Time Required
Four minutes
How to Do It
Set aside four minutes to watch the video below. Put the video in full screen mode and try to give it your full attention.
Note that this video is just one example of a visual experience that can elicit awe; there are countless others, and being exposed to them can have similar effects. The videos and other stimuli that inspire awe tend to share two key features:
- They involve a sense of vastness that puts into perspective your own relatively small place in the world. This vastness could be either physical (e.g., a panoramic view from a mountaintop) or psychological (e.g., an exceptionally courageous or heroic act of conscience).
- They alter the way you understand the world. For instance, they might make your everyday concerns seem less important, or they might expand your beliefs about the reaches of human potential.
Why You Should Try It
It’s easy to feel bogged down by daily routines and mundane concerns, stifling our sense of creativity and wonder. Feeling awe can reawaken those feelings of inspiration.
Awe is induced by experiences that challenge and expand our typical way of seeing the world, often because we sense that we’re in the presence of something greater than ourselves. Research suggests that experiencing awe improves people’s satisfaction with life, makes them feel like they have more time, makes them feel less self-conscious, and reduces their focus on trivial concerns.
But in our everyday lives, we might not regularly encounter things that fill us with awe. That’s where this practice comes in. It’s a way to infuse your day with a dose of wonder even if you can’t make it to an inspiring vista or museum.
Why It Works
Taking time out to experience awe can help people break up their routine and challenge themselves to think in new ways. Evoking feelings of awe may be especially helpful when people are feeling bogged down by day-to-day concerns. Research suggests that awe has a way of lifting people outside of their usual, more narrow sense of self and connecting them with something larger and more significant. This sense of broader connectedness and purpose can help relieve negative moods and improve happiness.
Evidence That It Works
Rudd, M., Vohs, K.D., and Aaker, J. (2012). Awe expands people's perception of time, alters decision making, and enhances well-being. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1130-1136.
In three experiments, American university students were induced to feel awe—such as by watching an awe-inspiring video—as well as other emotions. People who experienced awe felt that they had more time available to themselves, were less impatient, were more willing to volunteer their time to help others, preferred having positive experiences over material products, and reported greater life satisfaction.
Who Has Tried the Practice?
While there is no demographic information in the study above, additional studies explore how the Awe Video benefits various groups:
- European university students became more generous after watching an Awe Video, regardless of whether they were Catholic, Muslim, or non-religious.
- Ethnically diverse college students in the U.S. spent five minutes watching an Awe Video, funny video, or emotionally neutral video before playing a partner-based game. Students who watched the Awe Video were the most generous toward their game partner.
- American college students (mostly Latino or Asian) took an intelligence test and waited 10 minutes for their results. During that waiting period, students who watched an Awe Video experienced greater positive emotions and less anxiety than students who watched a neutral video on padlocks.
- American and Chinese undergraduates who spent five minutes watching a nature Awe Video felt a stronger sense of vastness in the world and reported positive changes in their social connectedness. American students saw their social network as more expansive, while Chinese students felt more closely connected with others.
- Chinese undergraduates became more tolerant of unpredictable situations and more likely to engage in thrilling, mentally beneficial activities (such as extreme skiing or waterfall kayaking) after watching an Awe Video.
- Japanese university students who completed this practice felt more awe, became more generous while playing games, and increased in tolerance toward people who violated social norms. A brain imaging study showed that Japanese individuals experienced the two key features of awe (a small sense of self and a change in worldview) when watching an Awe Video.
More research is needed to explore whether, and how, the impact of this practice extends to other groups and cultures.
Keep in Mind
Awe Videos do not necessarily have to depict earthly landscapes. Art-related videos increased awe in Americans and Italians. Videos about space, human cells, and pregnancy strengthened the spiritual beliefs and feelings of social connectedness in Christian Americans and Catholic Belgians.
However, Awe Videos of natural landscapes may be more effective than videos of man-made landscapes. Spanish adults felt more positive emotion after watching an awe-evoking slideshow of nature scenes, but not after an awe-evoking slideshow of man-made structures and cities.
When seeking out awe-inspiring videos, avoid depictions of threatening occurrences, even if they incite feelings of awe. Videos of natural disasters (such as tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, or lightning storms) have been shown to cause fear and anxiety in American, Chinese, and Japanese adults. These “negative awe” videos tend to decrease well-being and not increase happiness or generosity.
