Use awe to reconnect with something larger than yourself

When awe makes the self feel small, follow the natural impulse toward belonging — toward community, nature, or humanity at large.

Why it works

The small-self effect produced by awe does not leave a vacuum — it creates a temporary permeability between the self and its context. This openness predicts prosocial behavior, increased identification with larger groups (humanity, nature, the cosmos), and decreased in-group/out-group bias. Following the impulse deliberately — reaching toward what you feel part of during an awe state — amplifies and extends the prosocial and meaning effects.

How to do it

1. After an awe experience, rather than immediately returning to the personal self-narrative, ask: "What am I part of right now?"
2. Follow any impulse toward connection — reach out to someone, take in the environment, reflect on being part of a longer human story.
3. Avoid rushing to translate the experience into practical outcomes; let the belonging orientation last for at least a few minutes.

Evidence

Awe’s effects on collective identity are well-documented experimentally: Piff et al. (2015) found awe increased ethical decision-making and generosity, consistent with greater identification with collective rather than individual interest. (rct)

The deliberate practice of following the awe impulse toward belonging is a practitioner extension; the prosocial effects themselves are experimentally established.

Sources

• Piff et al. (2015), "Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Common mistake

Intellectualizing the awe experience immediately ("interesting, what does neuroscience say about that?") — analysis re-engages the analytical self, ending the belonging window.