Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and theoretical proposal with no primary empirical data or systematic synthesis
PubMed 35994778 · doi:10.1177/17456916221094856
What was done
The authors reviewed research on the emotion of awe and developed a conceptual model outlining how experiences such as nature, spirituality, music, collective movement, and psychedelics impact mental and physical health.
What was found
The abstract reports no empirical measurements, numbers, or statistical effect sizes. It proposes a theoretical framework wherein awe operates through five processes: neurophysiological shifts, reduced self-focus, greater prosocial relationality, increased social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning.
Why it matters
The paper synthesizes disparate experiences into a unified theoretical pathway explaining how psychological awe may translate into physical and mental health benefits.
Limits
This is a theoretical narrative review rather than an empirical study or systematic review; no sample sizes, effect sizes, or experimental controls are reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Focusing on the self, social striving, or one's financial bottom line directly reduces and countervails the experience of awe.