Journal Home > Volume 1 , Issue 1
Stress and Brain 2021, 1(1): 59-75 https://doi.org/10.26599/SAB.2020.9060003
Review Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 19 March 2021

Psychological research of awe: Definition, functions, and application in psychotherapy

Show Author's Information Li Luo1,2,  Jixuan Mao1,  shengdong Chen1,  Wei Gao1,  Jiajin Yuan2( )
 Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
 The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
Keywords:
awe, self-transcendent emotion, definition, functions, neural basis, application in psychotherapy
Cite this article:
Luo L, Mao J, Chen s, et al. Psychological research of awe: Definition, functions, and application in psychotherapy. Stress and Brain, 2021, 1(1): 59-75. https://doi.org/10.26599/SAB.2020.9060003
Download citation
EndNote(RIS)
BibTeX

3527

Views

609

Downloads

Citations

4

Crossref

N/A

WoS

N/A

Scopus

N/A

CSCD

Abstract Full text About this article

As a self-transcendent emotion, awe refers to an immediate emotional response or a sustained feeling to various stimuli. The experience of awe is profound and of great significance not only for individual growth but also for social progress. To systematically understand and better conduct future research on awe, this study first illustrates the definition of awe and its widespread functions on prosocial behaviors, well-being, cognition, and self-consciousness. Then, the neuroscientific literature is reviewed, where findings show that the neural basis of awe involves multiple brain regions related to self-consciousness, cognitive control, attention, and emotion. The review also discusses the application of awe in clinical treatments, especially in transpersonal psychotherapy, to inspire individuals to promote spiritual development. Lastly, recommendations on how awe can guide future research are presented.


menu
Abstract
Full text
Outline
About this article

Psychological research of awe: Definition, functions, and application in psychotherapy

Show Author's information Li Luo1,2, Jixuan Mao1, shengdong Chen1, Wei Gao1, Jiajin Yuan2( )
 Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
 The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China

Abstract

As a self-transcendent emotion, awe refers to an immediate emotional response or a sustained feeling to various stimuli. The experience of awe is profound and of great significance not only for individual growth but also for social progress. To systematically understand and better conduct future research on awe, this study first illustrates the definition of awe and its widespread functions on prosocial behaviors, well-being, cognition, and self-consciousness. Then, the neuroscientific literature is reviewed, where findings show that the neural basis of awe involves multiple brain regions related to self-consciousness, cognitive control, attention, and emotion. The review also discusses the application of awe in clinical treatments, especially in transpersonal psychotherapy, to inspire individuals to promote spiritual development. Lastly, recommendations on how awe can guide future research are presented.

Keywords: awe, self-transcendent emotion, definition, functions, neural basis, application in psychotherapy

References(82)

