Anxiety often leads to attempts to solve distress through thinking, analysis, and logic. Awe offers an alternative pathway by changing the brain’s state rather than reasoning through fear. Awe functions as a biological reset button that deactivates the anxious component of the brain. The Default Mode Network (DMN) supports ego and autobiographical memory, and it fuels rumination. When awe is experienced, DMN activity decreases, reducing repetitive self-focused thought. Feeling small within a vast universe is not demeaning; it provides ultimate stress relief by replacing anxious ego narratives with trust and connection.
"You cannot think your way out of an anxious ego; awe is a biological reset button. The Default Mode Network (DMN) fuels rumination, but experiencing awe deactivates it. Feeling small in a vast universe isn't demeaning-it provides ultimate relief from stress."
"But modern neuroscience has discovered a profound truth: You cannot think your way out of an anxious ego. You have to look your way out of it. I have experienced this firsthand. I recall one of the toughest times in my life when the person I thought I was going to spend my life with decided to leave. Everything had seemed to be going so well, and I was looking forward to the future. Suddenly, the future I had planned was gone, and it felt truly hopeless."
"But in those early morning hours, something shifted. A profound realization came over me-a deep sense of connection to the Universe-and it showed me that I was going to be okay. I did not know how, but I knew it was true, and I knew everything was going to work out beautifully. Even though nothing in my external world had changed, my heart changed. My fears and anxieties completely vanished because I simply trusted that all would be well. And that is exactly what happened."
"That early morning experience was not just a fleeting poetic emotion; awe is a powerful biological reset button. It deactivates the anxious part of our brain and connects us to the vastness of the universe. To understand how this works, we have to look at the neuroscience of what we might call the "me center." We all possess a crucial part of the brain called the Default Mode Network, or DMN. The DMN is the region responsible for our ego, our autobiographical memories"
Read at Psychology Today
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