Awe & Wonder
Awe… “to be inspired and filled with wonder”
To wonder is to be in a state of astonishment or admiration. Wonder is “something awesomely mysterious” which is often associated with uncertainty or novelty
Does awe transcend our human experience? How can I access awe to support my mental health and emotional well-being?
Try practicing Awe Walks! First, some background information…
An awe-inspiring experience is something that is beyond our human comprehension. It is inherently mysterious and astonishing. It’s miraculous. It’s marvelous. We can be filled with wonder and fully attuned with the sacred, sublime, or shocking nature of the experience in front of us; still it is beyond our full comprehension. It is difficult to explain and translate our experience to others; and inherently, these experiences involve some “not knowing” that may lead to a sense of confusion or even apprehension.
Stay curious! Be interested! Awe-inspiring experiences are all around us and they also live within us. Practicing awe and increasing our sense of wonder nurtures our ability to see beauty everywhere and engage in meaningful experiences. Awe and wonder uplift our sense of well-being in this world.
So how can we inspire awe if awe is inherently mysterious and outside of our human control? First, we need to be curious in order to experience awe. Awe is accessible to everyone. It is not exclusively a spiritual experience or reserved for the divine.
In “Atlas of the Heart,” Brené Brown describes awe as the emotion that motivates us to observe and appreciate the vast beauty that surrounds us while wonder motivates us to learn more and expand our understanding. Awe and wonder help build perspective and lead to introspection regarding our place in this world.
Wonderous and mysterious experiences of awe are fully accessible to all human beings living on this beautiful planet. It can be a rare moment of watching the Aurora Borealis dance across the night sky or being mesmerized by a spectacular lightning show; it is catching a shooting star or witnessing a meteor shower. Awe is also noticing the beauty in everyday moments – big bumble bees in the flower garden, sapphire blue skies scattered with fluffy clouds, squirrels scampering in the woods, birds singing their morning song, fish jumping out of the water, or a gentle breeze carrying a message of hope.
An awe-inspiring experience is amazing, and it is accessible. It is within our human reach. Enlightenment is not required. We do not need to eliminate suffering, overcome struggles, or heal from trauma to experience awe. We do not even need to eliminate all negative thinking. The prerequisites for experiencing awe and wonder relate to maintaining curiosity and shifting our perspective – not being free from hardship or having everything figured out. There is great power in altering our perceptions and paying attention to how we experience the world so we can start seeing the sacred in everything around us.
So what gets in the way of us experiencing awe? Ourselves… our state of mind… our thinking patterns?
Thinking traps can block us from noticing and letting in the good. As Henry Emmons, MD and Aimee Prasek, PhD explain in the Joy Lab podcast “See Your Inner Light with Awe (encore),” a couple mistakes in our thinking can impact our ability to experience awe:
- Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization occurs when we connect a past experience to something that is happening right now. We maintain negative thoughts and perpetuate our expectations based on previous happenings. We keep following the same path in our brain, and we reinforce this pathway the more we travel it. To combat overgeneralizing, we first need to notice that we are overgeneralizing. Notice, recognize, and remind ourselves that this situation, this moment, is not the same as before.
2. Filtering
Filtering is when we filter out the positives and focus on the negatives. We have evolved to hang on to the negatives – it’s a survival mechanism. Historically, this mechanism served us well and kept us safe from danger. Through time and evolution, we now understand that awe does not easily pass through the negativity filter. We need to intentionally let the positives in. Good news… we do not need to eliminate all the negatives (negative thinking patterns, life stressors) to get started!
How? It’s a practice. Practice creates patterns and practice promotes progress. Practice is about incremental progress. It’s about moving in a different direction, not achieving perfection. You can strengthen your awe muscles!
Flex your awe muscles by integrating Awe Walks into your daily routine. This simply involves taking an intentional 15-minute walk. Exploring new places. Noticing nature. Looking around and making note of things that inspire a sense of awe in you.
Awe is within you and all around you. We carry this power within us. We have strength inside of us. We can focus on connecting with the parts of us that are awe inspiring. We can also be moved and inspired by others. Being in awe of others can be awe-inspiring for you. You do not have to be free from suffering, you do not need to be cured from illness, and you do not need to eliminate all negative thinking. You do not need to be fixed in order to practice joy and experience awe! The more you practice joy and access awe, the easier it becomes. Regular, intentional practice can evolve into automatic patterns. It becomes our second nature. And, it is absolutely worth it! Increasing awe increases joy. Awe enhances our sense of compassion towards ourselves and others. Awe enhances our sense of gratitude, generosity, cooperation, and appreciation.
Awe supports our well-being and brightens our world. Increased experiences of awe decrease our experiences of distress and broaden our perspective. It nurtures our sense of humility. We become more aware of our place within this world versus focusing on our personal tragedies or personal accolades. It provides an opportunity for a gentle reality check, helping us get unstuck and releasing us from self-obsessive thinking.
We are a small, yet mighty part of something bigger than ourselves! Awe feeds our sense of purpose, connects us with our community, and enhances our human experience. We can open our eyes to the great possibilities that surround us and change our filter to allow more experiences of awe to penetrate our soul.
Don’t wait until you are ready. Start now. Awe is awaiting you!
Blog by: Stacia Jacobson-Gray, MA, LPCC
Photo by: Lisa Fotios via Pexels