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Podcast Summary
This Hidden Brain episode features psychologist Dacher Keltner discussing the science of awe and its transformative power in our lives. (00:00) The episode begins with Keltner's personal struggle with anxiety during his early academic years in Wisconsin, where he discovered that experiences like basketball, music concerts, and natural phenomena helped him "lose himself" and find relief. (02:30) Through scientific research, Keltner has found that awe - defined as encountering vast mysteries we can't understand with our current knowledge - creates profound psychological and physical benefits including reduced anxiety, increased compassion, and enhanced well-being. (17:00) The episode also features Mary Helen Immordino-Yang answering listener questions about transcendent thinking in education, emphasizing that effective learning starts with the student's emotional engagement rather than just content delivery.
Speakers
Dacher Keltner
Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California Berkeley who specializes in studying prosocial emotions including love, compassion, gratitude, and awe. He is the author of "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life" and has spent decades researching how positive emotions affect human behavior and wellbeing.
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang is a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Southern California and author of "Emotions, Learning, and the Brain: Exploring the Educational Implications of Affective Neuroscience." She researches how emotional engagement and transcendent thinking enhance learning and has worked extensively on reforming educational approaches to focus on student development rather than just content delivery.
Key Takeaways
Awe Creates the "Small Self" That Connects Us to Something Larger
Keltner's research reveals that experiencing awe fundamentally shifts our perspective from self-focused thinking to feeling part of something greater. (30:00) In studies at Yosemite, people who viewed the valley's grandeur literally drew smaller representations of themselves and used more collective language like "I am a human" rather than individual traits. This "small self" phenomenon helps us move beyond narrow self-interest to connect with communities and broader systems, which is evolutionarily vital for human cooperation and survival.
Everyday Awe Walks Can Reduce Anxiety and Enhance Wellbeing
Taking regular "awe walks" - walking with childlike wonder while paying attention to interesting details and vast perspectives - produces measurable psychological benefits. (43:00) In Keltner's study with participants aged 75 and older, those who took weekly awe walks for eight weeks showed reduced daily distress and anxiety. Remarkably, the experience becomes richer over time rather than diminishing, and participants began including more of their environment in self-photographs, literally expanding their sense of self.
Moral Beauty in Others Is the Most Universal Source of Awe
Across 26 countries, Keltner's research found that witnessing the goodness, kindness, and moral courage of ordinary people around us is the most common trigger for awe. (21:27) This isn't about famous figures like Gandhi, but neighbors, grandmothers, and strangers whose everyday acts of virtue inspire us morally and show us what we aspire to be as good human beings. This moral beauty happens almost weekly and creates a profound sense that "people are good."
Awe Has Measurable Physical Health Benefits
Beyond psychological effects, awe produces tangible physiological changes that promote health and wellbeing. (39:34) Research shows that brief experiences of awe activate the vagus nerve, which slows heart rate, deepens breathing, and regulates digestion. Additionally, among all positive emotions, awe most effectively quiets inflammatory responses in the immune system. Chronic inflammation is a major health threat in modern society, making awe's anti-inflammatory effects particularly valuable for physical health.
Educational Focus Should Start with Student Development, Not Content Delivery
Immordino-Yang emphasizes that effective education requires putting the student's developmental experience at the center rather than just focusing on content delivery. (58:00) Her research comparing Montessori and traditional students showed that while both groups solved the same number of math problems correctly, Montessori students engaged more deeply with mistakes, using them as learning opportunities rather than sources of anxiety. This approach builds resilient learners who can tackle complex real-world problems that don't have single correct answers.
Statistics & Facts
- Keltner experienced 70-80 panic attacks per year during his difficult period in Wisconsin, demonstrating the severe impact of chronic anxiety on daily functioning. (03:18)
- In the rafting study with veterans and disadvantaged students, participants showed 30% less PTSD symptoms after just one week of nature immersion experiences. (39:00)
- The pandemic led to 20-30% increases in depression and anxiety rates, particularly affecting young people and highlighting the urgent need for awe experiences in daily life. (42:02)
