Awe and Wonder in Nature

First Published on the 24th July 2022
Last Updated on the 2nd December 2023

When guiding Forest Bathing activities, I often ask participants to reflect on a favourite memory from Nature. Quite often these memories involve either peace and tranquility or awe and wonder. Awe is a feeling we often experience when we witness something so vast that it challenges our understanding of the world, such as looking up at all the stars in the sky on a clear dark night or seeing the Northern Lights. For me, I have been lucky enough to see both Giant Redwood trees and the Grand Canyon in my lifetime, and these feature strongly in my favourite memories of Nature. Both of these natural wonders are HUGE.

In her book The Nature Fix, Florence Williams describes this as ‘Scale Induced Awe’. She describes how awe promotes curiosity when what we see is outside of our usual frame of reference, or see things that we cannot easily categorise or understand, and consequently they often get seared into our memory.

In the book Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Connected, The Positive Psychologist Jonah Paquette discusses the concept and feeling of awe and how awe can improve our wellbeing. Using scientific research he shows that awe can reduce stress, increase altruism and make us happier. He also talks about practical ideas for how people can enhance their sense of awe in ordinary, everyday life.

How Awe is Experienced

According to Jonah Paquette, experiencing awe involves two components, vastness and transcendence. Vastness happens when we see something like a spectacular view or sunset, or are exposed to a concept such as the the infinite size of the universe, that is too incredible to fit into our current worldview, forcing us to expand our understanding of what is possible. Transcendence happens when we take in this new, awe-inspiring experience and try to make sense of it.

Awe also helps us to experience a different relationship with the world around us, he says, explaining that when we are overcome with awe, we often experience a sense of our ego becoming smaller, and our needs, hopes, and purpose more integrated with the people and environment around us.
“Awe blurs the line between the self and the world around us, diminishes the ego, and links us to the greater forces that surround us in the world and the larger universe,” he writes. In that way, awe can serve a dual purpose, improving our well-being while bringing us together.

The Benefits of Experiencing Awe

The experience of awe goes beyond making us feel good, it helps us to connect with others and has health benefits:

Awe can improve your mood and make you more satisfied with your life.
Research shows that experiencing awe can make people happier and also to report greater life satisfaction. Feeling a sense of awe can also take our minds off our personal problems.

Awe decreases stress levels.
Awe has been shown to reduce stress levels in both the short term and the long term. Importantly though, it was shown that it wasn’t just spending time outdoors that lead to this reduction in stress, but nature’s ability to induce a sense of awe in subjects.

Awe can help to reduce inflammation.
Researchers have linked positive emotions - especially the awe we feel when touched by the beauty of nature, art, and spirituality - with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins that signal the immune system to work harder.

Awe may help you think more critically.
Some studies suggest that awe may be able to increase our critical cognitive skills. One study found that when people were induced to feel awe, they were less persuaded by weak arguments than people who did a neutral activity (imagining doing their laundry).

Awe may decrease materialism.
In another study, participants who recalled an awe experience placed less value on money than did participants who recalled a happy or neutral experience, and viewing awe-inducing images reduced the effort people were willing to put into getting money (where effort was measured by tolerance for listening to an unpleasant sound).

Awe can make people more humble.
Another recent study found that people who are more naturally prone to experiencing awe felt more humility and were rated as more humble by their friends.

Awe may also expand our perception of time.
One study found that people induced to feel awe felt less impatient and agreed more strongly with statements suggesting that time is plentiful and expansive than people induced to feel happiness. The researchers speculate that by immersing us in the moment, awe may allow us to savour the here and now.

Awe can make you more generous and cooperative.
Multiple studies have found that experiencing awe may make people more kind, generous and altruistic.

Awe can make you feel more connected to other people and humanity, as well as nature.
Awe has an amazing capacity to bring people together. Research suggests that awe helps us feel more connected to the people in our lives and to humanity as a whole.

As can be seen, awe and wonder in nature play a pivotal role in shaping our relationship with the world around us. These profound emotions evoke a sense of reverence, astonishment, and humility when confronted with the grandeur, complexity, and beauty of the natural world. Experiencing awe in nature fosters a deeper connection and appreciation for the environment, prompting introspection and a shift in perspective. It opens our minds to the vastness of the universe and the intricate web of life, instilling a sense of wonder that ignites curiosity and inspires exploration. Importantly, these emotions have a profound impact on our wellbeing, enhancing happiness, reducing stress, and promoting a sense of interconnectedness with something greater than ourselves. Encountering moments of awe and wonder in nature encourages us to cherish and protect the environment, recognising its intrinsic value beyond its utilitarian aspects, ultimately nurturing a more profound sense of environmental stewardship and responsibility.