The Science Of Awe: How Wonder Rewires The Brain

When we feel anxious or overwhelmed, we usually try to think our way out of it. We analyze our problems, we ruminate, and we try to logic our way to peace. But modern neuroscience has discovered a much more beautiful solution: you can't always think your way out of an anxious mind—sometimes, you have to look your way out of it. In this episode, we are exploring the incredible science of awe, and how experiencing wonder acts as a biological reset button that shrinks the ego and brings us true peace.

• Music by Aonescape from Pixabay

Transcript

Welcome to the Happiness Podcast, I'm Dr. Robert Puff. When we feel anxious or overwhelmed, We usually try to think our way out of it. We analyze our problems, We ruminate, And we try to logic our way to peace. But what if modern neuroscience has discovered that you can't think your way out of an anxious ego, You have to look your way out of it. I don't know if this has ever happened to you, But it's happened to me several times during my life, Where everything seemed to be going so well, And I was so looking forward to the future, And then something comes along and says, That isn't going to happen. The future you had planned has changed. I remember one of the toughest times that's ever happened to me, When the person I thought I was going to get to spend my life with, Decided to leave. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't figure my way out of it. It felt truly hopeless. And then, In those early morning hours, It came to me, If I can use the words, God came to me, And it was shown to me that I was going to be okay. Not only that, But everything was going to work out beautifully. I didn't know how, But I knew it was true, And my heart changed. It went from fear, Anxiety, To knowing that all would be well. Even though nothing in my external world had changed, My heart changed. And with that change, All was well. My fears, My anxieties completely vanished, Truly, And I just knew it was all going to be well. I didn't know how, But I knew it was, And I just trusted that that was what was going to happen. And that's exactly what did happen. The good news is, I had been in situations like this before, Where life decided to go down a very different path than I expected it to. But when I reflected on those past incidences, They all always worked out. All of them did, And even for the better. So even though I didn't solve anything, I didn't have the answer to anything, That early morning experience of awe helped me look my way out of it. Awe is not just a fleeting poetic emotion, It's a powerful biological reset button that deactivates the anxious part of our brain and connects us to the vastness of the universe. So let's explore the neuroscience of turning off the me center. We all have what's called the default mode network, DMN. It's a crucial part of our brain. The DMN is the region responsible for our ego, Our autobiographical memories, And our constant internal monologue. When we're worried about our to-do lists, Criticizing ourselves, Or stressing about our future, Our DMN is highly active. When our DMM is overactive, We experience depression, Anxiety, And rumination. It's a mental cage, But we also have the awe switch. Let me share some of the groundbreaking research from a scientist, Dr. Keltner at UC Berkeley. He found that when humans experience awe, Like looking at the Milky Way, Standing before a massive redwood, Or listening to a sweeping symphony, The DMM is neurologically deactivated. The brain literally stops thinking about me. I was once backpacking for a week up in the high Sierras. It was a beautiful trip, But one night, When all my companions had gone to bed, I went far away from the campsite and looked up at the beautiful night sky. And even though I was spending a whole week in nature, My mind was active, Like many of our minds are, Enjoying myself, But definitely thinking about things too. As I was standing there looking up at the night sky, I don't know how to describe it, But I left my body, And I literally started flying through the universe. My little body, My little ego, Was still standing there, But for a while, I was almost at one with the entire universe. It was one of the most awe-inspiring experiences I've ever had. And that little me, With life concerns and worries, Was so insignificant in comparison to the vastness and beauty of the cosmos. There's a paradox of shrinking. In Western culture, We're taught to make ourselves as big and as important as possible. I see this all the time in my clinical practice as a psychologist. Am I good enough? Am I doing things that are important enough? Am I going to make a difference in the people who are in my life? But what happens when we let all that go? There's a healing relief. Feeling small is not demeaning, It's the ultimate relief. When we realize the universe is unfathomably vast and ancient, The heavy burden of our daily stress suddenly feels very light. When I was going through that difficult time, Losing my best friend, My ego was put in its proper, Peaceful place, And it was so clear to me that all is well, All will be well, All is always well. It wasn't that I was denying what I was going through. I just knew I would get through it because I wasn't alone. Or perhaps more importantly, My ego, With all its fears, All its anxieties, Let go of the small picture and started seeing the vast picture of the universe. Studies have shown that when our egos shrink, Our empathy expands. People who experience all immediately become more generous, Collaborative, And kind towards strangers. When I was a child growing up, My family used to go camping a lot on the weekends during the summer, And after my sister and my mom went to bed, My father and I used to sit up and look at and talk about the beautiful stars all around us. That gift of all is one of the many gifts my father gave me, And perhaps today I can instill that gift in you. Do you know the story of Carl Sagan? The legendary astronomer convinced NASA to turn Voyager 1 camera around as it was leaving our solar system to take one final picture of Earth. In that famous pale blue dot photograph, The Earth is just a simple tiny pixel suspended in a sunbeam. Looking at that image could make someone feel entirely insignificant and perhaps even depressed, But for Sagan, It was a moment of profound, Ego-shattering awe. He used this to teach that because we are so small in the cosmic dark, Human kindness is the most important, Urgent thing we possess. All stripped away his ego and left only compassion. I remember years ago attending a lecture in Pasadena, California, Where Carl Sagan put up on the screen that pale blue dot and described what it meant to all of us. I remember the intense emotion flowing through my body as I truly felt what he was describing. Are you familiar with the great naturalist and writer John Muir, Who spent his life wandering in the Sierra Nevada mountains? He is another one of these major influences on my own life. I think I've read all of his books. He didn't just hike for exercise, He hiked to let the massive granite cliffs and the giant sequoias dwarf his sense of self. Muir understood the neuroscience of all long before brain scanners existed. He famously wrote, I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out until sundown, For going out, I found, Was really going in. He knew that looking out at the vastness of nature was the only way to heal the internal mind. Interestingly, Too, He struggled with health issues whenever he was down in the cities, But whenever he went up to the mountains and spent time up there, His body healed too. So how can we cultivate wonder in our own lives? First, We could try the weekly awe walk. This is a specific practice studied by researchers. Take a 15 minute walk this week without your phone, Without a destination, And without a fitness goal. Your only objective is to look at things that surprise you. Look for the intricate patterns of the veins on the fallen leaf or the way the clouds are moving. Deliberately seek out the miraculous in the mundane. Second, Do a vastness audit. How much vastness is in your daily diet? If you only look at the screens and the walls at your office, Your ego will become dominant. Intentionally expose yourself to things larger than yourself. Watch a documentary about the deep ocean. Listen to a complex piece of classical music or look up at the stars before bed. Thirdly, We can do the micro-awe or the child's gaze. You don't have to go to the Grand Canyon to feel awe. Children feel awe looking at a simple grasshopper. Practice looking at ordinary things very, Very closely. When you shift your focus outward, Your DMN quiets down and your anxiety fades. In conclusion, The universe gave us a beautiful, Built-in mechanism to escape our own stressful thoughts. All's we have to do is look up, Look closely, And allow ourselves to be astonished. Thank you for joining me on the Happiness Podcast. Until next time, Accept what is, Love what is.

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