[1]
Keltner, D., Haidt, J. Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 2003, 17(2): 297–314.
DOI Google Scholar
[2]
Gable, S. L., Haidt, J. What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 2005, 9(2): 103–110.
DOI Google Scholar
[3]
Bonner, E. T., Friedman, H. L. A conceptual clarification of the experience of awe: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Humanistic Psychologist, 2011, 39(3): 222–235.
DOI Google Scholar
[4]
Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., Cordaro, D., Anderson, C. L., Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Keltner, D. Self-transcendent emotions and their social functions: Compassion, gratitude, and awe bind us to others through prosociality. Emotion Review, 2017, 9(3): 200–207.
DOI Google Scholar
[5]
Shiota, M. N., Thrash, T. M., Danvers, A. F., Dombrowski, J. T. Transcending the self: Awe, elevation, and inspiration. In: Tugade, M. M., Shiota, M. N. Kirby, L. D. (eds.), Handbook of Positive Emotions. New York: Guilford Press, 2014: 362–377.
[6]
Thrash, T. M., Elliot, A. J. Inspiration: core characteristics, component processes, antecedents, and function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004, 87(6): 957–973.
DOI Google Scholar
[7]
Van Cappellen, P., Rimé, B. Positive emotions and self-transcendence. In: Saroglou, V. (ed.), Religion, Personality, and Social Behavior. New York: Psychology Press, 2014: 123–145.
[8]
Schneider, K. J. Awakening to Awe: Personal Stories of Profound Transformation. Lanham: Jason Aronson, 2009.
[9]
Schneider, K. The resurgence of awe in psychology: Promise, hope, and perils. The Humanistic Psychologist, 2017, 45(2): 103–108.
DOI Google Scholar
[10]
Zhao, H. H., Xu, Y., Zhang, H. Y. The psychological structure of Chinese trait awe. Psychological Exploration, 2019, 39(4): 345–351. (in Chinese)
Google Scholar
[11]
Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., Anderson, C. L., McNeil, G. D., Loew, D., Keltner, D. The dark side of the sublime: Distinguishing a threat-based variant of awe. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2017, 113(2): 310–328.
DOI Google Scholar
[12]
Shiota, M. N., Campos, B., Keltner, D. The faces of positive emotion. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2006, 1000(1): 296–299.
DOI Google Scholar
[13]
Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., Mossman, A. The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cognition & Emotion, 2007, 21(5): 944–963.
DOI Google Scholar
[14]
Campos, B., Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., Gonzaga, G. C., Goetz, J. L. What is shared, what is different? Core relational themes and expressive displays of eight positive emotions. Cognition & Emotion, 2013, 27(1): 37–52.
DOI Google Scholar
[15]
Schurtz, D. R., Blincoe, S., Smith, R. H., Powell, C. A. J., Combs, D. J. Y., Kim, S. H. Exploring the social aspects of goose bumps and their role in awe and envy. Motivation and Emotion, 2012, 36(2): 205–217.
DOI Google Scholar
[16]
Maruskin, L. A., Thrash, T. M., Elliot, A. J. The chills as a psychological construct: Content universe, factor structure, affective composition, elicitors, trait antecedents, and consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012, 103(1): 135–157.
DOI Google Scholar
[17]
Joye, Y., Dewitte, S. Up speeds You down. Awe-evoking monumental buildings trigger behavioral and perceived freezing. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2016, 47: 112–125.
DOI Google Scholar
[18]
Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., McNeil, G. D., Peng, K. P., Keltner, D. Awe, the diminished self, and collective engagement: Universals and cultural variations in the small self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2017, 113(2): 185–209.
DOI Google Scholar
[19]
Rudd, M., Vohs, K. D., Aaker, J. Awe expands People's perception of time, alters decision making, and enhances well-being. Psychological Science, 2012, 23(10): 1130–1136.
DOI Google Scholar
[20]
Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., Keltner, D. Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2015, 108(6): 883–899.
DOI Google Scholar
[21]
Jiang, L. B., Yin, J., Mei, D. M., Zhu, H., Zhou, X. Y. Awe weakens the desire for money. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 2018, 12: e4, .
DOI Google Scholar
