Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion
Keltner & Haidt, 2003 · Cognition and Emotion
What they found
Defines awe by two features: perceived vastness, and a need to update how we understand the world. Lays groundwork for later research on awe and the “small self”.
Limits
Theory, not an experiment. Experimental studies of awe’s benefits came later and are still fairly small.
How we use it
One planned awe moment every few days, such as a view or a night sky.
Reviewed by Dr. [Name]May 2026