The Power of ‘Awe’
- Julie Peterson
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
An Emerging Science is Confirming the Healing Power of Nature
In an era dominated by digital screens and fast-paced living, the therapeutic and healing powers of time spent in nature are becoming more recognized by medical professionals, parents, educators, and spiritual leaders.
Call it ecopsychology, green therapy, forest bathing, or just plain fresh air, the benefits of being in nature are astounding.
What is new is the growing body of research that links the experience of awe with enhanced well-being.
Awe can be triggered by music, art, nature, or witnessing acts of kindness or courage. But in nature, whether awe is sparked by a majestic waterfall or the intricate patterns of a small sunflower, researchers are finding it is a stimulus that fosters a deep sense of connection to the natural world.
They are further seeing evidence that nature-induced awe can transform mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. From reducing stress and anxiety to boosting immune function and promoting positive emotional states, the wonderment of nature is proving to be far more than just picturesque moments.
Nature’s Ability to Heal
Time spent in nature boosts emotional and psychological well-being for people of all ages—even those who are too young to understand. Hundreds of studies indicate that toddlers and children benefit significantly from being outside, showing improved physical health, motor skills, social-emotional well-being, sleep patterns, and cognitive development.
A 2021 study of almost 70,000 children in Longhua District, Shenzhen, China, found that “outdoor environments have a significant protective effect on children’s mental health, potentially alleviating anxiety symptoms through mechanisms such as promoting a sense of well-being, reducing stress, and encouraging social interaction.”
Results such as these have long been believed by many but studied by few.
“Outdoor environments have a significant protective effect on children’s mental health.”
Some 20 years ago, Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, warned about “nature deficits” causing physical and mental health problems in children. A decade later, in 2015, paleontologist Scott Sampson encouraged adults to help kids fall in love with nature in How to Raise a Wild Child.
Fortunately, scientific research has increasingly supported these insights, providing evidence of nature’s wonderful benefits for children. Today, there are guides, such as 1000 Hours Outside and I Love Dirt, that give people ample ideas for nature-based play and how to find the awe in all of it.
Researchers have reported on the connection between living in greener urban areas and associated lower risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and mental distress among adults.
Intentional time in nature is also emerging as an important area of research to show that people have more control over their health outcomes than was previously thought—and it isn’t a time-consuming or rigorous task.
In a study involving 20,000 people, a team led by Mathew White at the University of Exeter in the UK measured direct nature exposure-response relationships. His article, “Spending at Least 120 Minutes a Week in Nature Is Associated with Good Health and Well-being,” states that participants who spent at least two hours per week in natural environments had an increase in self-reported good health and psychological well-being. There were even stronger positive associations for those who spent up to five hours in nature per week.
The physical benefits are extensive and go well beyond just feeling better.
There are important long-term health benefits that can decrease mortality. An article from UC Davis Health points out that being in nature can reduce cortisol levels, muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure, and can increase vitamin D levels that boost blood cells, bones, and the immune system. These results are so astounding that some doctors prescribe time in nature for their patients.
Awe in Nature
While all nature exposure has healing capacity, awe-inspiring nature can uniquely reduce self-focus, increase feelings of connection, and boost life satisfaction, and it is linked to even more profound healing benefits, according to Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.
Awe-inspiring nature can uniquely reduce self-focus, increase feelings of connection, and boost life satisfaction, and it is linked to even more profound healing benefits.
In 2015, research by Keltner found that people who experience awe in response to nature’s beauty have significantly lower levels of inflammation, reduced risk of depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other illnesses. In fact, the research found that the more often people experience awe, the lower their inflammation levels.
In 2022, Keltner and colleague Maria Monroy published “Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health,” noting that awe has been studied across cultures. Amazingly, awe is universally expressed in a pattern of facial muscle movements, including raised eyebrows, widened eyes, and an open drop-jawed mouth that are accompanied by vocalizations such as “Wow.” These facial, bodily, and vocal expressions of awe occur in similar contexts and are recognized across cultures.
This means that awe isn’t a term that Western psychologists coined; it’s not something people made up. It’s part of human biology that is driven by specific brain structures and chemical messengers.
To that end, Monroy and Keltner reviewed studies on awe done by others and concluded that positive awe is marked by a distinct neurophysiological profile that includes reduced inflammation, elevated vagal tone, reduced sympathetic arousal, and increased oxytocin release. All these body processes benefit mental and physical health.
The study of the physiological effects of awe in nature has only been researched for about 20 years. There may not yet be definitive proof supported by repeated studies, but recognizing awe is not new. In 1836, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:
In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life—no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground—my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space—all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God. The name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental; to be brothers, to be acquaintances, master or servant, is then a trifle and a disturbance. I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty.
Perhaps the most astounding theory that has yet to be further researched came from Dr. Jane Goodall. More than 40 years ago, she wrote of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania experiencing a waterfall and seeming to express awe. Such behavior was later documented in a video. As with other human emotions and behaviors that have been observed in animals, such as affection, fear, loyalty, playfulness, etc., the sensation of awe may also exist in some form in animals.
Research one day may explain this phenomenon.
Boosting Pro-Environmental Behavior
Awe-some time in nature not only heals the body and mind, but it also nurtures the heart-centered relationships between people and nature that have been shown to promote environmental stewardship.
Paul Piff, associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues reviewed studies on awe and concluded that it causes people to become more invested in the greater good, which can lead to giving more to charity, volunteering, or lessening their impact on the environment.
According to a recent study in Current Opinion in Psychology, when people feel connected to other natural things, good things happen—for individuals, groups, and the planet. Feeling connected to a resplendent sunset, the crash of ocean waves on the shore, the fragrance of pine needles, or the furrowed bark of an ancient tree could be a “reliable predictor of a broad range of pro-environmental behaviors,” wrote the researchers. “‘How can the closeness of our relationship with nature be improved?” they asked.
Nature-based spiritual practitioners may have diverse views on the divine, but they are often associated with organizations that follow the idea that the divine is connected to or part of the natural world. This oneness in spiritual practices in and with nature, as explored in a June 2025 article in The Earth & I, fosters empathy and environmental activism that helps to make societal changes and inspires people to live sustainably.
Awaken the Awe
Individuals and communities can create opportunities for awe-inspiring experiences in nature to enhance collective well-being, mental health, and environmental stewardship. Schools, community centers, senior organizations, and local recreation departments may provide trips to natural features such as ponds, rivers, lakes, forests, hiking trails, bird sanctuaries, and other places. But it isn’t necessary to travel far or climb a mountain to experience awe. Anyone anywhere can look closely at the structure of a flower, listen to birds singing, watch clouds forming and dissipating, touch flowing water, walk in the rain … there is awe to be found in everyday things.
While immersing oneself in nature may be the most effective option for health, there is also great benefit associated with meditating. If going out isn’t an option, one can try an eight-minute meditation break led by Keltner to feel the serenity and wonder of nature, no matter one’s location.
People can find a sense of awe in everything that exists around them. By honing their ability to perceive beauty, they can more regularly recognize the splendor in their midst. Then they can focus on the things that speak to them and calm them; they can create their own healing and awesome meditations, be healthier and happier, and change the world—one awesome moment at a time.
*Julie Peterson writes science-based articles about holistic health, environmental issues, and sustainable living from her small farm in Wisconsin.
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