Virtual reality (VR) technology may enhance your Awe Video experience. Italian university students who watched an Awe Video through a VR headset showed stronger awe-related bodily reactions compared to those who watched on a flat screen.
The benefits of this exercise may depend on your personality. Awe Videos have been shown to be particularly effective in increasing the generosity of people who are lower on agreeableness, possibly because they are more likely to require emotional stimulation for selfless acts.
Although this exercise can improve our sense of social connection, it does not seem to make us immune to bias. American undergraduates who watched an Awe Video before a racist video reported more anti-Black attitudes than those who watched a neutral video before a racist video. Future research should examine why this interaction may occur.
Sources
Melanie Rudd, Ph.D., University of Houston
References
Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., McNeil, G. D., Peng, K., & Keltner, D. (2017). Awe, the diminished self, and collective engagement: Universals and cultural variations in the small self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(2), 185.
Chirico, A., Cipresso, P., Yaden, D. B., Biassoni, F., Riva, G., & Gaggioli, A. (2017). Effectiveness of immersive videos in inducing awe: An experimental study. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 7, 1–11.
Chirico, A., Clewis, R. R., Yaden, D. B., & Gaggioli, A. (2021). Nature versus art as elicitors of the sublime: A virtual reality study. PLoS ONE, 16(3), 10.
Collado, S., & Manrique, H. (2020). Exposure to awe-evoking natural and built scenes has positive effects on cognitive performance and affect. Environment and Behavior, 52(10), 1105–1132.
Dale, K. R., Janicke-Bowles, S., Raney, A. A., Oliver, M. B., Huse, L., Lopez, J., Reed, A., Seibert, J., & Zhao, D. (2020). Awe and stereotypes: Examining awe as an intervention against stereotypical media portrayals of African Americans. Communication Studies, 71(4), 699–707.
Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., Anderson, C. L., McNeil, G. D., Loew, D., & Keltner, D. (2017). The dark side of the sublime: Distinguishing a threat-based variant of awe. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(2), 310–328.
Guan, F., Chen, J., Chen, O., Liu, L., & Zha, Y. (2019). Awe and prosocial tendency. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 38(4), 1033–1041.
Guan, F., Zhao, S., Chen, S., Lu, S., Chen, J., & Xiang, Y. (2019). The neural correlate difference between positive and negative awe. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13, 9.
Johnson, K. A., Moon, J. W., Okun, M. A., Scott, M. J., O'Rourke, H. P., Hook, J. N., & Cohen, A. B. (2019). Science, God, and the cosmos: Science both erodes (via logic) and promotes (via awe) belief in God. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 84, 13.
Lv, Y., Shi, J., Yu, F., & Zhang, C. (2021). The effect of awe on natural risk-taking preferences: The role of need for closure. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues.
Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108, 883–899.
Prade, C., & Saroglou, V. (2016). Awe’s effects on generosity and helping. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(5), 522–530.
Rankin, K., Andrews, S. E., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Awe-full uncertainty: Easing discomfort during waiting periods. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(3), 338–347.
Rivera, G. N., Vess, M., Hicks, J. A., & Routledge, C. (2020). Awe and meaning: Elucidating complex effects of awe experiences on meaning in life. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(2), 392–405.
Sawada, K., & Nomura, M. (2020). Influence of two types of awe on attitude toward norm violation. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 148.
Takano, R., & Nomura, M. (2022). Neural representations of awe: Distinguishing common and distinct neural mechanisms. Emotion, 22(4), 669–677.
Van Cappellen, P., & Saroglou, V. (2012). Awe activates religious and spiritual feelings and behavioral intentions. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 4(3), 223–236.
