Awe means "amazement". There are moments when we humans positively shudder and perhaps even get goosebumps. During an emotional song, a moving moment in a film and perhaps even more so at the sight of nature, such as the perception of a clearing surrounded by birch trees and flooded with spring sunlight. Especially when these moments are associated with pleasant odours, something very special happens in us.

We are more focussed on this moment, experience the moment more clearly, the sensory sensations become more conscious and the inner realms of knowledge - eureka - widen and become clearer. Some also describe such extremely pleasurable moments as "larger than life".

Most people are of the opinion that these moments occurred more frequently in their childhood and youth, when they did and experienced many things for the "first time".

The older we get, the less we seem to encounter these moments. It is not uncommon for us to try to create them by consuming something. This act of illusionary and symbolic self-supplementation, in which we succumb to the cleverly packaged promises of advertising, often leaves a stale taste of dissonance after just a few seconds compared to the "original" of a real encounter with the world. Immediately, a renewed feeling of deficiency arises - something is missing. As a result, the need to restart the consumer cycle of symbolic self-supplementation increases immediately.

Sociologist Hartmut Rosa points out that we need a different way of encountering the world than generating and controlling it through consumption. According to Rosa, it is about coming into contact - into resonance - with the world, which can create this vibrating connection between us and the world.

In this context, Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt speak of "approaching awe", which can probably best be translated as reverent amazement. According to Keltner and Haidt, this Awe gives us the feeling of being "in the presence of something great that transcends our conception of the world and equates to an inner-personal wonder" and "on the one hand, the power to sustainably improve psychological well-being and, on the other, the power to stimulate personal and spiritual growth processes". In particular, feelings such as wonder, gratitude and appreciation can contribute to life satisfaction and have a strengthening effect as resources.

Social scientist Judith Moskowitz from Northwestern University even describes this reverence research for humanity as "cutting edge", i.e. innovative.

The questionnaire below gives you an individual snapshot - hence the indicator. Perhaps the resulting value in comparison with the reference groups will encourage you to become more aware of your feelings. Gently becoming more aware of your own feelings is almost always helpful. It's about learning how to use your feelings in a way that promotes your personal growth, well-being and resource management.

Source:
Psychologie heute, issue 2023/12, page 12-21