AI Chat Paper
Note: Please note that the following content is generated by AMiner AI. SciOpen does not take any responsibility related to this content.
{{lang === 'zh_CN' ? '文章概述' : 'Summary'}}
{{lang === 'en_US' ? '中' : 'Eng'}}
Chat more with AI
Powered by AMiner. Clicking this button will take you away from SciOpen.
Home Stress and Brain Article
PDF (823.7 KB)
Cite
EndNote(RIS) BibTeX
Collect
Submit Manuscript AI Chat Paper
Show Outline
Outline
Show full outline
Hide outline
Outline
Show full outline
Hide outline
Review Article | Open Access

Psychological research of awe: Definition, functions, and application in psychotherapy

 Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
 The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
Show Author Information

Abstract

As a self-transcendent emotion, awe refers to an immediate emotional response or a sustained feeling to various stimuli. The experience of awe is profound and of great significance not only for individual growth but also for social progress. To systematically understand and better conduct future research on awe, this study first illustrates the definition of awe and its widespread functions on prosocial behaviors, well-being, cognition, and self-consciousness. Then, the neuroscientific literature is reviewed, where findings show that the neural basis of awe involves multiple brain regions related to self-consciousness, cognitive control, attention, and emotion. The review also discusses the application of awe in clinical treatments, especially in transpersonal psychotherapy, to inspire individuals to promote spiritual development. Lastly, recommendations on how awe can guide future research are presented.

Keywords

aweself-transcendent emotiondefinitionfunctionsneural basisapplication in psychotherapy

