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- Awe
AWE
Photo: Helix Nebula (Astrophotography Lens)
What is “Awe” as an emotion? Keltner and Haidt (2003) and Keltner (2023) define it this way
“Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.”
They point out eight “wonders” that can include awe:
Moral beauty (stories/examples of goodness, kindness, strength, overcoming)
Collective effervescence (a group feeling of being active, positive and full of energy -- Too bad it has such a complex definition. It is just positive energy in a group, something all English teachers know).
Nature
Music
Visual design
Stories of spiritual and spiritual awe
Stories of life and death
Epiphanies (experiences of sudden understanding of essential truth).
Keltner has a new(ish) (2023) book on the topic. Here's the link to the book on Amazon-Japan and here's the link to it on Powell's (USA).
“Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.”
They point out eight “wonders” that can include awe:
Moral beauty (stories/examples of goodness, kindness, strength, overcoming)
Collective effervescence (a group feeling of being active, positive and full of energy -- Too bad it has such a complex definition. It is just positive energy in a group, something all English teachers know).
Nature
Music
Visual design
Stories of spiritual and spiritual awe
Stories of life and death
Epiphanies (experiences of sudden understanding of essential truth).
Keltner has a new(ish) (2023) book on the topic. Here's the link to the book on Amazon-Japan and here's the link to it on Powell's (USA).
The following are activities I do with my EFL/ELT students to help them understand and experience AWE.
• Awe walk ( or “Wonder Walk” – use this name, especially if you teach kids). Walk outside (ideally in nature) for 15-20 minutes. People are probably alone. Phones are turned off or on airline mode (unless you want them taking pictures. You may want a “debriefing time” at the end for people to share what they noticed.
HERE is the Powerpoint I use to introduce Awe walks.
• Variations: give everyone a postcard listing the five main senses (seeing, hearing, touch/feeling, smell, taste). Have them take notes about what they experience. They likely won’t be tasting anything so you might want to bring something for them to eat during “debriefing.” (I’m keen on multi-flavored chocolate).
• wabi sabi – traditional Japanese beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” Many of us walk past examples of wabi sabi every day and don’t notice. Examples include Japanese gardens with big rocks and stone lanterns, trees trimmed in unusual ways.
• nature sounds – as they walk, invite them to notice nature sounds such as various bird calls, other animal sounds, the wind in branches, children playing, etc.
• Look at the sky.
HERE is the Powerpoint I use to introduce Awe walks.
• Variations: give everyone a postcard listing the five main senses (seeing, hearing, touch/feeling, smell, taste). Have them take notes about what they experience. They likely won’t be tasting anything so you might want to bring something for them to eat during “debriefing.” (I’m keen on multi-flavored chocolate).
• wabi sabi – traditional Japanese beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” Many of us walk past examples of wabi sabi every day and don’t notice. Examples include Japanese gardens with big rocks and stone lanterns, trees trimmed in unusual ways.
• nature sounds – as they walk, invite them to notice nature sounds such as various bird calls, other animal sounds, the wind in branches, children playing, etc.
• Look at the sky.
• 1 minute in a park: https://sites.elliott.computer/one-minute-park/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Awe walk ( or “Wonder Walk” – especially if you teach kids). Walk outside (ideally in nature) for 15-20 minutes. People are probably alone. Phones are turned off or on airline mode (unless you want them taking pictures. You may want a “debriefing time” at the end for people to share what they noticed.
• Variations: give everyone a postcard listing the five main senses (seeing, hearing, touch/feeling, smell, taste). Have them take notes about what they experience. They likely won’t be tasting anything so you might want to bring something for them to eat during “debriefing.” (I’m keen on multi-flavored chocolate).
• wabi sabi – traditional Japanese beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” Many of us walk past examples of wabi sabi every day and don’t notice. Examples include Japanese gardens with big rocks and stone lanterns, trees trimmed in unusual ways.
• nature sounds – as they walk, invite them to notice nature sounds such as various bird calls, other animal sounds, the wind in branches, children playing, etc.
• Look at the sky.
• Dance like no one is watching. As they do some group interaction activity, put on background music. See if people start moving in rhythm. Variation: after a few minutes, start disco light. See if people start moving in rhythm (you can get disco light for as little as 1500 yen at amazon.co.jp.
• Storytelling. Topics. (Partner, ask questions.)
