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How a sense of awe can be good for your mental health

The Conversation · · 907 words · By Nikki-Anne Wilson

The article explains the psychological and neurological basis of 'awe,' describing it as a complex emotional state triggered by vastness and the inability to assimilate new information into existing mental frameworks. It distinguishes between positive and negative awe and suggests that purposefully seeking awe-inspiring experiences may improve mental health and well-being.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/how-a-sense-of-awe-can-be-good-for-your-mental-healt…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

8 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 2
info Single Source 2
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“Astronauts report this feeling when confronted with the vastness of space and Earth’s puny place within it. This experience – sometimes known as the “overview effect””
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The claim is directly confirmed by Wikipedia and multiple other web sources describing the 'overview effect' as a cognitive shift reported by astronauts viewing Earth from space.
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web search NEUTRAL — The overview effect is a cognitive shift[Note 1] reported by some astronauts while viewing the Earth from space.[2] Researchers have characterized the effect as "a state of awe with self-transcendent …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect
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web search NEUTRAL — Viewing the Earth from space has often prompted astronauts to report overwhelming emotion and feelings of identication with humankind and the planet as a whole. In this article, we explore this experi…
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53d29678e4b04e06965e9…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Overview Effect is not limited to astronauts from the West. Their Chinese and Russian counterparts have described the same profound connection to Earth when witnessing the planet from space. As So…
https://theconversation.com/virgin-galactics-use-of-the-over…
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“psychologists sometimes describe awe as an experience at the boundary of pleasure and fear”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence discusses awe as a multifaceted emotion and its psychosocial implications, none of the provided sources explicitly state that psychologists describe it as an experience 'at the boundary of pleasure and fear'.
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web search NEUTRAL — Awe is considered a transformational and multifaceted emotion. Vastness is the core cognitive appraisal associated with awe, which activates a need for cognitive accommodation. Increasingly, studies a…
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41042-023-00116-3
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web search NEUTRAL — In this Review, Jiang et al. discuss how awe impacts the self and provide an integrative framework of the psychological consequences of awe.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-024-00322-z
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web search NEUTRAL — Psychological research has explored awe's intricate nature and far-reaching consequences. Awe profoundly influences the sense of self (which has considerable psychosocial implications), but there are …
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-04510-010
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“New information is processed by parts of the brain that help to fit it within our pre-existing understanding of the world, knowledge frameworks known as schemata (or schemas).”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other cognitive learning sources confirm that the brain uses knowledge frameworks called schemata (or schemas) to organize and process information, specifically linked to Piaget's theory.
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web search NEUTRAL — It was originated by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget. The theory deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans gradually come to acquire, construct, and use it. Piaget's th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaget's_theory_of_cognitive_d…
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web search NEUTRAL — The brain uses three vital memory processes. These are encoding, storage and retrieval (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968; Tulving, 1983).This process is called assimilation. If the new information fits well,…
https://www.structural-learning.com/post/cognitivism-learnin…
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web search NEUTRAL — A new framework of knowledge frameworks. The diagram above uses a schema — Ontology — Realism — Hermeneutics — to model the “Frame for Work” project.END: Creating new, original knowledge frameworks as…
https://medium.com/the-art-of-bagging/hermeneutics-of-knowle…
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“According to schema theory, we either assimilate this new information into an existing schema, or have to change the schema to fit the new knowledge.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources on schema theory explicitly state that new information is either assimilated into an existing schema or the schema is modified (accommodated) to fit the new knowledge.
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web search NEUTRAL — Definition: Schema theory is a branch of cognitive science concerned with how the brain structures knowledge. A schema is an organized unit of knowledge for a subject or event. It is based on past exp…
https://web.mit.edu/pankin/www/Schema_Theory_and_Concept_For…
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web search NEUTRAL — Assimilation: Incorporating new information into an existing schema without changing the schema. Example: A college student initially struggles to remember all the different facets of schema theory, b…
https://isu.pressbooks.pub/thuff/chapter/schema-theory-clay-…
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web search NEUTRAL — New information is either assimilated (fitting into existing schemas) or accommodated (requiring modification of existing schemas). This process leads to the gradual development of increasingly comple…
https://studyx.ai/questions/4lldnqi/example-of-subsumption-t…
info
“When we feel awe, activity decreases in the brain regions associated with internal or self-referential processing.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for this claim are generic pages about 'experiences' and travel, and do not contain any neuroscientific data regarding brain activity or self-referential processing during awe.
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web search NEUTRAL — One important topic in this field is the question of whether all experiences are intentional, i.e. are directed at objects different from themselves. Another debate focuses on the question of whether …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · These Are the 10 Best U.S. Experiences for 2026, According to Tripadvisor From a bucket-list Southwest tour to iconic New York landmarks, these are the traveler-approved things to do right…
https://www.travelandleisure.com/top-usa-experiences-tripadv…
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web search NEUTRAL — Find the ultimate activity gift within our range of Featured Experiences, choosing from exclusive special offers, brand new experiences, our most popular days out and much more.
https://experiencegifts.com/us/
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“Negative awe is associated with sympathetic nervous system activity, which drives our “fight or flight” response.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources explicitly link negative awe to sympathetic nervous system activity and the 'fight or flight' response.
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web search NEUTRAL — The autonomic nervous system is a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal. This system i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response
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web search NEUTRAL — Get the Highest Quality Electrolyte https://euvexia.com . What Is The Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight Response)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5cKvQVxykY
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web search NEUTRAL — The fight or flight response results from the limbic system, specifically the amygdala, reacting to stress. The stress can come from our thoughts or in response to an external event or stimuli.
https://www.selfmatters.ca/post/the-vagus-nerve-the-key-to-c…
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“Positive awe, however, is associated with increased parasympathetic activity.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources explicitly state that positive awe is associated with increased parasympathetic activity.
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web search NEUTRAL — Negative awe is associated with sympathetic nervous system activity, which drives our “fight or flight” response. Positive awe, however, is associated with increased parasympathetic activity.
https://theconversation.com/how-a-sense-of-awe-can-be-good-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — Positive awe is associated with reduced fight-or-flight activation and increased parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) activity, including engagement of the vagus nerve. In practical terms, positive awe c…
https://www.renataschoeman.co.za/blog/embrace-awe-when-your-…
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web search NEUTRAL — While experiencing awe, SCRs and pupil responses both activated and deactivated frequently and steeply, indicating that awe is associated with the “fluctuation” of systematic nervous system responses.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10728215/
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“Emerging evidence suggests awe may be good for mental health and wellbeing in five ways: improving your nervous system’s ability to relax, diminishing self-focus, making us more likely to help other people, connecting us to others, increasing sense of meaning.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that awe-inducing experiences are linked to improved well-being, prosocial behavior (helping others), and reduced self-focus (small self).
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web search NEUTRAL — Explore how awe triggers measurable changes in neurophysiology and mental health. Discover the science behind this emotion and its impact on resilience.
https://www.cannelevate.com.au/article/science-of-awe-emotio…
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web search NEUTRAL — Big smile, small self: Awe walks promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults. Aging into later life is often accompanied by social disconnection, anxiety, and sadness. Negative emotions are se…
https://neurosciencenews.com/awe-walk-emotional-wellbeing-17…
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web search NEUTRAL — Preliminary research suggests that awe-inducing experiences come with a bounty of benefits, from improved well-being to prosocial behavior. Real-world case studies, such as the experiences of astronau…
https://bigthink.com/the-learning-curve/awe/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.