[22]
van Cappellen, P., Saroglou, V. Awe activates religious and spiritual feelings and behavioral intentions. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2012, 4(3): 223–236.
DOI Google Scholar
[23]
Chirico, A., Yaden, D. B., Riva, G., Gaggioli, A. The potential of virtual reality for the investigation of awe. Frontiers in Psychology, 2016, 7: 1766, .
DOI Google Scholar
[24]
Chirico, A., Gaggioli, A. Awe: “more than a feeling”. The Humanistic Psychologist, 2018, 46(3): 274–280.
DOI Google Scholar
[25]
Griskevicius, V., Shiota, M. N., Neufeld, S. L. Influence of different positive emotions on persuasion processing: A functional evolutionary approach. Emotion, 2010, 10(2): 190–206.
DOI Google Scholar
[26]
Atamba, C. Restorative effects of awe on negative affect after receiving negative performance feedback. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 2019, 29(2): 95–103.
DOI Google Scholar
[27]
Koh, A. H. Q., Tong, E. M. W., Yuen, A. Y. L. The buffering effect of awe on negative affect towards lost possessions. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019, 14(2): 156–165.
DOI Google Scholar
[28]
Quesnel, D., Riecke, B. E. Are you awed yet? How virtual reality gives us awe and goose bumps. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 9: 2158, .
DOI Google Scholar
[29]
Chirico, A., Ferrise, F., Cordella, L., Gaggioli, A. Designing awe in virtual reality: An experimental study. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 8: 2351, .
DOI Google Scholar
[30]
Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., John, O. P. Positive emotion dispositions differentially associated with Big Five personality and attachment style. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2006, 1(2): 61–71.
DOI Google Scholar
[31]
Yaden, D. B., Kaufman, S. B., Hyde, E., Chirico, A., Gaggioli, A., Zhang, J. W., Keltner, D. The development of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S): A multifactorial measure for a complex emotion. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019, 14(4): 474–488.
DOI Google Scholar
[32]
Penner, L. A., Dovidio, J. F., Piliavin, J. A., Schroeder, D. A. Prosocial behavior: Multilevel perspectives. Annual Review of Psychology, 2005, 56(1): 365–392.
DOI Google Scholar
[33]
Yang, Y., Yang, Z. Y., Bao, T. X., Liu, Y. Z., Passmore, H. A. Elicited awe decreases aggression. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 2016, 10: e11, .
DOI Google Scholar
[34]
Prade, C., Saroglou, V. Awe's effects on generosity and helping. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2016, 11(5): 522–530.
DOI Google Scholar
[35]
Yang, Y., Hu, J., Jing, F. J., Nguyen, B. From awe to ecological behavior: The mediating role of connectedness to nature. Sustainability, 2018, 10(7): 2477.
DOI Google Scholar
[36]
Zhao, H. H., Zhang, H. Y., Xu, Y., Lu, J. M., He, W. Relation between awe and environmentalism: The role of social dominance orientation. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 9: 2367, .
DOI Google Scholar
[37]
Wang, L. Y., Zhang, G. L., Shi, P. F., Lu, X. M., Song, F. S. Influence of awe on green consumption: The mediating effect of psychological ownership. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10: 2484, .
DOI Google Scholar
[38]
Li, J., Li, A. K., Sun, Y., e Li, H., Liu, L., Zhan, Y. L., Fan, W., Zhong, Y. P. The effect of preceding self-control on prosocial behaviors: The moderating role of awe. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10: 682, .
DOI Google Scholar
[39]
Darley, J. M., Batson, C. D. “From Jerusalem to Jericho”: A study of situational and dispositional variables in helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973, 27(1): 100–108.
DOI Google Scholar
[40]
Yaden, D. B., Iwry, J., Slack, K. J., Eichstaedt, J. C., Zhao, Y. K., Vaillant, G. E., Newberg, A. B. The overview effect: Awe and self-transcendent experience in space flight. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2016, 3(1): 1–11.
DOI Google Scholar
[41]
Diener, E., Oishi, S., Lucas, R. E. Personality, culture, and subjective well-being: Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 2003, 54(1): 403–425.
DOI Google Scholar
[42]
Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., Diener, E. The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 2005, 131(6): 803–855.