• My stories. Each student draws 4-6 simple pictures of important, good events in their lives. Then they tell a partner. Partners ask questions. If there is time, they change partners and continue. If students have access to their grandparents, this is great to do with them. Grandparents tell their stories. It triggers memory and happiness. Idea from Emily Willroth, Washington University.
• Goosebumps (鳥肌が立つ/ torihadagatatsu). When have you had goosebumps. Why? What happened? Note that goosebumps can happen for positive or negative reasons. Awe is like that.
• Play about 2-3 minutes of dark music such as Vivaldi’s Seasons: Winter. Or T. Bergersen’s Victory: Two Steps From Hell. (both are on Youtube.com). Have students draw a picture of what they imagine. They should be in the picture. Then have them compare/explain their pictures. Yang Bai (see Keltner 2023 reference, p. 33) says that when experiencing Awe, people’s self-portraits tend to be smaller.
• Music that touched (touches) your heart.
“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement”. - Rachel Carson
Carson, R. in Long, K. (2014) An Outdoor Educator’s Guide to AWE. Cumbria, CA: The
Outward Bound Trust. 31.
Keltner, D. (2023) Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it can Transform
Your Life. New York: Penguin Press.
Keltner, D. & Haidt, J. (2003). “Approaching Awe, A Moral, Aesthetic, and Spiritual
Emotion.” Cognition & Emotion 17, 297-314.
Awe walk ( or “Wonder Walk” – especially if you teach kids). Walk outside (ideally in nature) for 15-20 minutes. People are probably alone. Phones are turned off or on airline mode (unless you want them taking pictures. You may want a “debriefing time” at the end for people to share what they noticed.
• Variations: give everyone a postcard listing the five main senses (seeing, hearing, touch/feeling, smell, taste). Have them take notes about what they experience. They likely won’t be tasting anything so you might want to bring something for them to eat during “debriefing.” (I’m keen on multi-flavored chocolate).
• wabi sabi – traditional Japanese beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” Many of us walk past examples of wabi sabi every day and don’t notice. Examples include Japanese gardens with big rocks and stone lanterns, trees trimmed in unusual ways.
• nature sounds – as they walk, invite them to notice nature sounds such as various bird calls, other animal sounds, the wind in branches, children playing, etc.
• Look at the sky.
• Dance like no one is watching. As they do some group interaction activity, put on background music. See if people start moving in rhythm. Variation: after a few minutes, start disco light. See if people start moving in rhythm (you can get disco light for as little as 1500 yen at amazon.co.jp.
• Storytelling. Topics. (Partner, ask questions.)
- A transition ceremony (a graduation, your coming-of-age ceremony, a time you “grew up.”)
- A place you visited when you felt “Awe
- A time you felt successful learning English (or something else)
- An experience you will never forget.
- Have you every had an experience you just can’t explain. Try.
- You (or someone – perhaps a child – discovers something that created a FEELING of WONDER!
- Something that made you FULL OF JOY!
• My stories. Each student draws 4-6 simple pictures of important, good events in their lives. Then they tell a partner. Partners ask questions. If there is time, they change partners and continue. If students have access to their grandparents, this is great to do with them. Grandparents tell their stories. It triggers memory and happiness. Idea from Emily Willroth, Washington University.
• Goosebumps (鳥肌が立つ/ torihadagatatsu). When have you had goosebumps. Why? What happened? Note that goosebumps can happen for positive or negative reasons. Awe is like that.
• Play about 2-3 minutes of dark music such as Vivaldi’s Seasons: Winter. Or T. Bergersen’s Victory: Two Steps From Hell. (both are on Youtube.com). Have students draw a picture of what they imagine. They should be in the picture. Then have them compare/explain their pictures. Yang Bai (see Keltner 2023 reference, p. 33) says that when experiencing Awe, people’s self-portraits tend to be smaller.
• Music that touched (touches) your heart.
“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement”. - Rachel Carson
Carson, R. in Long, K. (2014) An Outdoor Educator’s Guide to AWE. Cumbria, CA: The
Outward Bound Trust. 31.
Keltner, D. (2023) Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it can Transform
Your Life. New York: Penguin Press.
Keltner, D. & Haidt, J. (2003). “Approaching Awe, A Moral, Aesthetic, and Spiritual
Emotion.” Cognition & Emotion 17, 297-314.