References

[1]
Keltner, D., Haidt, J. Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 2003, 17(2): 297–314.
Crossref Google Scholar
[2]
Gable, S. L., Haidt, J. What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 2005, 9(2): 103–110.
Crossref Google Scholar
[3]
Bonner, E. T., Friedman, H. L. A conceptual clarification of the experience of awe: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Humanistic Psychologist, 2011, 39(3): 222–235.
Crossref Google Scholar
[4]
Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., Cordaro, D., Anderson, C. L., Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Keltner, D. Self-transcendent emotions and their social functions: Compassion, gratitude, and awe bind us to others through prosociality. Emotion Review, 2017, 9(3): 200–207.
Crossref Google Scholar
[5]
Shiota, M. N., Thrash, T. M., Danvers, A. F., Dombrowski, J. T. Transcending the self: Awe, elevation, and inspiration. In: Tugade, M. M., Shiota, M. N. Kirby, L. D. (eds.), Handbook of Positive Emotions. New York: Guilford Press, 2014: 362–377.
[6]
Thrash, T. M., Elliot, A. J. Inspiration: core characteristics, component processes, antecedents, and function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004, 87(6): 957–973.
Crossref Google Scholar
[7]
Van Cappellen, P., Rimé, B. Positive emotions and self-transcendence. In: Saroglou, V. (ed.), Religion, Personality, and Social Behavior. New York: Psychology Press, 2014: 123–145.
[8]
Schneider, K. J. Awakening to Awe: Personal Stories of Profound Transformation. Lanham: Jason Aronson, 2009.
[9]
Schneider, K. The resurgence of awe in psychology: Promise, hope, and perils. The Humanistic Psychologist, 2017, 45(2): 103–108.
Crossref Google Scholar
[10]
Zhao, H. H., Xu, Y., Zhang, H. Y. The psychological structure of Chinese trait awe. Psychological Exploration, 2019, 39(4): 345–351. (in Chinese)
Google Scholar
[11]
Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., Anderson, C. L., McNeil, G. D., Loew, D., Keltner, D. The dark side of the sublime: Distinguishing a threat-based variant of awe. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2017, 113(2): 310–328.
Crossref Google Scholar
[12]
Shiota, M. N., Campos, B., Keltner, D. The faces of positive emotion. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2006, 1000(1): 296–299.
Crossref Google Scholar
[13]
Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., Mossman, A. The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cognition & Emotion, 2007, 21(5): 944–963.
Crossref Google Scholar
[14]
Campos, B., Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., Gonzaga, G. C., Goetz, J. L. What is shared, what is different? Core relational themes and expressive displays of eight positive emotions. Cognition & Emotion, 2013, 27(1): 37–52.
Crossref Google Scholar
[15]
Schurtz, D. R., Blincoe, S., Smith, R. H., Powell, C. A. J., Combs, D. J. Y., Kim, S. H. Exploring the social aspects of goose bumps and their role in awe and envy. Motivation and Emotion, 2012, 36(2): 205–217.
Crossref Google Scholar
[16]
Maruskin, L. A., Thrash, T. M., Elliot, A. J. The chills as a psychological construct: Content universe, factor structure, affective composition, elicitors, trait antecedents, and consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012, 103(1): 135–157.
Crossref Google Scholar
[17]
Joye, Y., Dewitte, S. Up speeds You down. Awe-evoking monumental buildings trigger behavioral and perceived freezing. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2016, 47: 112–125.
Crossref Google Scholar
[18]
Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., McNeil, G. D., Peng, K. P., Keltner, D. Awe, the diminished self, and collective engagement: Universals and cultural variations in the small self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2017, 113(2): 185–209.
Crossref Google Scholar
[19]
Rudd, M., Vohs, K. D., Aaker, J. Awe expands People's perception of time, alters decision making, and enhances well-being. Psychological Science, 2012, 23(10): 1130–1136.
Crossref Google Scholar
[20]
Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., Keltner, D. Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2015, 108(6): 883–899.
Crossref Google Scholar
[21]
Jiang, L. B., Yin, J., Mei, D. M., Zhu, H., Zhou, X. Y. Awe weakens the desire for money. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 2018, 12: e4, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[22]
van Cappellen, P., Saroglou, V. Awe activates religious and spiritual feelings and behavioral intentions. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2012, 4(3): 223–236.
Crossref Google Scholar
[23]
Chirico, A., Yaden, D. B., Riva, G., Gaggioli, A. The potential of virtual reality for the investigation of awe. Frontiers in Psychology, 2016, 7: 1766, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[24]
Chirico, A., Gaggioli, A. Awe: “more than a feeling”. The Humanistic Psychologist, 2018, 46(3): 274–280.
Crossref Google Scholar
[25]
Griskevicius, V., Shiota, M. N., Neufeld, S. L. Influence of different positive emotions on persuasion processing: A functional evolutionary approach. Emotion, 2010, 10(2): 190–206.
Crossref Google Scholar
[26]
Atamba, C. Restorative effects of awe on negative affect after receiving negative performance feedback. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 2019, 29(2): 95–103.
Crossref Google Scholar
[27]
Koh, A. H. Q., Tong, E. M. W., Yuen, A. Y. L. The buffering effect of awe on negative affect towards lost possessions. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019, 14(2): 156–165.
Crossref Google Scholar
[28]
Quesnel, D., Riecke, B. E. Are you awed yet? How virtual reality gives us awe and goose bumps. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 9: 2158, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[29]
Chirico, A., Ferrise, F., Cordella, L., Gaggioli, A. Designing awe in virtual reality: An experimental study. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 8: 2351, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[30]
Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., John, O. P. Positive emotion dispositions differentially associated with Big Five personality and attachment style. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2006, 1(2): 61–71.
Crossref Google Scholar
[31]
Yaden, D. B., Kaufman, S. B., Hyde, E., Chirico, A., Gaggioli, A., Zhang, J. W., Keltner, D. The development of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S): A multifactorial measure for a complex emotion. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019, 14(4): 474–488.
Crossref Google Scholar
[32]
Penner, L. A., Dovidio, J. F., Piliavin, J. A., Schroeder, D. A. Prosocial behavior: Multilevel perspectives. Annual Review of Psychology, 2005, 56(1): 365–392.
Crossref Google Scholar
[33]
Yang, Y., Yang, Z. Y., Bao, T. X., Liu, Y. Z., Passmore, H. A. Elicited awe decreases aggression. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 2016, 10: e11, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[34]
Prade, C., Saroglou, V. Awe's effects on generosity and helping. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2016, 11(5): 522–530.
Crossref Google Scholar
[35]
Yang, Y., Hu, J., Jing, F. J., Nguyen, B. From awe to ecological behavior: The mediating role of connectedness to nature. Sustainability, 2018, 10(7): 2477.
Crossref Google Scholar
[36]
Zhao, H. H., Zhang, H. Y., Xu, Y., Lu, J. M., He, W. Relation between awe and environmentalism: The role of social dominance orientation. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 9: 2367, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[37]
Wang, L. Y., Zhang, G. L., Shi, P. F., Lu, X. M., Song, F. S. Influence of awe on green consumption: The mediating effect of psychological ownership. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10: 2484, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[38]
Li, J., Li, A. K., Sun, Y., e Li, H., Liu, L., Zhan, Y. L., Fan, W., Zhong, Y. P. The effect of preceding self-control on prosocial behaviors: The moderating role of awe. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10: 682, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[39]
Darley, J. M., Batson, C. D. “From Jerusalem to Jericho”: A study of situational and dispositional variables in helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973, 27(1): 100–108.
Crossref Google Scholar
[40]
Yaden, D. B., Iwry, J., Slack, K. J., Eichstaedt, J. C., Zhao, Y. K., Vaillant, G. E., Newberg, A. B. The overview effect: Awe and self-transcendent experience in space flight. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2016, 3(1): 1–11.
Crossref Google Scholar
[41]
Diener, E., Oishi, S., Lucas, R. E. Personality, culture, and subjective well-being: Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 2003, 54(1): 403–425.
Crossref Google Scholar
[42]
Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., Diener, E. The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 2005, 131(6): 803–855.
Crossref Google Scholar
[43]
Rankin, K., Andrews, S. E., Sweeny, K. Awe-full uncertainty: Easing discomfort during waiting periods. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2020, 15(3): 338–347.
Crossref Google Scholar
[44]
Fredrickson, B. L. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 2001, 56(3): 218–226.
Crossref Google Scholar
[45]
Fredrickson, B. L. What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 1998, 2(3): 300–319
Crossref Google Scholar
[46]
Zhao, H. H., Zhang, H. Y., Xu, Y., He, W., Lu, J. M. Why are people high in dispositional awe happier? the roles of meaning in life and materialism. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10: 1208, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[47]
Cross, S. E., Gore, J. S., Morris, M. L. The relational-interdependent self-construal, self-concept consistency, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003, 85(5): 933–944.
Crossref Google Scholar
[48]
Cooper, A. B., Sherman, R. A., Rauthmann, J. F., Serfass, D. G., Brown, N. A. Feeling good and authentic: Experienced authenticity in daily life is predicted by positive feelings and situation characteristics, not trait-state consistency. Journal of Research in Personality, 2018, 77: 57–69.
Crossref Google Scholar
[49]
Burke, R. J., El-Kot, G.. (2009). Material affluence, time affluence and well-being among managers in Egypt. Industrial Relations and Human Resources Journal, 2009, 11(2): 11–24, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[50]
Kasser, T., Sheldon, K. M. Time affluence as a path toward personal happiness and ethical business practice: Empirical evidence from four studies. Journal of Business Ethics, 2009, 84(S2): 243–255.
Crossref Google Scholar
[51]
Baas, M., de Dreu, C. K. W., Nijstad, B. A. A meta-analysis of 25 years of mood-creativity research: Hedonic tone, activation, or regulatory focus? Psychological Bulletin, 2008, 134(6): 779–806.
Crossref Google Scholar
[52]
Sung, B., Yih, J. Does interest broaden or narrow attentional scope? Cognition and Emotion, 2016, 30(8): 1485–1494.
Crossref Google Scholar
[53]
Torrance, E. P. Understanding creativity: Where to start? Psychological Inquiry, 1993, 4(3): 232–234.
Crossref Google Scholar
[54]
Chirico, A., Glaveanu, V. P., Cipresso, P., Riva, G., Gaggioli, A. Awe enhances creative thinking: An experimental study. Creativity Research Journal, 2018, 30(2): 123–131.
Crossref Google Scholar
[55]
Gottlieb, S., Keltner, D., Lombrozo, T. Awe as a scientific emotion. Cognitive Science, 2018, 42(6): 2081–2094.
Crossref Google Scholar
[56]
Aronson, E., Festinger, L. Back to the future: Retrospective review of Leon festinger's “A theory of cognitive dissonance”. The American Journal of Psychology, 1997, 110(1): 127.
Crossref Google Scholar
[57]
Valdesolo, P., Graham, J. Awe, uncertainty, and agency detection. Psychological Science, 2014, 25(1): 170–178.
Crossref Google Scholar
[58]
