awe

Awe is a complex emotion characterized by a sense of vastness—either physical, conceptual, or moral—and a perceived need to adjust one's understanding in response to that vastness. It is often described as a blend of wonder, admiration, and humility, and it can be elicited by natural phenomena, grand human achievements, or moments of moral beauty.

Elicitors and types: Natural grandeur (mountains, galaxies, storms), monumental architecture or science, artistic or religious experiences, and acts of moral significance. Researchers distinguish "vastness-based awe" from "moral or social awe" and often group them as awe of nature and awe in social or moral domains. Awe can occur with positive affect or be accompanied by anxiety or fear depending on context; it frequently involves a sense of time expansion and a feeling of being small.

Cognitive and social effects: A core appraisal is the need for accommodation—the sense that current mental schemas must be revised. This can lead to curiosity, openness to new information, and reduced self-focus. Prosocial effects have been observed: increased generosity, cooperation, and preferences for communal goals, along with reduced materialism. Awe may also enhance long-term well-being by expanding perspective.

Neuroscience and evolution: Neuroimaging studies link awe to activity in brain networks involved in self-referential processing, valuation, and attention to magnitude, though the precise pattern varies by context. Evolutionarily, awe-like experiences may promote group bonding and social learning when faced with challenges that exceed individual capacity.

Across cultures, awe features in religion, ritual, art, and science, and philosophers have long connected awe to the sublime and to the perception of something greater than the self.