Sunshine and comb jellies

Awe is such a powerful feeling; it shakes us out of our mundane and resets our brain into the present moment.
 
One of my favourite podcasts is Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam. In the latest episode he interviewed Professor Dacher Keltner who studies Awe. Here are a few things that resonated with me from their conversation.
 
Awe changes the sense of our own scale; when we experience awe, we perceive ourselves as smaller and our problems as less significant and less urgent.
 
There are evolutionary reasons for awe, it helps us as individuals connect to the collective, to the greater community, to see ourselves as a small part of the whole. This holistic view in which we see ourselves and everything around us as a system inspires a measurable increase in how much we give, cooperate and share with others.
 
We also experience a physical reaction to awe. It has an effect on our vegus nerve which controls our gut microbiome, regulates digestion, slows heartbeat and deepens breathing. Feeling a sense of awe can even decrease chronic inflammation in our bodies.
 
And it’s a renewable resource! The more you feel awe, the more you cultivate it, the easier it is to find it in everyday life.
 
When I am out on the Ocean or underwater, I am in a constant state of awe.
 
My partner always says all he’s gotta do to cheer me up is soak me in saltwater. We’ve always joked about this, but I think I now understand the science behind the immediate mood boost and lasting feelings of happiness I experience. The world always seems more sparkly for me after I get out of the water and my problems less urgent.
 
Nature is an excellent source of awe, but so are humans.
 
Have you ever met a really cool human doing really cool things? You know that energized feeling you get from being around them? Awe. Humans can be really awesome.
 
We can make the world a better place with more awe.
 
Check out Hidden Brain, there are so many excellent episodes.