What is Awe?

People often use the word ‘awe’ is ways that don’t do it justice. For example, we may say to someone, “That was just awesome!” when what we witnessed was that person doing something exemplary but not necessarily really ‘awesome’. Young people seem to use the term quite a bit. Another expression we may say is, “I am just in awe of the way you make those quilts.” Really? We also might be ‘awestruck’ or ‘stand in awe’ of something.

I brooch the subject because: 1. I want to talk about a new book entitled Awe, by Dacher Keltner and 2. Experiencing the Northern Lights in much of the country without going up to the Arctic Circle has apparently been a truely ‘awesome’ experience for many many people.

In a recent lecture I attended about the benefits of time spent in the outdoors, a doctor explained how patterns and sounds in nature can actually release hormones and other natural substances that are beneficial to the body. She ended her lecture by saying that the untimate value of the great outdoors lies in the chance of experiencing in a moment of great awe. That is what the Northern Lights have done for so many. That is what seeing a giant flock of Red Knots take off in tandem and swirl artfully above the surf does for me. Or a spectacular sunset. Or a double rainbow that stretches from one end of the horizon to the other. And the thing is, a picture doesn’t truly capture the moment nor can words accurately describe it.

So, the book by Keltner explores how cultivating awe in our everyday life can transforms our brains and our bodies. To see a video of an interview with Dacher Keltner, click on www.tarabrach.com › goodness-awe-tara-brach-dacherBasic Goodness and Awe: A conversation between Tara Brach and …