9 years ago
1
The Mind-Bending Science of Awe
Awe is not an everyday emotion. You don't wake up awestruck. A satisfying lunch doesn't leave you filled with awe. Even a great day is unlikely to leave you in a state of jaw-dropped, consciousness-opening fear and trembling. Perhaps that's why, up until about ten years ago, psychology "had surprisingly little to say about awe," wrote Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt in a 2003 paper. The two psychology professors aimed to outline the key qualities of an awe-inspiring encounter.
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Definitely. The 1999 total eclipse of the sun really did it for me. The birds going quiet, the dark shadow sweeping across the fields and then darkness all over. Scary even though I knew what was happening. Glad I wasn't an Aztec. I also have occasional moments of similar scary awe when I look at my 14 year old son. Miracle of life and all that...