“Awe can mean many things. It can be witnessing a total solar eclipse. Or seeing your child take her first steps. Or hearing Lizzo perform live. But, while many of us know it when we feel it, awe is not easy to define. ‘Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world,’ said Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s vast, yes. But awe is also simpler than we think — and accessible to everyone, he writes in his book ‘Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.’ While many of us associate awe with dramatic, life-changing events, the truth is that awe can be part of everyday life. Experiencing awe comes from what Dr. Keltner has called a ‘perceived vastness,’ as well as something that challenges us to rethink our previously held ideas.... In his book, Dr. Keltner writes that awe is critical to our well-being — just like joy, contentment and love. His research suggests it has tremendous health benefits that include calming down our nervous system and triggering the release of oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone that promotes trust and bonding. ‘Awe is on the cutting edge’ of emotion research, said Judith T. Moskowitz, a professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.... So what is it biologically? Awe wasn’t one of the six basic emotions — anger, surprise, disgust, enjoyment, fear and sadness — identified back in 1972, Dr. Keltner said. But new research shows that awe ‘is its own thing,’ he said.... Dr. Keltner found that awe activates the vagal nerves, clusters of neurons in the spinal cord that regulate various bodily functions, and slows our heart rate, relieves digestion and deepens breathing. It also has psychological benefits. Many of us have a critical voice in our head, telling us we’re not smart, beautiful or rich enough. Awe seems to quiet this negative self-talk, Dr. Keltner said, by deactivating the default mode network, the part of the cortex involved in how we perceive ourselves. But, Dr. Keltner said, even his own lab experiments underestimate the impact of awe on our health and well-being.... Awe is something you can develop, with practice. Here’s how. Pay attention…. Focus on the ‘moral beauty’ of others…. spend time learning about inspiring people…. Practice mindfulness.... ‘Meditating, reflecting, going on a pilgrimage.’… Choose the unfamiliar path. Awe often comes from novelty…. We can work on developing this openness through everyday choices…. In his book, Dr. Keltner wrote that people who find awe all around them, ‘are more open to new ideas. To what is unknown. To what language can’t describe.’”
New York Times January 3, 2023 [yeah, I know it’s long, but I think it’s noteworthy how they go on and on about the materialist basis and never look up to the heavens].