Abstract
Dr. Jennifer Stellar
University of Toronto
Encountering the extraordinary: Understanding awe as a self-transcendent emotion
Shepherding us through encounters with the extraordinary and occupying a central place within religion, art, and science is the emotion of awe. However despite awe’s long history, it has only been very recently that affective scientists have tried to empirically study this complex emotion. I review my work attempting to define awe, demonstrating how it challenges current theories within emotion and psychology more broadly. I then highlight a central feature of awe, its self-transcendent nature, due to its ability to encourage individuals to move beyond their own daily concerns and consider something or someone outside the self. Finally, I discuss the benefits of feeling awe for health and well-being. This work lends a psychological perspective to an emotion that has left an indelible mark on the face of human society as a driver of cultural evolution and social revolution.
