It’s hard to offer a precise definition of awe, so let’s call it the thrill we feel when we realize that we are in the presence of some stunningly magnificent place or being or happening. It’s less hard to list the health benefits that we derive from the experience. In fact, one easy way to do that is to read this piece by Jancee Dunn in the Well column of the New York Times. Dunn gets much of her information from Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life,” among others, including former NYT health writer Gretchen Reynolds. She reports that “research suggests that can help calm the nervous system, reduce inflammation and foster a sense of community (even if you experience the emotion alone). People who took awe walks, one study found, felt more upbeat and hopeful than walkers who did not.”
Want to learn more and get yourself some awe? Dunn provides step by step instructions that will have to suffice until Google comes up with a function to Find Awe Near Me.