November 2024 Edition | Volume 78, Issue 11
Published since 1946
Open Up and See Awe
A few years ago, I read a book by Adam Grant called, Think Again. It was a fascinating read for a host of reasons, and I’ve recommended it to many others including friends, family, and colleagues. Although the book offered profound perspectives on how we formulate our beliefs and ways in which we cling tightly to them, there were several interesting anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book. One of which particularly intrigued me and was the focus of significant thoughts for me and multiple conversations. The author presented the concept of the Overview Effect as an example of a perspective shifting experience. Although the term was first coined by Frank White in 1987, I had never heard it and was completely ignorant to its meaning. After White’s creation of the term and vast interview-based research into the concept, it became more clearly defined as a term used to describe the psychological changes that astronauts experience when they see Earth from space. Although a relatively simple definition, a deeper look reveals more nuance to the Overview Effect. It is further described by five very specific emotions: awe for Earth, connectedness to Earth, sense of responsibility to care for Earth, sense of fragility of Earth, and shifts in one’s self concept and values.
I had mostly ceased mentioning the phenomenon and bringing it up in discussions until recently. A friend and colleague shared a YouTube link to an interesting interview with the director of the Greater Good Science Center, Dacher Keltner. Keltner is an author and researcher, and his specialty is the science of “awe.” As I watched Keltner explain what awe does to the human mind and body, I recalled the Overview Effect, but his explanation caused me to revisit the Overview Effect. Keltner expresses how awe not only reduces inflammation and otherwise improves physical health, but it awakens the mind from self-interest to collective interest, from isolated self to integrated self, and also breaks down “us vs. them” thinking. Keltner further explains that awe shifts one’s self concept, promotes prosocial action, inspires sacrifice for group, and encourages community integration. In hearing Keltner describe the effects of awe on the human mind, I began to ponder if all of the other emotions experienced by astronauts when viewing the earth from space; the connectedness, responsibility, fragility, and self-concept, were really just the result of experiencing awe.
Awe can be experienced in many ways and from a myriad of things like art, music, and vastness. One might even suggest that awe is the eye of the beholder. Those of us partial to time outdoors (whether hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, kayaking, or more) and those of us working in conservation doing wildlife work are blessed with frequent awe-inspiring experiences. Yesterday, out in the marsh I had a day bracketed by an awe-inspiring sunrise and epic sunset. It was a day between those two moments of awe that was filled with countless other moments of awe. We experience so much more than just awe-some sunrises, vistas, and wildlife observations. When wildlife professionals are asked about their motivations or career choice, although we might not call it that, we often harken back to a particular clarifying and inspiring moment of awe.
The science of awe has now caused me to ponder what a busier and more urbanized populus means to the opportunities to experience awe. Is experiencing awe a practiced skill that improves with time or are some of us just more in tune with our environment and therefore more likely to find awe within it? I have no idea if people’s ability to perceive awe varies or if because one loves wildlife and wild places they find more awe in it. However, I do know that if awe broadly inspires and elicits the emotions explained by Keltner’s work, it could hold great promise for the field of conservation.
Not all awe must be found in viewing the Earth from space. We live in a world filled with opportunities to experience awe. We should not sit comfortably in our awe-filled silos and hope that others come to the same realization regarding the importance of wildlife and wild places. We need to share the experience of awe. We need to continue to tell the stories of awe-inspiring migrations, amazing survival strategies, and point out even the simple—like the bird nest in our yard or the chrysalis of the monarch butterfly in an urban environment. After all, the awe-inspiring journey of the monarch butterfly has compelled countless school-aged children toward a sense of connection and responsibility.
How awesome is that?