Introduction

Listening to beautiful live music in the company of others, reading a story of extraordinary human resilience, gazing up from the base of a giant Redwood tree — the kinds of experiences that send shivers up our spines or bring tears to our eyes; these are moments of awe in which the door to life’s beauty and mystery seems to swing open a bit wider. They can yield a deep sense of joy and belonging — and a profound sense of gratefulness. If we allow ourselves, we are changed by them.

Br. David Steindl-Rast writes: “Remember a night when you stood outdoors looking up at the stars, countless in the high, silent dome of the sky, and saw them as if for the first time. What happened? Eugene O’Neill puts it this way: ‘For a moment I lost myself – actually lost my life. I was set free! I dissolved in the…high dim-starred sky! I belonged, without past or future, within peace and unity and a wild joy, within something greater than my own life…to Life itself!’ …For a second you see — and seeing the secret, are the secret. For a second there is meaning!” 

Such moments often arrive unexpectedly and shake us out of the daily into a kind of momentary transcendence, into life’s mystery. We are, as Br. David says, grabbed by life! The psychologist and researcher Dacher Keltner believes that it’s also possible to cultivate our capacity to experience such moments and even to seek them out. Keltner has been studying awe for over a decade, and his research suggests that there are specific steps we can take to attune to awe: Pay attention, focus on the goodness of others, practice mindfulness, and take the unfamiliar path. A gratefulness practice supports all of these things: noticing life’s daily gifts and small beauties, appreciating and expressing gratitude for others, becoming present to this moment, and allowing ourselves to be surprised. 

Like its close companions joy and gratitude, the experience of awe can greatly shape our well-being. Keltner’s research outlines the emotional, physical, and communal benefits of awe, including greater generosity, increased sense of belonging and connection, a quieting of negative self-talk, and a boost to our immune systems. And even before these benefits kick in, there is simply the sublime experience of awe in and of itself. Awe thins the veil between our everyday world and the profound mystery of life, inviting us into a more proximal relationship with wonder, the transcendent, even the sacred. We feel our smallness in the scheme of the larger cosmic dance, and this is a gift. 

This month’s resources offer a variety of ways to think about awe and some inspiration for cultivating it in our lives. While there are nuanced distinctions among awe and wonder, they are used in resonant ways in these particular pieces — all inviting us to build a bridge between our gratefulness practice and the possibility of awe.