I do not fancy myself a skilled prognosticator. However, I
can make one prediction about 2025 with a high degree of certainty: It will be
a turbulent year. Those of us who value justice, equity, racial and religious
harmony and the welfare of animals and of our planet will be sorely tried in
the struggle to uphold those values.
It’s important to practice self-care as we “fight the good
fight.” People of faith will, of course, rely on prayer and meditation to
sustain them. In addition to these two practices, there is another which can be
tremendously helpful – striving to experience awe.
Awe is an integral part of all religions, and the
relationship between the two has been thoroughly explored by theologians and
scholars for centuries. Further discussion of it is beyond the scope of this
column.
However, in the past 15 years, awe has drawn the attention
of social scientists, psychologists and various other academicians and there
has emerged a new “science of awe.” I had no idea of the rigorous way in which
awe has been studied until I read Dacher Keltner’s book, Awe: The New
Science of Everyday Wonder, published in 2023. Keltner is one of the
leading figures in this field. His studies have yielded valuable information,
some of which is shared below.
Keltner asserts that we all have a basic need for awe wired
into our brains and bodies. I like to think of that need as a kind of divine
homing instinct. Other statements about awe in his book are these: “Awe is the
feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current
understanding of the world.” And this, “Awe occurs in a realm separate from the
mundane world of materialism, money, acquisition and status, signaling a realm
beyond the profane that many call the sacred.”
So, how do we benefit from experiencing awe? Why seek it? A
partial list of the benefits that studies have confirmed would include quieting
of our inner critic, opening our minds to wonders, enabling us to perceive deep
patterns of life and enhancing our awareness of being part of something greater
than ourselves. There are even physical benefits of the “awe experience” such
as a calming of the nervous system, lowering blood pressure and increased
oxytocin release. Some scientists even assert that awe can decrease
inflammation in the body.
Clearly, if we can experience this powerful feeling of awe
on a daily basis, we will enhance our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
well-being and not only will we survive the world’s onslaughts, but we will
also thrive as we work to better the conditions around us.
If awe involves “being in the presence of something vast,”
though, how can we experience it daily? Some peak moments of awe certainly do
involve vast physical dimensions. One of my memorable moments of awe occurred
in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, where the silence was somehow
spiritual and as vast as the desert itself. “Vast,” however, can refer to the
mysteries of nature revealed in small but significant ways. It can include the
vastness of human achievement revealed in the beauty of music, poetry, dance,
great works of art and architecture, etc.
2025 is upon us! Get ready for it by adding a little awe to
your daily routine. If you can, find a time to be alone. Turn off the
electronic devices. Go for a walk; observe the buds that are on the trees even
in the deep of winter. Look at the pattern of the bare tree branches against
the winter sky. Make time to enjoy the oranges and pinks of spectacular winter
sunsets. Watch the way a single raindrop travels down your windowpane. Listen
with your whole mind and body to your favorite music whether it’s Bach or the
Beatles, Barbra Streisand or the blues. Read and meditate on your favorite
passages from your faith’s scriptures. Immerse yourself in photos sent from the
James Webb space telegraph. Sources of awe surround us even on the bleakest of
days. Find and cultivate those that speak most directly to your spirit. 2025
will be turbulent but it can also be awesome!
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime
member of the Baha’i Faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i
governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
This article appears in Best films and scenes of 2024.
