Experiencing versus contemplating: Language use during descriptions of awe and wonder

Darbor, Kathleen E.; Lench, Heather C.; Davis, William E.; Hicks, Joshua A.

doi:10.1080/02699931.2015.1042836

Cited by 28 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…In other words, it emerged the possibility to elicit awe even using interactive elicitors. This is far more relevant if we consider that awe is considered as a contemplative emotion ( Darbor et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Awe in Virtual Reality: An Experimental Study

et al. 2018

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Awe is a little-studied emotion with a great transformative potential. Therefore, the interest toward the study of awe’s underlying mechanisms has been increased. Specifically, researchers have been interested in how to reproduce intense feelings of awe within laboratory conditions. It has been proposed that the use of virtual reality (VR) could be an effective way to induce awe in controlled experimental settings, thanks to its ability of providing participants with a sense of “presence,” that is, the subjective feeling of being displaced in another physical or imaginary place. However, the potential of VR as awe-inducing medium has not been fully tested yet. In the present study, we provided an evidence-based design and a validation of four immersive virtual environments (VEs) involving 36 participants in a within-subject design. Of these, three VEs were designed to induce awe, whereas the fourth VE was targeted as an emotionally neutral stimulus. Participants self-reported the extent to which they felt awe, general affect and sense of presence related to each environment. As expected, results showed that awe-VEs could induce significantly higher levels of awe and presence as compared to the neutral VE. Furthermore, these VEs induced significantly more positive than negative affect. These findings supported the potential of immersive VR for inducing awe and provide useful indications for the design of awe-inspiring virtual environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Awe in Virtual Reality: An Experimental Study

et al. 2018

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“…In recent years there has been an increased interest in the scientific study of selftranscendent emotions, including awe (Darbor, Lench, Davis, & Hicks, 2015;Haidt & Morris, 2009;Piff et al, 2015;Rudd, Vohs, & Aaker, 2012) . This has been paralleled by a renewed scientific interest in psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin (the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms'), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT, the active ingredient in the South American decoction, ayahuasca), with a particular emphasis on the psychological, behavioral and therapeutic consequences of the mystical (or 'peak') psychedelic experience (Bogenschutz et al, 2015;Doblin, 1991;Grob et al, 2011;Grof, 1980;Haidt, 2013;Johnson, Garcia-Romeu, Cosimano, & Griffiths, 2014;Lebedev et al, 2016;MacLean, Johnson, & Griffiths, 2011;Moreno, Wiegand, Taitano, & Delgado, 2006;Nichols, 2016;Unger, 1963).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychedelics, Personality and Political Perspectives

Nour

Evans

Carhart‐Harris

2017

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs

173

112

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The psychedelic experience (including psychedelic-induced ego dissolution) can effect lasting change in a person's attitudes and beliefs. Here, we aimed to investigate the association between naturalistic psychedelic use and personality, political perspectives, and nature relatedness using an anonymous internet survey. Participants (N = 893) provided information about their naturalistic psychedelic, cocaine, and alcohol use, and answered questions relating to personality traits of openness and conscientiousness (Ten-Item Personality Inventory), nature relatedness (Nature-Relatedness Scale), and political attitudes (one-item liberalism-conservatism measure and five-item libertarian-authoritarian measure). Participants also rated the degree of ego dissolution experienced during their "most intense" recalled psychedelic experience (Ego-Dissolution Inventory). Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that lifetime psychedelic use (but not lifetime cocaine use or weekly alcohol consumption) positively predicted liberal political views, openness and nature relatedness, and negatively predicted authoritarian political views, after accounting for potential confounding variables. Ego dissolution experienced during a participant's "most intense" psychedelic experience positively predicted liberal political views, openness and nature relatedness, and negatively predicted authoritarian political views. Further work is needed to investigate the nature of the relationship between the peak psychedelic experience and openness to new experiences, egalitarian political views, and concern for the environment.

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“…A free word association task asked participants to describe an event where they felt a distinct positive emotion (awe, wonder, happiness). Compared to awe and happiness, the emotion of wonder elicited more present-tense descriptions, more words suggesting looking for causation and for insight (such as 'think', 'because', 'cause') (Darbor et al 2016). Wonder also encourages humans to think abstractly; to look for deeper meaning, and to question why things are the way they are, even if it is elicited by very concrete stimuli, such as snowflakes, spider webs, an unusuallyshaped leaf, or a single candle flame.…”

Section: Wondermentioning

confidence: 99%

Awe and Wonder in Scientific Practice: Implications for the Relationship Between Science and Religion

Cruz

2020

Issues in Science and Religion: Publications of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology

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This paper examines the role of awe and wonder in scientific practice. Drawing on evidence from psychological research and the writings of scientists and science communicators, I argue that awe and wonder play a crucial role in scientific discovery. They focus our attention on the natural world, encourage openmindedness, diminish the self (particularly feelings of self-importance), help to accord value to the objects that are being studied, and provide a mode of understanding in the absence of full knowledge. I will flesh out implications of the role of awe and wonder in scientific discovery for debates on the relationship between science and religion. Abraham Heschel argued that awe and wonder are religious emotions because they reduce our feelings of self-importance, and thereby help to cultivate the proper reverent attitude towards God. Yet metaphysical naturalists such as Richard Dawkins insist that awe and wonder need not lead to any theistic commitments for scientists. The awe some scientists experience can be regarded as a form of non-theistic spirituality, which is neither a reductive naturalism nor theism. I will attempt to resolve the tension between these views by identifying some common ground.

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Experiencing versus contemplating: Language use during descriptions of awe and wonder

Cited by 28 publications

References 21 publications

Designing Awe in Virtual Reality: An Experimental Study

Designing Awe in Virtual Reality: An Experimental Study

Psychedelics, Personality and Political Perspectives

Awe and Wonder in Scientific Practice: Implications for the Relationship Between Science and Religion

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