“Awe produces a mysterious wave of biological responses that we sense in terms of tears of grace, warmth in the chest (from the vagus nerve activating), goosebumps up the back, the arms, and the neck, the drop of the mouth, looking up, and uttering ‘whoah’ or ‘wow’,” he explains.

“Just a few minutes of awe can lead you to feel less stressed, experience less physical pain, enjoy a greater sense of time, feel reduced loneliness and experience a deeper sense of connection and purpose.

“It can also lead our reasoning to be sharper, experience a greater sense of wellbeing and lead us to practise more environmentally friendly behaviours, like eating less red meat.”

In this way, Professor Keltner says that making space for more awe in your life is guaranteed to have a positive impact on how you think and feel – and you don’t need to travel far and wide to experience it.

Why making time to feel more awe is the key to boosting your wellbeing in 2023