“Why awe?… awe brings us joy, meaning and community, along with healthier bodies and more creative minds.”*
In short, awe is a type of food; nourishment for body, mind and soul. Dr Keltner, whose life’s work has been the study of Awe, goes so far as to say that we must have it in our daily lives. It’s an antidote to hopelessness and despair. It lifts us up, connects us to our world and each other, boosts health on the physical level and opens our minds to new possibilities and ideas. The numerous benefits of the experience of awe have been well researched by Dr Keltner and his colleagues for many years. They extend from the purely physiological to the existential and from the individual to the collective. The more I found out about the benefits of awe, the more I felt I had stumbled onto a veritable treasure trove. A remedy for many of our modern ills that has been hidden in plain sight all along. A powerful wisdom buried in our very cells! All we have to do is remember to access it. How did we not know about this? Why are we not taught about it? How different might our lives be if we made good and regular use of this ‘life tonic’ that exists inside us? Get outside and feel awe daily.
* (Awe, Dacher Keltner)