THE HEALING POWER OF AWE

How one woman found comfort and connection in moments of awe

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From the time I was a little girl, I have sought comfort and solace in the expansiveness of nature. I've scoured beaches for seashells and colorful rocks, lain beneath the night sky marveling at the stars, and planted myself at the base of a giant oak tree in the front yard of my childhood home, notebook in hand, recording my thoughts.

Now a mother to three boys, I try to instill that same sense of wonder in my children during monthly hikes up to a cross in the mountains near our home. Once, my 8-year-old son Jack suggested we find unique rocks to place in a wooden box that rests at the base of the cross. “We can leave them as an offering—a prayer for joy, love, and peace,” he said.

We each selected one rock, then opened the box. Inside, we saw letters, book pages, even a pair of black horn-rimmed eyeglasses—peoples’ prayers for guidance, peace, and clarity—and we placed our rocks alongside them, connecting our prayers to theirs.

As we made our way back down the hill, we saw a trio of hummingbirds dancing around us. Jack’s eyes followed the tiny, flitting creatures, his mouth curled into a slight grin. We were both mesmerized.

“We already got our blessings,” he said. “Joy, love, peace.” It turns out, such quests for awe are on the rise, particularly in response to a growing body of evidence linking awe with myriad health benefits, including lower levels of stress, enhanced well-being, and greater social connectedness.

In fact, when people experience awe, they report feeling more connected to other people and the world at large. There’s even a growing movement through an online platform called The Awe Collective (awe.arizona.edu) to gather, connect, and map moments of awe and cultivate a community rooted in creative expression and childlike wonder.

AWE EXPLAINED