That moment when you see it. Something so vast, so sublime, so unexpected. That's awe, when you experience a sense of transcendence and wonder.
Awe can come from nature, but it doesn't have to. In fact, in one 2017 study, people identified their most profound source of awe as being witness to an instance of moral purity and beauty, as when people witnessed a a person's courage, kindness, strength, or endurance. According to Dacher Keltner, author of "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder," people can be awestruck by the birth of their children, or an individual who risks his life for another. But, they are never awestruck by money and possessions.
The emotion, present across all cultures, seems to have physical benefits.
In periods of acute or chronic stress, awe seems to reduce stress and lessen such physical symptoms as headaches or insomnia, conferring a heightened sense of meaning and social integration.
A study in 2017 found that a sense of awe tended to diminish people's focus on themselves and become more helpful to others.
A sense of awe tends to inspire spiritual experiences and may even trigger a belief in the supernatural, according to a 2013 study reported in Psychological Science.
"Our bodies respond to healthy doses of awe-inspiring nature like we respond to a delicious and nutritious meal, a good sleep, a quenching drink of water, or an uplifting gathering with friends or family: we feel nourished, strengthened, empowered, and alive," writes Keltner.