On awe and ‘unselfing’
I’m a big fan of awe. That feeling you get gazing at an immense night sky, with an improbable density of stars, as if glitter was scattered across a swathe of black satin. The wonder we feel when we encounter something powerful we can’t explain. The kind of vastness or mastery that makes us feel small.
And, as the pandemic goes on, we need to cultivate, more than ever, whatever ways help us nurse our well-being.
So I was excited to stumble upon this article that puts it into words and breaks down the science behind it.
A few highlights:
Awe causes us to experience tingling and goosebumps, a lowered heart rate under stress
One experimental group, when asked to draw pictures of themselves, drew themselves smaller in size after having an awe experience. This effect is called “unselfing.”
The benefit? As you tap into something larger and your sense of self shrinks, so too do your mental chatter and your worries.
Watching awe-inspiring videos (compared to neutral or pleasant videos) decreases activity in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), which is associated with self-focus and rumination
Awe helps us think about ideas, issues, and people outside of ourselves, improving creativity and collaboration as well as energy.
Like gratitude and curiosity, it leaves us feeling inspired and energized.
The best part?
You just have to go for a walk and observe the beauty around you, revisit your favorite art or take a few moments to put together a playlist that “does” it for you (Chopin’s Nocturnes, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 are a few safe bets if you enjoy classical music).
So, what’s one small thing like that you can do today to give your brain an awe-induced high?
Go do it.
