Keep this image of the starry night sky in your mind a while longer; you are looking up at the stars and it eases your soul. You then zoom into individual stars, you see them glitter, observe their constellation and difference in size from where you are standing, you may even notice one or two of them moving in the night sky. As you observe this, standing both feet on the ground somewhere on planet Earth, you get lost in the moment, forget about everything else. \u00a0<\/p>\n
You are experiencing a sense of awe. The emotion we feel when confronted with something so vast that it dwarfs us, it stops your thoughts and we become one with the moment.<\/p>\n
Awe deprivation<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIts only over a decade ago that awe became a subject of research, and it turns out that we are suffering from awe deprivation. This has consequences on our well-being, ability to have compassion, create and imagine and reduces our ability to see the big picture and the magic that\u2019s taking place right before our very eyes. I highly recommend the work and writing of\u00a0Jo Marchant<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Dacher Keltner<\/a>\u00a0on the awesome power of the night sky, the science of awe and how it can transform our lives.<\/p>\nHow we perceive the world impacts the way we show up, think and act and consequently the very world we live in. So, to make positive changes, exploring the cosmos inside ourselves is worth the ride.<\/p>\n
Shifting mindsets<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\nExposing ourselves to the wonders of the natural world activates our InnS\u00e6i and intuition and can relatively easily transform our state of mind into a more open and optimistic one. The more often we are in awe and wonder, the more impact it has on our minds and actions.<\/p>\n
Awe helps calm down our nervous system, we become more creative, focused, curious and basically nicer people. We think more \u201cwe\u201d instead of \u201cI\u201d because it shifts our perspective away from ourselves and onto something bigger.<\/p>\n
What a beautiful way to shift mindsets, right?<\/p>\n
Narrow mindset<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\nConversely, when we are under strain and stress, when we feel hopeless, our brains literally shrink, in the sense that we become tunnel viewed, we see less, we become worse listeners, less creative, our mode is fight or flight. We are less likely to experience awe and wonder. Our intelligence and capacity to imagine and realise a better, more sustainable future literally deteriorates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If we can\u2019t imagine flourishing futures, how on earth are we going to live it?<\/p>\n
Show me stars<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOne of the most reliable methods to inspire awe in studies is to show people the starry sky and measure how it affects them. Interestingly, we are literally made of the same stuff as stars. To\u00a0quote<\/a>\u00a0professor\u00a0Lisa Harvey-Smith<\/a>: \u00a0\u201c97% of the human body is made up of the same elements as stars. It\u2019s an incredible thing to comprehend.\u201d<\/p>\nPerhaps this is what happens when we are exposed to stars and experience sense of awe – we are momentarily embodying our innate relationship to the world within and around us. Our sense of belonging is deepened, and we become more aware of how embedded we are into the web of life? \u00a0<\/p>\n
In the words of the astronomer and planetary scientist, Carl Sagan: \u201cThe cosmos is also within us. We\u2019re made of the same stuff as stars. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, in a way, we come from a family of stars \u2013 we are stars! In fact, we can light up or dim down and with it, the world we inhabit and co-create. This is the power humans have, in the current age of\u00a0the Anthropocene<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63c964a3-7190-4999-b448-9906d5dda50a_1080x1080.png\")
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Its only over a decade ago that awe became a subject of research, and it turns out that we are suffering from awe deprivation. This has consequences on our well-being, ability to have compassion, create and imagine and reduces our ability to see the big picture and the magic that\u2019s taking place right before our very eyes. I highly recommend the work and writing of\u00a0Jo Marchant<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Dacher Keltner<\/a>\u00a0on the awesome power of the night sky, the science of awe and how it can transform our lives.<\/p>\n How we perceive the world impacts the way we show up, think and act and consequently the very world we live in. So, to make positive changes, exploring the cosmos inside ourselves is worth the ride.<\/p>\n Exposing ourselves to the wonders of the natural world activates our InnS\u00e6i and intuition and can relatively easily transform our state of mind into a more open and optimistic one. The more often we are in awe and wonder, the more impact it has on our minds and actions.<\/p>\n Awe helps calm down our nervous system, we become more creative, focused, curious and basically nicer people. We think more \u201cwe\u201d instead of \u201cI\u201d because it shifts our perspective away from ourselves and onto something bigger.<\/p>\n What a beautiful way to shift mindsets, right?<\/p>\n Conversely, when we are under strain and stress, when we feel hopeless, our brains literally shrink, in the sense that we become tunnel viewed, we see less, we become worse listeners, less creative, our mode is fight or flight. We are less likely to experience awe and wonder. Our intelligence and capacity to imagine and realise a better, more sustainable future literally deteriorates.\u00a0<\/p>\n If we can\u2019t imagine flourishing futures, how on earth are we going to live it?<\/p>\n One of the most reliable methods to inspire awe in studies is to show people the starry sky and measure how it affects them. Interestingly, we are literally made of the same stuff as stars. To\u00a0quote<\/a>\u00a0professor\u00a0Lisa Harvey-Smith<\/a>: \u00a0\u201c97% of the human body is made up of the same elements as stars. It\u2019s an incredible thing to comprehend.\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps this is what happens when we are exposed to stars and experience sense of awe – we are momentarily embodying our innate relationship to the world within and around us. Our sense of belonging is deepened, and we become more aware of how embedded we are into the web of life? \u00a0<\/p>\n In the words of the astronomer and planetary scientist, Carl Sagan: \u201cThe cosmos is also within us. We\u2019re made of the same stuff as stars. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.\u201d<\/p>\n So, in a way, we come from a family of stars \u2013 we are stars! In fact, we can light up or dim down and with it, the world we inhabit and co-create. This is the power humans have, in the current age of\u00a0the Anthropocene<\/a>.<\/p>\nShifting mindsets<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Narrow mindset<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Show me stars<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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