Why It’s Worth It | Sometimes, life can feel monotonous, like going through the motions and not getting anywhere. But what if we could change the daily grind by intentionally seeking out moments of “wonder” in our lives? It may sound a bit whimsical, but research suggests that experiencing awe can bring us joy and connect us to something greater, potentially transforming the mundane aspects of our daily routines. 

(Of note: Awe does not require any religion to partake). 

In this episode of The Happiness Lab, Laurie Santos takes us on an enlightening journey into the world of awe and its profound ability to boost happiness and well-being. The episode starts with a heartfelt exchange between Santos and Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Hale. Tony finds comfort, perspective, and a unique sense of happiness through his Christian faith. This sparks curiosity in Santos, an atheist, as she contemplates whether she can experience similar emotional benefits without religious ties.

To answer this question, Laurie turns to Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, who gets to study “awe” for his day job. Dacher’s research has identified eight “wonders of life” that commonly induce awe: religious experiences, nature, music, art, moral beauty in others, epiphanies, collective effervescence (shared group experiences), and moments of birth and death. 

He defines awe as the emotion we feel when encountering vast mysteries challenging our understanding. It is unique among emotions, combining elements of pleasure and fear and often leaving us speechless or destabilized. While this sounds somewhat mysterious, the physical and psychological benefits are profound:  reduced stress, self-focused thinking, and enhanced appreciation of our place in the world and the community around us.

Determined to apply Dacher’s research to her perspective, Laurie explores a personal source of awe: the James Webb Space Telescope. She talks to Mike Menzel, the telescope’s mission systems engineer, who describes the immense challenges (truly astonishing!) and triumphs of creating this remarkable device. The telescope’s ability to observe light from the earliest stars, its massive size, and its complex deployment process all contribute to its awe-inspiring nature.

Background | In this episode, Laurie speaks with guests Tony Hale, an Emmy Award-winning actor known for his roles in Veep and Arrested Development; Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life; and Mike Menzel, a Mission Systems Engineer for the James Webb Space Telescope. Highlights include: 

• Awe is a complex, accessible emotion with measurable effects: Awe combines pleasure and fear, often leaving us speechless and destabilized. It reduces stress, deactivates self-focused thinking, and increases feelings of connection. People experience awe more frequently than expected, potentially averaging two to three times per week (largely unnoticed). 
• The eight wonders of life that induce awe: Dacher Keltner’s research has identified nature, music, art, moral beauty in others, epiphanies, collective effervescence, moments of birth and death, and religious experiences as primary sources of awe. Notably, moral beauty—witnessing acts of kindness, courage, and selflessness in others—is the most reported cause of awe across cultures.
• Science and technology are profound sources of awe: Projects like the James Webb Space Telescope demonstrate humanity’s capacity for innovation and our ability to explore the universe. The telescope’s ability to observe light from the earliest stars, its massive size, and its complex deployment process all contribute to its awe-inspiring nature.
• Intentionally seeking and sharing awe improves well-being and creates connections: Activities like taking “awe walks” in new or interesting places can significantly increase our experience of awe. Sharing awe-inspiring experiences, such as Mike Menzel’s childhood story of showing Saturn to neighborhood teens, can bridge social divides and create unexpected connections between people. 
• Awe provides perspective and is not limited to religious experiences: Awe helps us understand our place within a larger context, potentially reducing stress about everyday concerns. While religious beliefs can be a source of awe and comfort, non-religious individuals can still experience profound awe through nature, art, science, and human kindness. This suggests that the benefits of awe are accessible to everyone, regardless of spiritual belief.
• Awe influences self-perception and community connection: Experiments have shown that people in awe-inspiring environments, like Yosemite National Park, tend to draw themselves at a smaller scale and report feeling more connected to the world around them (they see themselves as a small part of a bigger whole). This demonstrates how awe can shift our perspective, making us feel part of something larger than ourselves and strengthening our connection to others and the world around us.
• The role of awe in happiness and well-being: By experiencing awe, individuals may feel less stressed, less self-absorbed, and more connected to others and their environment. 

Source | The Happiness Lab: The Power of Awe … and Where to Find It – Season 9, Episode 4About | Laurie Santos is a Yale professor, researcher, and happiness expert who studies how psychology can guide us to make better choices and live happier, more fulfilling lives. Her course on happiness, the most popular course at Yale in over 300 years, is offered in an online version, The Science of Well-Being, on Coursera. Laurie also hosts The Happiness Lab, a podcast that focuses on changing how we think about happiness. Laurie’s core belief is simple: What our minds tell us will make us happy is often a lie.