Awestruck – The Miracles of Awe

Embracing wonder makes miracles happen. Awe can transform our mental health. Most of the field of psychiatry remains (as it does today) focused on illness, pathology, and suffering. In contrast to the disease model, which focuses on how to best undo negative conditions, the real panacea is absolute altruism (total removal of “self” from anything egoistic, becoming equivalent in form to the Creator). Such a state is greatly motivated by the experience of awe and other positive mental states.

Awe always triggers a manifestation of unconditional love. Awe is purity, innocence, and honesty together. The key is that we encounter something that exceeds our routine frame of reference and spurs us to move our awareness from the rational mind into the heart area, penetrating each heart through its broken walls. Experiencing awe, a person accumulates psychic energy and grows its precious crystals (ringsels, śarīras in Buddhism).

The forms of awe are ranging from “primitive” (that many modern people experience and display) to so-called “awakened from Above” (that the same people can experience if they evolve spiritually). There are many forms of awe in the between, of course. On this page, we will talk about the “awakened from Above” awe.

The same person, based on his/her spiritual development, can experience the “primitive” or “awakened from Above” states of awe

The moments of awe are both overwhelming and life changing. A key effect of awe is that we feel a sense of connection to something larger than ourselves. Awe blurs the line between the self and something much better than us, diminishes the ego, and links us to the greater forces that surround us in the world and the higher planes.

Awe-inspiring moments are all around us, ranging from the grand to the commonplace. All we need to do is to increase these experiences in our daily lives. But reflect on our typical day. Our lifestyles today do not lend themselves to the awe-inspiring. Our culture has become “awe-deprived” these days. Fortunately, small steps toward becoming more awestruck can make long-lasting changes. Even a tiny fleck of awe stops time.

Anne of Green Gables (1979 TV series, Japan)

For some, awe emerges when we stand before a piece of art, feel a sense of deep connection with some movie characters, listening to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”, or even watching Winnie the Pooh movies and TV shows. Far from being an extravagant luxury, experiences of awe are an essential part of life wisely lived. Awe moves us away from primitivism toward moral greatness or sublimity, or mysterious sacredness. Egoism vanishes.

Awestruck is our connection with mighty “beyond.” Awe is now coming to be seen as a crucial part of a meaningful life. Awe can be found in a wide range of experiences, from the everyday to the divine. Awe is an innate sense of reverence for something out there, something much higher than all our most creative imagination can give. Awe is a deep spiritual connection with that indescribable celestial beauty and love.

Awe state is beyond our intellectual comprehension (beyond the mind and intellect). Not only does awe connect us to those around us, but it also spurs us to act in more compassionate and generous ways toward other people. When we become awestruck, we tend to become more altruistic toward others. Awe arouses altruism! Awe also promotes curiosity.

Nothing Can Dampen My Spirits by Yaoyao Ma Van As

Awe grants us countless benefits. Experiences of awe shift us out of materialism and align us with the deeper, more meaningful values. Time and time again, experiences of awe shift people away from more material concerns toward a higher plane. Experiencing more awe in our everyday lives is the most powerful stress-buster at our fingertips. Awe has been shown to possess healing powers in ways that might form future mental health treatment approaches. Even more amazingly, these gains from the states of awe are maintained even weeks later, showing that awe-provoking experiences, while fleeting, can have lasting positive effects on our mental well-being.

Women experience awe more often than men. It’s one of the reasons why they live longer. Awe causes time to be “stretched out” as if time has expanded and has made us go from being “time poor” to “time rich.” The degree to which people experience awe is directly correlated with their improved symptoms. More awe means a less mental disorder, along with increased overall well-being. There have been countless examples of people whose lives were forever changed or drastically improved by the powerful or even regular experience of awe.

Awe is a lightning bolt that cleanses the doors of perception, and we see with startling clarity what is truly important in life. Powerful moments of awe can help reconnect us to our values, remind us of what truly matters, and put our lives into a greater cosmoethical perspective. Experiences of awe can create within us, in literally the flash of a moment, new insights and wisdom that can change our lives forever. Awe leads to a shrinking of the ego, and humbles us in the face of something vast and transcending.

Cirque du Soleil (Las Vegas) is working with neuroscientists to measure the states of awe (2018).

Moments of awe lead to specific changes in our brains in some incredible ways. They unblock key neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, thus improving our mental health in a unique and powerful way.

Experience of awe releases oxytocin, a hormone linked to feeling of warmth, closeness, and connection with others. Awe reduces mind-wandering, rumination (Stanford University, California), and negative self-judgment. It pulls us out of this pessimistic cycle and allows us to become immersed in the world around us. Awe brings us together and motivates us to help others.

There are many ways we can become more awestruck in our everyday lives. Some people are more predisposed to awe than others (in both frequency and intensity). Awe is correlated to traits like gratefulness, a love of learning, creativity, and appreciation for beauty. Each of us can boost our awe quotient and tap into the many benefits of awe. Simple practices can reliably induce experiences of awe, with major benefits to our mental health. We can become more awestruck through our own actions, habits, and choices in our daily lives. What elicits awe in one person may provoke a yawn in another. Allow your heart and inner wisdom to guide you along the way. Through conscious effort, you can evoke more feelings of awe throughout your life. Just cultivate awe! How? Please continue reading by clicking the button below.