Awe & Time Perception
What is awe?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines awe as "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder."
Picture in your mind a time when something amazing stopped you in your tracks - maybe something that took your breath away. In that moment, you were fully present, aware of that moment and not the past or the present - mindful. I can recall of few of these times - like hiking around Jordan Pond in Maine and the lovely smell of the balsam firs, strong and clean, stopping to take in the silence, the firs and the stillness of the pond near dawn.
In an article by Kimberlee D’Ardenne, she explains how professor Michelle “Lani” Shiota, at Arizona State University Department of Psychology, studies awe and its effects on cognition and behavior. "Experiencing awe can dampen the body’s stress response and can change how people process information. An awe-evoking scene or experience is one that is profoundly unexpected, and not already contained within someone’s knowledge about the world." Shiota explains this disruption of expectations seems to promote the processing of information in a relatively unbiased way.
So, experiencing awe in essence shifts our perspective of our world and forces us into a state of being mindful or fully present. It gives us feelings of being connected to something greater. Feeling connected and present is the reason I was first drawn to yoga. Teaching and practicing connects me to my self and to others. This is why I want to share these experiences with you.
Go out into your world and see what amazing things there are to inspire you!
No time for awe? Watch this short video from Greater Good In Action:
For further info: Rudd, M., Vohs, K.D., and Aaker, J. (2012). Awe expands people's perception of time, alters decision making, and enhances well-being. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1130-1136.
D'Ardenne, Kimberlee. (2019). Research that takes your breath away: The impact of awe. ASUnow.edu.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines awe as "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder."
Picture in your mind a time when something amazing stopped you in your tracks - maybe something that took your breath away. In that moment, you were fully present, aware of that moment and not the past or the present - mindful. I can recall of few of these times - like hiking around Jordan Pond in Maine and the lovely smell of the balsam firs, strong and clean, stopping to take in the silence, the firs and the stillness of the pond near dawn.
In an article by Kimberlee D’Ardenne, she explains how professor Michelle “Lani” Shiota, at Arizona State University Department of Psychology, studies awe and its effects on cognition and behavior. "Experiencing awe can dampen the body’s stress response and can change how people process information. An awe-evoking scene or experience is one that is profoundly unexpected, and not already contained within someone’s knowledge about the world." Shiota explains this disruption of expectations seems to promote the processing of information in a relatively unbiased way.
“When we feel awe, we are less influenced by our expectations. We generally have a tendency to see what we expect to see, but awe can let us focus on collecting information about what is actually there,” Shiota said.Research shows that awe culitvates compassion and selflessness, two traits that I personally strive for and practice (though not perfectly).
So, experiencing awe in essence shifts our perspective of our world and forces us into a state of being mindful or fully present. It gives us feelings of being connected to something greater. Feeling connected and present is the reason I was first drawn to yoga. Teaching and practicing connects me to my self and to others. This is why I want to share these experiences with you.
Go out into your world and see what amazing things there are to inspire you!
No time for awe? Watch this short video from Greater Good In Action:
For further info: Rudd, M., Vohs, K.D., and Aaker, J. (2012). Awe expands people's perception of time, alters decision making, and enhances well-being. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1130-1136.
D'Ardenne, Kimberlee. (2019). Research that takes your breath away: The impact of awe. ASUnow.edu.
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