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INNOVATIVE THOUGHT & PRACTICE

Awe in Psychology Psychologists have been researching and writing about this experience of awe for several decades now. Almost 25 years ago, Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt described awe as a “moral, spiritual, and aesthetic” emotion. 3 These authors noted that awe includes two main ingredients. The first ingredient is vastness , meaning that we are in awe of something much larger than us and, therefore, overwhelmed by it in a good way. The second ingredient is incomprehensibility , meaning it is diffi cult for us to understand or grasp what we are in awe of. For Keltner and Haidt, there are three awe triggers : thoughts, sen sory experiences in the physical world, and relationships. With thoughts, we may be in awe of a grand theory or idea, such as Einstein’s theory of relativity or God’s infinite wisdom and presence. With sensory experiences in the physical world, we may be in awe of a physical structure or landform, such as the human-made Pyramids of Giza or Mount Everest, as part of God’s creation. Finally, with relationships, we may be in awe of someone’s virtuous deeds, such as watching video clips of the late Mother Teresa serving those in need or reading about God’s miracles in the Bible. When we feel awe in response to these three triggers, time may slow down, we may experience ourselves as small and what we are in awe of as big, we may be grateful, and we may feel connected to others and our surroundings. 4 Research has revealed that awe is positively associated with well-being, 5 life satisfaction, 6 and religion and spirituality. 7 Therefore, awe is especially relevant for mental and spiritual health. Research has also revealed that we can intentionally improve awe by going on awe walks , 8 which involve walking in novel locations as we experience the wonder and mystery of our surroundings. Awe in Christianity For Christians, worship may be the most common strategy for experiencing awe. Indeed, as a spiritual emotion, 9 it certainly makes sense that the psychological and spiritual act of wor shipping God, who is vast and beyond our comprehension, might trigger this feeling. The 20th-century Christian pastor, A.W. Tozer, wrote that worship is “to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delight ful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and over powering love in the presence of [God].” 10 So, for Tozer, wor ship is an awe-inducing action in the midst of the God of love. But how might we, as Christians, take the purposeful steps necessary to experience worshipful awe before God? A.W.E. In their book, The Power of Awe , the therapist Jake Eagle and physician Michael Amster outlined a three-step process for intentionally cultivating awe in all of life. 11 The first step, atten tion , involves focusing on what is awe-inducing in a sustained manner. The second step, wait , consists of slowing down to be thankful for what is awe-inducing as we slowly breathe in. The third and final step, exhale and expand , captures our ability to notice what we are feeling as we slowly exhale, holding onto and savoring the experience. Overall, this three-step strategy

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