Want to know why I travel, hike, backpack, kayak, and go on multi-day river trips to remote places (which include being hot, cold, uncomfortable, scared, and having to poop in a bucket or a hole in the ground)??
This is why: AWE
“How Awe Rewires the Brain”
David R. Hamilton, PhD
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and felt a wave of expansiveness or wonder? Or stood before a mountain range and felt something stir deep within you? That feeling is awe—and it’s far more than just a nice emotion.
Experiencing awe reduces activity in the brain’s default mode network, the part that’s linked with self-focus and overthinking. Awe shifts us out of ourselves and expands our perspective and it also lowers stress and brings a greater sense of calm.
Awe even has biological benefits. Studies show it reduces levels of inflammatory markers—these are molecules associated with conditions like heart disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Awe also increases humility, kindness, happiness, and our sense of connection with others. Remarkably, it can even expand our sense of time.
Awe Makes Us Feel Both Small and Vast
When we gaze at something immense—a starry sky, a powerful symphony, an act of compassion—we might feel small by comparison. Psychologists call this self-diminishment.
Yet paradoxically, awe also makes us feel larger and more connected to a greater whole, a phenomenon known as enlarged connectedness. This connection can be with all living beings when we witness kindness, or a spiritual sense of unity when we feel awe in nature.
The Takeaway
If you want to feel expanded, connected, calm, more humble, and more appreciative of life, others, and nature, then make awe a regular part of your life.
In a few words: Look up. Slow down. Feel connected.
Here are a few ways to invite awe into your day:
- Step outside at night and gaze at the stars, or rise early to watch a sunrise.
- Spend time in nature—among tall trees, mountains, or near water.
- Watch a film or short video that features acts of great courage or that show compassion or kindness that moves you.
- Listen to music that gives you chills or watch powerful artistic performances.
- Observe people’s extraordinary talents—even highlight clips from talent shows or “best moments” in sports can evoke awe.
- Study a new subject that opens up your understanding of the world.
- Notice beauty in small details: a spider’s web, the bark of a tree, your child’s hands, your dog’s eyelashes.
- Simply slow down, use your senses, and really see what’s around you. Let sights, sounds, and sensations draw you into presence.
However you do it, let awe expand your mind and soften your stress. It’s nature’s way of reminding us that we’re part of something far greater.
Oct 15, 2025
https://drdavidhamilton.com/how-awe-rewires-the-brain/
Warmly,
Angie
P.S. My co-facilitator Sylke and I are deep in researching our 2026 river trip. Interested in being first to know? Just reply and I’ll make sure you’re on the list!