by Lindsay Roznowski
Psychologist Jonah Paquette dedicated a whole book to the emotion of awe in his newest book, Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Connected. He says that “…awe often occurs as a result of something in our external world that overwhelms our senses—a beautiful sunset, a magnificent mountain, or the night sky above. But sometimes, awe can result from things that are not from the physical realm at all, but rather within our own minds—whether from learning a mind-blowing fact or allowing ourselves to see something in a new light. This kind of mind-bending awe doesn’t require us to travel off to distant lands or buy a ticket to the local symphony; rather, it requires us to open ourselves up to the wonders of the world in a different way, and to harness the power of our imaginations to evoke moments of awe within us.” Dr. Paquette suggests that our openness, curiosity, and willingness to have our minds blown contributes to the intensity and impact of the awe.
After that May day when I got hooked on mycology, I not only continued my daily nature walks, but started to document all new species I found in photographs, and even created my own amateur mycology Instagram page called @phun.gal to share my fungal adventures with the world. It felt exciting to focus on something that I loved that had nothing to do with my job. I wondered if the happiness I felt as a result of my new hobby was just the novelty of teaching an old dog (that’s me!) a new trick or if it was something bigger than that.
What I have found through research is that there is incredible science behind the benefits of awe on the mind and body. Experiencing awe can lead to decreased inflammation in the body, increased dopamine, engagement of the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system, and an expansion in perception of time among other amazing things.
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