Awe-inspiring spaces tend to be both expansive and richly adorned.

Feeling awe depends not only on a space but also on how we pay attention to it.

Seeking out — and creating — inspiring places may promote well-being and a sense of connection.

Regularly feeling awe — becoming absorbed in something vast that takes us beyond ourselves — seems to be one of the best things we can do for ourselves and the world. Psychological research over the past few decades shows how awe promotes health and well-being, connects us with others, and even encourages us to take care of our natural environments.

When we think of what makes us feel awe, many of us tend to think of nature, which definitely is a powerful source of awe. More recently, though, scientists have turned their attention to other ways to feel awe, such as certain interior spaces.

For example, I’ll never forget the day when a friend of mine brought me to Memorial Chapel at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. As I walked in, my attention shifted back and forth between the chapel as a whole and the individual tile mosaic pieces that comprised it, each about the size of a fingernail. I struggled to comprehend the labor required to fashion millions of these tiny pieces and somehow assemble them into such an extraordinary whole. As my attention became absorbed in the beauty of the space, any concerns — any worries, any other thoughts I had — faded. I was........

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