DOI Google Scholar
[43]
Rankin, K., Andrews, S. E., Sweeny, K. Awe-full uncertainty: Easing discomfort during waiting periods. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2020, 15(3): 338–347.
DOI Google Scholar
[44]
Fredrickson, B. L. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 2001, 56(3): 218–226.
DOI Google Scholar
[45]
Fredrickson, B. L. What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 1998, 2(3): 300–319
DOI Google Scholar
[46]
Zhao, H. H., Zhang, H. Y., Xu, Y., He, W., Lu, J. M. Why are people high in dispositional awe happier? the roles of meaning in life and materialism. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10: 1208, .
DOI Google Scholar
[47]
Cross, S. E., Gore, J. S., Morris, M. L. The relational-interdependent self-construal, self-concept consistency, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003, 85(5): 933–944.
DOI Google Scholar
[48]
Cooper, A. B., Sherman, R. A., Rauthmann, J. F., Serfass, D. G., Brown, N. A. Feeling good and authentic: Experienced authenticity in daily life is predicted by positive feelings and situation characteristics, not trait-state consistency. Journal of Research in Personality, 2018, 77: 57–69.
DOI Google Scholar
[49]
Burke, R. J., El-Kot, G.. (2009). Material affluence, time affluence and well-being among managers in Egypt. Industrial Relations and Human Resources Journal, 2009, 11(2): 11–24, .
DOI Google Scholar
[50]
Kasser, T., Sheldon, K. M. Time affluence as a path toward personal happiness and ethical business practice: Empirical evidence from four studies. Journal of Business Ethics, 2009, 84(S2): 243–255.
DOI Google Scholar
[51]
Baas, M., de Dreu, C. K. W., Nijstad, B. A. A meta-analysis of 25 years of mood-creativity research: Hedonic tone, activation, or regulatory focus? Psychological Bulletin, 2008, 134(6): 779–806.
DOI Google Scholar
[52]
Sung, B., Yih, J. Does interest broaden or narrow attentional scope? Cognition and Emotion, 2016, 30(8): 1485–1494.
DOI Google Scholar
[53]
Torrance, E. P. Understanding creativity: Where to start? Psychological Inquiry, 1993, 4(3): 232–234.
DOI Google Scholar
[54]
Chirico, A., Glaveanu, V. P., Cipresso, P., Riva, G., Gaggioli, A. Awe enhances creative thinking: An experimental study. Creativity Research Journal, 2018, 30(2): 123–131.
DOI Google Scholar
[55]
Gottlieb, S., Keltner, D., Lombrozo, T. Awe as a scientific emotion. Cognitive Science, 2018, 42(6): 2081–2094.
DOI Google Scholar
[56]
Aronson, E., Festinger, L. Back to the future: Retrospective review of Leon festinger's “A theory of cognitive dissonance”. The American Journal of Psychology, 1997, 110(1): 127.
DOI Google Scholar
[57]
Valdesolo, P., Graham, J. Awe, uncertainty, and agency detection. Psychological Science, 2014, 25(1): 170–178.
DOI Google Scholar
[58]
Silvia, P. J., Fayn, K., Nusbaum, E. C., Beaty, R. E. Openness to experience and awe in response to nature and music: Personality and profound aesthetic experiences. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 2015, 9(4): 376–384.
DOI Google Scholar
[59]
Mcphetres, J. Oh, the things You don’t know: Awe promotes awareness of knowledge gaps and science interest. Cognition and Emotion, 2019, 33(8): 1599–1615.
DOI Google Scholar
[60]
Anderson, C. L., Dixson, D. D., Monroy, M., Keltner, D. Are awe-prone people more curious? The relationship between dispositional awe, curiosity, and academic outcomes. Journal of Personality, 2019: jopy.12524.
DOI Google Scholar
[61]
Simon-Thomas, E. R., Keltner, D. J., Sauter, D., Sinicropi-Yao, L., Abramson, A. The voice conveys specific emotions: Evidence from vocal burst displays. Emotion, 2009, 9(6): 838–846.
DOI Google Scholar
[62]
Preston, J. L., Shin, F. Spiritual experiences evoke awe through the small self in both religious and non-religious individuals. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2017, 70: 212–221.
DOI Google Scholar
[63]
van Elk, M., Karinen, A., Specker, E., Stamkou, E., Baas, M. ‘standing in awe’: The effects of awe on body perception and the relation with absorption. Collabra, 2016, 2(1): 4.
DOI Google Scholar
[64]
Ruberton, P. M., Kruse, E., Lyubomirsky, S. Boosting state humility via gratitude, self-affirmation, and awe: Theoretical and empirical perspectives. In: Worthington, E., Davis, D., Hook, J. (eds.), Handbook of Humility. New York: Routledge, 2016.
