KarunaNews Story

While research suggests that seeing something awe-inspiring might make you more likely to help someone else, new research is still exploring why. During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers asked 332 college students how often they felt awe and how willing they were to volunteer or donate materials to help the fight against COVID-19. They found that people who experienced more awe tended to be more empathic and more likely to help. In a follow-up study, the researchers found that writing about a time you felt awe makes you feel more connected to others and more willing to donate, compared to writing about amusing or neutral topics. But while more research is needed, these studies suggest that making time for awe could bring us closer to the people around us.