Using Awe to Heal

[HurtinNW]

This is a fascinating article on how experiencing awe can help us heal, become better people.

"Think about a time you’ve experienced awe. Maybe you were gazing up at a massive mountain range, or looking down into the depths of an infant’s eyes, or watching lightning as it seemed to crack the sky open. Maybe you felt humbled, or shaken; maybe you were struck by the vastness of the universe and your own tiny part in it. Psychologists consider awe a form of “self-transcendence”: you temporarily blur at the edges, feeling a connection to something greater than yourself... .Awe-inducing events may be one of the fastest and most powerful methods of personal change and growth.”

www.nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/05/scientists-are-trying-to-solve-the-mystery-of-awe.html

I'm curious if anyone else has thought about this. I know for me one of my strengths is that—despite all the pain I have gone through—I still feel awe at life and its beauty. Even in my worst moments I have been able to see the beauty of life. I credit that for how I survived horrific childhood abuse.

This article makes me think of mindfully seeking awe as a way to heal. Such as putting ourselves in awe's path, whether seeking nature or powerful true moments.

[heartandwhole]

I'm curious if anyone else has thought about this. I know for me one of my strengths is that—despite all the pain I have gone through—I still feel awe at life and its beauty. Even in my worst moments I have been able to see the beauty of life.

I am definitely with here. Sometimes I feel awestruck at the fact that we are all somehow planted on this spinning sphere suspended in the middle of a galaxy of billions of stars and other planets and black holes and galaxies. Other times, like yesterday, the Vienna Philharmonic's rendition of Ravel's "Bolero" stopped me in my tracks and brought tears of gratitude and a feeling of joy, peace, and oneness.

This article makes me think of mindfully seeking awe as a way to heal. Such as putting ourselves in awe's path, whether seeking nature or powerful true moments.

I think that's a fantastic idea, Hurtin'    I especially like putting myself in Nature's way to experience awe. What about you? Besides nature, what makes you feel awe?

heartandwhole