Could your life be more awesome? Take our Awe Quiz to find out:
Comments
and Reviews
Henriette Amunazo
FUI CURADO DO VĂRUS HERPES SIMPLEX PELO DR. WATER, O GRANDE HERBALISTA. đżâïž Estou muito feliz por partilhar este testemunho com o mundo porque geralmente hĂĄ muitas dĂșvidas sobre a cura do vĂrus HERPES simplex. Isto Ă© real, levem isto a sĂ©rio, o meu nome Ă© HENRIETTE AMUNAZO e estou muito feliz por hoje poder dar este testemunho ao mundo e tambĂ©m ajudar pessoas que foram condenadas tal como eu fui. Quem acreditaria que uma erva pode curar o HERPES completamente do corpo? Nunca acreditei que isto resultasse, gastei muito dinheiro a comprar medicamentos no hospital para suprimir surtos, chegou uma altura em que tudo o que queria era que a morte viesse porque estava falido e jĂĄ tinha fortes surtos do vĂrus do herpes. Um dia, estava a navegar na internet fazendo perguntas online sĂł para saber mais sobre os Ășltimos desenvolvimentos no setor mĂ©dico para ver se ainda havia esperança, entĂŁo deparei-me com uma publicação sobre este grande homem chamado DR WATER atravĂ©s de uma amiga online que deu publicamente um testemunho sobre como tambĂ©m foi curada do vĂrus herpes simplex 2 por este mĂ©dico herbalista que Ă© bem conhecido pela sua forte prĂĄtica herbal antiga para a cura de HERPES, HIV, VERRUGAS e CANCRO. No inĂcio duvidei tanto da mulher como do mĂ©dico, assim como muitos que vĂȘem este post duvidariam, porque clinicamente estava provado que era impossĂvel, mas depois decidi tentar, por isso enviei-lhe um e-mail. NĂŁo acreditei muito nele, sĂł queria dar-lhe uma oportunidade. Ele respondeu ao meu e-mail e precisava de algumas informaçÔes sobre mim, por isso enviei-lha, ele preparou um medicamento Ă base de plantas (CURA) e enviou-o atravĂ©s do serviço de entrega online. Ele deu os meus dados Ă Courier Office. Disseram-me que em 3 a 5 dias receberia o pacote e depois de o receber, tomei o medicamento conforme prescrito por ele, no final dos 13 dias que o medicamento durou, disse-me para ir ao hospital para fazer um teste, e eu fui, surpreendentemente depois do teste o mĂ©dico confirmou-me livre do vĂrus do herpes simplex, pensei que fosse uma brincadeira, fui a outros hospitais e tambĂ©m me confirmaram que estava livre do herpes, direi que foi como um milagre. Esperei para ver se teria novos surtos e jĂĄ lĂĄ vĂŁo 2 meses desde que nĂŁo tive nenhum. Obrigado senhor por me salvar a vida, mesmo que nĂŁo possa ver esta publicação, nunca deixarei de testemunhar o impacto que causou na minha vida ao restaurĂĄ-la quando estava a ser estigmatizado e atĂ© evitado por familiares e amigos. Prometo que testemunharei sempre as suas boas obras. se tem vĂrus herpes simplex, Ă© paciente com HIV, diabetes, vĂrus do papiloma humano ou verrugas genitais, contacte-o e tenho a certeza que serĂĄ curado, contacte-o atravĂ©s de: e-mail: Drwaterhivcurecentre@gmail.com ou ligue/whatsapp: +2349050205019 ESTAS SĂO AS COISAS QUE O DR WATER Ă ESPECIALIZADO . HERPES . VIH/SIDA . CĂNCER . VERRUGAS GENITAIS . CĂLCULOS NOS RENAIS . ĂLCERA . HEPATITE B&C . TRANSTORNO DA TAXA PORTUĂRIA . DIABETES . CANCRO DE PRĂSTRATA . MIOMA, CISTO . INFERTILIDADE [MARIDO OU ESPOSA]
Veronica Hdaidh
Quero agradecer ao Dr. O. WATER pelo medicamento à base de plantas que me deu a mim e à minha filha. Eu estava a sofrer de surtos de VIH e herpes simples em todos os meus genitais quando dei à luz a minha filha e foi assim que a minha filha apanhou a doença indiretamente de mim. Quero utilizar este meio para dizer a todos que a solução para a nossa doença chegou, por isso gostaria que contactassem este grande curador para o seu endereço de e-mail: DRWATERHIVCURECENTRE@GMAIL.COM e pelo Whatsapp +2349050205019. Estou muito feliz hoje porque eu e a minha filha estamos curados do VIH e do herpes. Agora estamos negativos após o uso do seu medicamento à base de plantas, e o meu médico especialista confirmou isso. mais uma vez digo um grande obrigado ao Doutor O.WATER pelas suas mãos curadoras sobre a minha vida e a minha filha.
Stacy Lufkin
Carol L Benton
Stacy Lynn Sager
Nat
Les images sont inspirantes mais j'ai éteint la musique. Elle est inutile face à la beauté du monde.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.