Silvia, P. J., Fayn, K., Nusbaum, E. C., Beaty, R. E. Openness to experience and awe in response to nature and music: Personality and profound aesthetic experiences. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 2015, 9(4): 376–384.
Crossref Google Scholar
[59]
Mcphetres, J. Oh, the things You don’t know: Awe promotes awareness of knowledge gaps and science interest. Cognition and Emotion, 2019, 33(8): 1599–1615.
Crossref Google Scholar
[60]
Anderson, C. L., Dixson, D. D., Monroy, M., Keltner, D. Are awe-prone people more curious? The relationship between dispositional awe, curiosity, and academic outcomes. Journal of Personality, 2019: jopy.12524.
Crossref Google Scholar
[61]
Simon-Thomas, E. R., Keltner, D. J., Sauter, D., Sinicropi-Yao, L., Abramson, A. The voice conveys specific emotions: Evidence from vocal burst displays. Emotion, 2009, 9(6): 838–846.
Crossref Google Scholar
[62]
Preston, J. L., Shin, F. Spiritual experiences evoke awe through the small self in both religious and non-religious individuals. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2017, 70: 212–221.
Crossref Google Scholar
[63]
van Elk, M., Karinen, A., Specker, E., Stamkou, E., Baas, M. ‘standing in awe’: The effects of awe on body perception and the relation with absorption. Collabra, 2016, 2(1): 4.
Crossref Google Scholar
[64]
Ruberton, P. M., Kruse, E., Lyubomirsky, S. Boosting state humility via gratitude, self-affirmation, and awe: Theoretical and empirical perspectives. In: Worthington, E., Davis, D., Hook, J. (eds.), Handbook of Humility. New York: Routledge, 2016.
[65]
Lee, K. Awe and humility: Intrinsic value in nature. Beyond an earthbound environmental ethics. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, 1994, 36: 89–101.
Crossref Google Scholar
[66]
Le, P. Q., Saltsman, T. L., Seery, M. D., Ward, D. E., Kondrak, C. L., Lamarche, V. M. When a small self means manageable obstacles: Spontaneous self-distancing predicts divergent effects of awe during a subsequent performance stressor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2019, 80: 59–66.
Crossref Google Scholar
[67]
Guan, F., Xiang, Y. H., Chen, O. T., Wang, W. X., Chen, J. Neural basis of dispositional awe. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2018, 12: 209, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[68]
Guan, F., Zhao, S. S., Chen, S. N., Lu, S., Chen, J., Xiang, Y. H. The neural correlate difference between positive and negative awe. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2019, 13: 206, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[69]
Kjaer, T. W., Nowak, M., Lou, H. C. Reflective self-awareness and conscious states: PET evidence for a common midline parietofrontal core. NeuroImage, 2002, 17(2): 1080–1086.
Crossref Google Scholar
[70]
Vago, D. R., Silbersweig, D. A. Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): A framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2012, 6: 296, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[71]
Elk, M., Arciniegas Gomez, M. A., Zwaag, W., Schie, H. T., Sauter, D. The neural correlates of the awe experience: Reduced default mode network activity during feelings of awe. Human Brain Mapping, 2019: hbm.24616.
Crossref Google Scholar
[72]
Raichle, M. E. The brain's default mode network. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 2015, 38(1): 433–447.
Crossref Google Scholar
[73]
Immordino-Yang, M. H., McColl, A., Damasio, H., Damasio, A. Neural correlates of admiration and compassion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2009, 106(19): 8021–8026.
Crossref Google Scholar
[74]
Bonner, E. T., Friedman, H. L. The role of awe in psychotherapy: Perspectives from transpersonal psychology. Voices the Art & Science of Psychotherapy, 2016, 52(1): 62–71.
Google Scholar
[75]
Schneider, K. J. Rediscovering awe: A new front in humanistic psychology, psychotherapy, and society. Canadian Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 2008, 42(1): 67–74.
Google Scholar
[76]
Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Richards, B. D., McCann, U., Jesse, R. Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: Immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology, 2011, 218(4): 649–665.
Crossref Google Scholar
[77]
Ross, S., Bossis, A., Guss, J., Agin-Liebes, G., Malone, T., Cohen, B., Mennenga, S. E., Belser, A., Kalliontzi, K., Babb, J. et al. Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2016, 30(12): 1165–1180.
Crossref Google Scholar
[78]
Hendricks, P. S. Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. International Review of Psychiatry, 2018, 30(4): 331–342.
Crossref Google Scholar
[79]
Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Kometer, M., Vollenweider, F. X. Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers. PLoS One, 2012, 7(2): e30800, .
Crossref Google Scholar
[80]
Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A., Anderson, C. L., Piff, P. K., McNeil, G. D., Keltner, D. Awe and humility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018, 114(2): 258–269.
Crossref Google Scholar
[81]
Gruber, J., Mauss, I. B., Tamir, M. A dark side of happiness? how, when, and why happiness is not always good. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2011, 6(3): 222–233.
Crossref Google Scholar
[82]
Buston, K., Parry-Jones, W., Livingston, M., Wood, S., Bogan, A. Qualitative research. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1998, 172(3): 197–199.
Crossref Google Scholar
Stress and Brain
Volume 1 Issue 1,
September 2021
Pages 59-75
DOI: 10.26599/SAB.2020.9060003
Cite this article:
Luo L, Mao J, Chen s, et al. Psychological research of awe: Definition, functions, and application in psychotherapy. Stress and Brain, 2021, 1(1): 59-75. https://doi.org/10.26599/SAB.2020.9060003

4538

Views

796

Downloads

5

Crossref

Altmetrics
Received: 01 March 2020
Revised: 13 May 2020
Accepted: 22 May 2020
Published: 19 March 2021
© The Author(s) 2020

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission.
Return