtual reality (VR) scenarios to induce awe—a self-transcendent emotion that may reduce rumination and boost positive affect—while recording EEG in ADs and healthy controls (HCs). HCs exhibited high awe responses with scenario-specific modulations in alpha and theta band activity and connectivity, indicating preserved cognitive flexibility.