Awe

"[3] Another dictionary definition is a "mixed emotion of reverence, respect, dread, and wonder inspired by authority, genius, great beauty, sublimity, or might: [e.g.] We felt awe when contemplating the works of Bach.

"[4][verification needed] In general, awe is directed at objects considered to be more powerful than the subject, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Grand Canyon, the vastness of the cosmos, or a deity.

He defines awe as an "overwhelming and bewildering sense of connection with a startling universe that is usually far beyond the narrow band of our consciousness."

Pearsall sees awe as the 11th emotion, beyond those now scientifically accepted (i.e., love, fear, sadness, embarrassment, curiosity, pride, enjoyment, despair, guilt, and anger).

Keltner and Haidt propose that this primordial awe later generalized to any stimulus that is both vast and that requires accommodation.

Konečni postulated that the evolutionary origins of awe are from unexpected encounters with natural wonders, which would have been sexually selected for because reverence, intellectual sensitivity, emotional sensitivity, and elite membership would have been attractive characteristics in a mate, and these characteristics would also have given individuals greater access to awe-inspiring situations.

[7][13][14] This occurs as a way to build informational resources when one is in the presence of novel and complex stimuli that cannot be assimilated by one's current knowledge structures.

This hypothesis is the most recent and has received the most empirical support, as described in the section on social consequences of awe.

[17] Awe is a unique emotional state comprising eight to ten positive feelings triggered by encountering novel stimuli that challenge the familiar.

Awe involves five processes linked to well-being: “shifts in neurophysiology, a diminished focus on the self, increased prosocial relationality, greater social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning.” Awe fosters optimism, connection, and well-being while reducing anxiety, depression, and social rejection.

It reshapes one's self-perception, promotes prosocial actions, strengthens the sense of connection to humanity, and deepens individual feelings of meaning.

[19] Using this method, researchers observed that awe is often displayed through raised inner eyebrows (78%), widened eyes (61%), and open, slightly drop-jawed mouths (80%).

A substantial percent of people also display awe by slightly jutting forward their heads (27%) and visibly inhaling (27%), but smiling is uncommon (10%).

Using self- and peer-reports, researchers[13] found that regularly experiencing awe was associated with openness to experience (self and peer-ratings) and extroversion (self-ratings).

[20] The greater willingness to donate time appeared to be driven by decreased impatience after experiencing awe.

Poverty Point, USA, examines its role as a prosocial emotion contributing to the forging of larger social and cultural identities.