Awe facilitates mindfulness by reducing default-mode brain activity.

Self-transcendence and a sense of belonging are fundamental features of awe.

Awe is linked to significant improvements in both mental and physical health.

Consider a moment when you were suddenly pulled out of your daily routine by a profound sense of marvel and wonder. Maybe you were far outside the city on a clear night, looking up at a sky filled with so many stars it almost didn’t seem real. Maybe it was watching your child take their first steps toward you, hearing a piece of music that gave you chills, or seeing the ocean stretch endlessly beneath a spectacular sunrise. Most of us have experienced moments like these—brief but unforgettable experiences that leave us feeling connected, humbled, and more alive all at once.

This is awe, a complex human emotion marked by a sense of vastness, transcendence, and what is often described as “mind-blowing” enlightenment. It is the feeling we experience when something is so extraordinary that it reshapes the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us.

I invite you to think of awe as medicine for your mind and body, dispensed from within you. Often, we do not realize awe’s effects until they have already shifted our state. Why? This emotion is born from our internal systems, triggered by our interactions with others, ourselves, and the world. We are our own pharmacists. In fact, a dose of awe may be one of the healthiest and most accessible ‘prescriptions’ for well-being.

Modern science reveals specific neurophysiological markers associated with awe, including increased vagal tone—a measure of relaxation regulated by the vagus nerve; increased release of oxytocin, the hormone linked to bonding and trust; reduced inflammation and lower bodily stress responses; and decreased sympathetic nervous system arousal, meaning less activation of the “fight-or-flight” response. All of these have been correlated with improvements in both mental and physical health.

In other words, the experience of awe can help shift us into a restorative “rest-and-digest” state, elevating our sense of........

© Psychology Today