[65]
Lee, K. Awe and humility: Intrinsic value in nature. Beyond an earthbound environmental ethics. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, 1994, 36: 89–101.
DOI Google Scholar
[66]
Le, P. Q., Saltsman, T. L., Seery, M. D., Ward, D. E., Kondrak, C. L., Lamarche, V. M. When a small self means manageable obstacles: Spontaneous self-distancing predicts divergent effects of awe during a subsequent performance stressor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2019, 80: 59–66.
DOI Google Scholar
[67]
Guan, F., Xiang, Y. H., Chen, O. T., Wang, W. X., Chen, J. Neural basis of dispositional awe. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2018, 12: 209, .
DOI Google Scholar
[68]
Guan, F., Zhao, S. S., Chen, S. N., Lu, S., Chen, J., Xiang, Y. H. The neural correlate difference between positive and negative awe. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2019, 13: 206, .
DOI Google Scholar
[69]
Kjaer, T. W., Nowak, M., Lou, H. C. Reflective self-awareness and conscious states: PET evidence for a common midline parietofrontal core. NeuroImage, 2002, 17(2): 1080–1086.
DOI Google Scholar
[70]
Vago, D. R., Silbersweig, D. A. Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): A framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2012, 6: 296, .
DOI Google Scholar
[71]
Elk, M., Arciniegas Gomez, M. A., Zwaag, W., Schie, H. T., Sauter, D. The neural correlates of the awe experience: Reduced default mode network activity during feelings of awe. Human Brain Mapping, 2019: hbm.24616.
DOI Google Scholar
[72]
Raichle, M. E. The brain's default mode network. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 2015, 38(1): 433–447.
DOI Google Scholar
[73]
Immordino-Yang, M. H., McColl, A., Damasio, H., Damasio, A. Neural correlates of admiration and compassion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2009, 106(19): 8021–8026.
DOI Google Scholar
[74]
Bonner, E. T., Friedman, H. L. The role of awe in psychotherapy: Perspectives from transpersonal psychology. Voices the Art & Science of Psychotherapy, 2016, 52(1): 62–71.
Google Scholar
[75]
Schneider, K. J. Rediscovering awe: A new front in humanistic psychology, psychotherapy, and society. Canadian Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 2008, 42(1): 67–74.
Google Scholar
[76]
Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Richards, B. D., McCann, U., Jesse, R. Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: Immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology, 2011, 218(4): 649–665.
DOI Google Scholar
[77]
Ross, S., Bossis, A., Guss, J., Agin-Liebes, G., Malone, T., Cohen, B., Mennenga, S. E., Belser, A., Kalliontzi, K., Babb, J. et al. Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2016, 30(12): 1165–1180.
DOI Google Scholar
[78]
Hendricks, P. S. Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. International Review of Psychiatry, 2018, 30(4): 331–342.
DOI Google Scholar
[79]
Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Kometer, M., Vollenweider, F. X. Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers. PLoS One, 2012, 7(2): e30800, .
DOI Google Scholar
[80]
Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A., Anderson, C. L., Piff, P. K., McNeil, G. D., Keltner, D. Awe and humility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018, 114(2): 258–269.
DOI Google Scholar
[81]
Gruber, J., Mauss, I. B., Tamir, M. A dark side of happiness? how, when, and why happiness is not always good. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2011, 6(3): 222–233.
DOI Google Scholar
[82]
Buston, K., Parry-Jones, W., Livingston, M., Wood, S., Bogan, A. Qualitative research. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1998, 172(3): 197–199.
DOI Google Scholar
Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Rights and permissions

Publication history

Received: 01 March 2020
Revised: 13 May 2020
Accepted: 22 May 2020
Published: 19 March 2021
Issue date: September 2021

Copyright

© The Author(s) 2020

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. NNSF31671164, 31871103, and 31971018‬), and the Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of the Chinese Ministry of Education (No. 17XJC190004).

Rights and permissions

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission.

Return