How feelings of awe can benefit mental health

From big moments such as watching a breathtaking landscape to simple ones like hearing a moving piece of music, moments of awe can support mental wellbeing.

Psychologist Evans Kabagi of the CAfRIC Centre describes awe as the feeling people experience when they encounter something so vast physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, or socially that it challenges their usual way of understanding the world.

Awe is different from wonder and gratitude, he says. While wonder involves curiosity, and gratitude is about appreciation, awe is an emotional response that leaves people feeling moved, inspired, or transformed. It is about encountering something larger than ourselves, such as the birth of a child, an extraordinary act of courage, or a powerful piece of music.

Evans explains that research shows that awe can be evoked by a surprisingly wide range of experiences, but they fall into a few common categories.

“Nature is one of the most powerful sources of awe. This can be standing at the rim on Menengai Crater, watching the sunrise, taking an early morning walk, or gazing at a star-filled sky,” he says.

Art, storytelling, architecture and meaningful conversations, he points out, can also evoke awe as can major life milestones such as birth, death, love and so on. Another source of awe is moral beauty, which he says is about witnessing acts of courage, compassion, generosity or forgiveness; watching a community come together to support families after a disaster; or hearing stories of resilience.

Communal experiences such as weddings, graduations, funerals, cultural ceremonies, and prayers can inspire feelings of awe and remind people of connection to another and to something bigger than themselves.

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“What I find most encouraging, though, is that awe is not reserved for extraordinary experiences. Research suggests that it can be found in everyday life, like a child’s laughter or an intricate pattern of a spider’s web,” he says.

He notes that awe can have benefits for mental health. People who experience awe regularly tend to have lower stress levels, greater life satisfaction, stronger social connections, and a deeper sense of meaning in their lives.

He adds that awe helps people step outside their worries for a moment. He insists that the challenges are still there, but they are not as overwhelming as they were initially.

Experiencing awe affects both the mind and the body. The attention shifts away from a stream of worries, responsibilities and mental noise and becomes immersed in the present moment.

Research suggests that awe can quiet the constant self-focus that accompanies stress, anxiety, or overwhelm.

“Instead of worrying, our attention expands outward toward something larger, whether that is nature, music, spirituality, another person, or a powerful experience,” he says.

Many people notice physical changes as well, such as a deeper breath, feelings of calm, goosebumps, tears, or a sense of stillness.

Biologically, awe activates systems associated with rest, recovery, and social connection, helping counterbalance the body’s stress response.

Evans notes that while the experience is brief, even a few moments of awe can create a sense of perspective and groundedness. It’s almost as though the mind takes a break from constantly scanning for problems and allows itself to simply experience something meaningful.

He goes further, explaining that awe influences the nervous system and emotional regulation by interrupting the body’s stress response.

“When we are under chronic stress, our nervous system can remain in a state of vigilance or survival mode. Experiences of awe can create moments where the nervous system feels safe enough to soften and settle,” he says.

They help people feel less overwhelmed and better able to approach challenges with perspective and flexibility. Practically, awe creates emotional space between a person and their stress, making it easier to regulate difficult emotions rather than being consumed by them.

He points to emerging research which suggests that awe strengthens resilience and psychological flexibility, which is the ability to adapt to challenges without feeling trapped in distress.

“People who experience awe more frequently report feeling more connected and hopeful and find deeper perspective and meaning in life to make them capable of coping during difficult periods,” he says.

Though awe is not a substitute for professional treatment, Evans believes that it can support trauma healing. Awe can be meaningful for people who have experienced trauma or long-term stress since they spend much of their energy in survival mode, trying to get through the day.

When someone is in survival mode, he notes, attention naturally focuses on threat and protection. It narrows down a person’s world toward danger, survival, and protection. Awe can gently interrupt that pattern by widening their world again by reconnecting people with beauty, meaning, hope, creativity, joy, curiosity, purpose, and connection, which are important parts of healing.

This can involve spending time in nature, engaging in spiritual practices, listening to meaningful music, participating in community life, or hearing stories of resilience. Problems are there, but they no longer feel like the centre of the universe. In fact, in that moment, the nervous system receives a different message that not everything is dangerous.

“These moments don’t erase trauma, but they can support healing by offering brief experiences of safety and possibility. Awe gently reminds them that pain is part of their story; it is not the whole story,” he says.

However, as a trauma-informed psychologist, Evans discourages the belief that awe is universally experienced in the same way. Experiences that some people find uplifting may feel overwhelming or unsafe for others. Large crowds, intense spiritual experiences or unfamiliar environments, for example, may be distressing for some trauma survivors.

For this reason, awe should never be forced or prescribed. Healing, he says, always needs choice, safety, and respect for pace. It is mostly helpful when it arises naturally and feels meaningful to the person.

He explains that awe also makes us feel small in a good way by recognising that we are part of something larger than ourselves, which is different from feeling insignificant or unimportant.

“Research suggests that awe can reduce excessive self-focus. Our problems may still be real, but they no longer feel like the entire universe. This broader perspective can reduce emotional distress and increase feelings of connection, humility, and meaning,” he says.

Awe can reduce rumination, which involves repeatedly turning over the same worries, regrets, or fears. By directing attention outward toward something expansive or inspiring, awe can interrupt repetitive thinking patterns and leave people feeling mentally refreshed.

He recognises that awe influences compassion and generosity by helping people feel more connected with others. When we experience awe, we tend to become less self-focused and more aware of the wider world and the people in it.

Evans believes that people don’t need extraordinary experiences to feel awe, as it is more available in everyday life than most people think. There’s no need for expensive travel or special experiences; it can come from nature, music, prayer, storytelling, meaningful conversations, acts of kindness, watching sunrises or sunsets, looking up the night sky, or paying attention to ordinary life.

When someone is emotionally numb or disconnected from feelings of awe, he advises beginning with gentleness. Instead of forcing awe, he suggests starting small by stepping outside for a few minutes, listening to music that once meant something to you, or noticing the shy trees or sounds around you. Spend time with safe people. If this doesn’t help, he suggests seeking support from a mental health professional.

“One simple practice is to ask at the end of the day, what moved me today? Often, the answer is something small but meaningful. Feelings of awe return quietly, not dramatically,” he recommends.

Still, he believes that awe reminds us that mental health isn’t only about reducing distress but about reconnecting with meaning, connection, and the parts of life that make us feel fully alive.

Even though awe research is still under-explored, Evans shares that some therapists are now incorporating awe into therapeutic practice through nature-based work, mindfulness, storytelling, spirituality, and strength-based approaches.

Researchers have already established that awe supports wellbeing, reduces stress, strengthens social connection, and helps people gain perspective during difficult times.

“As a Kenyan mental health professional, I’m especially interested in how awe shows up through community life, spirituality, storytelling, and cultural practices in Africa,” he says.

He adds that there is a need for long-term research on how awe can be meaningfully integrated into mental health care and trauma recovery as a supportive tool.