Wellness and Harmony

DAY FOUR

AWE THERAPY

There's so much mystery, so much awe in the world that science can't explain. Jane Goodall

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Have you ever been awestruck? By definition, awe is witnessing or feeling the presence of something vast and beyond human scale. It's experiencing something that transcends the common and mundane, something that challenges our current understanding of the world. Perhaps you've felt awe while gazing at the Milky Way, visiting Niagara Falls, or climbing a mountain. Yet simple, humble moments can also inspire awe, such as when a baby looks at you and smiles.

So it may not be surprising that awe has captured the attention of researchers. A three-year project, funded by the Templeton Foundation and run by the University of California, sheds new light on the mystery of awe. For a long time, only the primary emotions – happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise – were deemed worthy of scientific study. But groundbreaking studies have revealed four important aspects to awe.

First, awe brings people together. In other words, when viewing a grand vista or a starry sky, we realize that we're a small part of something much larger. This realization urges us to work more collaboratively with people, and to be more helpful. Suddenly, we're thinking less about ourselves and more about others.

Secondly, awe enhances mindfulness and, therefore, helps us be calm and attentive. In addition, mindfulness prepares us to be more receptive and responsive to whatever challenges might come our way. Perhaps that's why Albert Einstein identified awe as the source of all true art and science.

Next, awe makes us nicer. It inspires people to act more kindly, generously, and ethically. An innovative experiment helped proved this point. Volunteers were divided into two groups, with each group looking at a picture for sixty seconds. The first group gazed at a picture of eucalyptus trees, while the second group viewed a nondescript building. Of course, the tree-gazers reported greater awe. And when the test leader “accidentally” dropped a box of pens, the awestruck people responded much faster and picked up significantly more pens than the other test group.

And fourth, awe changes our bodies and minds. As we experience awe, the body's level of cytokines, an inflammation marker linked to depression, is significantly reduced. Experts have also proven that awe therapy – in essence, exposure to nature's beauty – lowers blood pressure, slows pulse rates, and strengthens immune systems.

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For thousands of years, early humans were deeply connected to the world around them; for their very survival was tied to finding food, water, and shelter. Their intimate connection with nature included expressions of gratitude for water, rocks, and soil; and for fish, birds, animals, plants, and trees. Their thanksgiving extended to the sun, the rain, the moon, the stars, the tides, the seasons – and yes, the beauty and wonder of it all. These ancient people recognized and celebrated awe, even as they were immersed in it. They lived in caves, adobe houses, grass huts, and frame shelters covered by animal hides. They walked the deserts, forests, and mountain ranges. In primitive boats, they explored lakes, rivers, and seas. Only recently could someone drive to an airport, board a plane, and fly to a distant region of the planet. Yet, our attraction to nature is undeniable. We're intuitively drawn to beauty, because we yearn for healing. And we instinctively search for awe, because goodness is in our DNA.

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Finding awe in everyday life …

Take time to gaze at the clouds or stars.

Make a point to watch a sunrise or sunset.

Identify and reflect on a time in your life when you experienced awe.

Visit a museum or planetarium.

Explore a local, state, or national park.

Take a walk, seeing everything as if it were the first time.

Observe a group of children interacting on a playground or in pool.

Watch a game of pick-up basketball.

Check out an amazing cathedral.

Attend a live concert.

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It's rare to be outdoors in a place so remote that you can't hear man-made sounds: no droning televisions or radios; no lawnmowers or motorcycles; no distant cars or trucks, trains or planes. Most likely, something will catch your ear: a buzzing bee, a moaning tree, a chirping bird. Or perhaps there will be complete silence. If you find such a place, pause and cherish the moment; for you've come upon a heaven-like sanctuary.

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Is it not possible for any space to be holy, for any place to be a sanctuary of peace or an altar of praise? Once your mind perceives a place as sacred, your heart will take over and make it so.

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Spiritual teachers suggest that, in order to bring heaven to earth, you must see the world through childlike eyes. That is to say, you should strive to view the world through a lens of innocence and wonder. Of course, childlike awe has nothing to do with childishness, and has little in common with petulant, childish behavior.

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Today, I am in awe of the one Spirit And the diverse creations born of the one Spirit

Today, everything and everyone belong And I forgive what I cannot understand

Today, I teach love and compassion Kindness and helpfulness

Today, my childlike eyes see only innocence and perfection Beauty and abundance

Today, I feel an infinite Divine presence As I choose to follow my heart

Immersed in this moment, I am humble and grateful Jubilant and triumphant!

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