Awe

I was delighted by this paragraph from an article in my recent Sierra magazine, “The Science of Awe” by Jake Abrahamson:

Scientifically speaking, the storm [an amazing scene described previously] brought me into a state of awe, an emotion that, psychologists are coming to understand, can have profoundly positive effects on people. It happens when people encounter a vast and unexpected stimulus, something that makes them feel small and forces them to revise their mental models of what’s possible in the world. In its wake, people act more generously and ethically, think more critically when encountering persuasive stimuli, like arguments or advertisements, and often feel a deeper connection to others and the world in general. Awe prompts people to redirect concern away from the self and toward everything else. And about three-quarters of the time, it’s elicited by nature.

My last intense awesome experience was a trip to Ireland sponsored by the Sierra Club.  The trip included about six miles of hiking daily.  There were moments of standing wordless at some incredible view.  I would often think, I need to be in the present moment because I can’t take the intensity of this beauty home with me. This paragraph reminds me that I can.  And I don’t mean the memory of a scene, though the pictures help.  I mean the kind of change Abrahamson describes. I'm sure I haven't been improved as much as he describes above, but his article helped me understand that moments of awe do expand my love for the universe and, I think, increase my level of peacefulness.  Sometimes I think these trips are a lot of trouble and expense.  This reminds me that it’s worth it. It also reminds me to be aware of the awe that exists at the art gallery, the concert hall, and in my own back yard.