Yuan, Du, and Jiang studied the psychological effects of being awed; awe can be inspired by multiple factors in the physical world, including exquisite workmanship, use of exceptional materials, and large size, for example. The Yuan-lead team report that “in this research, we aimed to clarify how and when awe contributes to meaning in life. In six studies . . . We consistently found a positive indirect effect of awe on meaning in life via authentic-self pursuit . . . which arised beyond happiness and self-smallness . . . and also held for awe brought on by a threatening experience. . . . These findings facilitate the understanding of awe as a meaning-making emotion.”
Wenying Yuan, Yuhul Du, and Tonglin Jiang. 2024. “How and When Awe Improves Meaning in Life: The Role of Authentic-Self Pursuit and Trait Authenticity.” Emotion, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 412-430, https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001278