Cultivating Awe & Emotional Connection in Daily Life | Dr. Dacher Keltner
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Dr. Dacher Keltner, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a leading expert on the science of emotions and human connection. We discuss the science of awe—what evokes it and how to access it. Dr. Keltner explains how awe helps us frame our experience of life and who we are both as individuals and collectively. We also discuss the role of humor in social bonding, dispel common myths about the biology of emotions and review the lesser-known factors that strengthen or inhibit relationships and communities.
Articles
- Constants across cultures in the face and emotion (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)
- Sixteen facial expressions occur in similar contexts worldwide (Nature)
- What the face displays: Mapping 28 emotions conveyed by naturalistic expression (American Psychologist)
- A balanced mind: Awe fosters equanimity via temporal distancing (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)
- Big smile, small self: Awe walks promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults (Emotion)
- Awe, the Diminished Self, and Collective Engagement: Universals and Cultural Variations in the Small Self (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)
- Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health (Perspectives on Psychological Science)
- Awe in nature heals: Evidence from military veterans, at-risk youth, and college students (Emotion)
- Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion (Cognition & Emotion)
- Flustered and faithful: Embarrassment as a signal of prosociality (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)
- Teasing in hierarchical and intimate relations (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)
- The regulatory function of self-conscious emotion: insights from patients with orbitofrontal damage (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)
Books
- Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
- A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness
- Wanderlust: A History of Walking
- A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting
- How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
- Bowling Alone: Revised and Updated: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Other Resources
- Alan Cowen
- Map of 27 Distinct Categories of Emotion
- The Slow Mo Guys
- Take an Awe Walk
- Make-A-Wish
- Gehl Architects
- Inside Out
- Inside Out 2
- A Complete Unknown
- Raging Bull
- Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
- Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned
- How to Expand Your Consciousness | Dr. Christof Koch
- Unlearn Negative Thoughts & Behaviors Patterns | Dr. Alok Kanojia
- Health Effects & Risks of Kratom, Opioids & Other Natural Occurring Medicines | Dr. Chris McCurdy
- Using Red Light to Improve Metabolism & the Harmful Effects of LEDs | Dr. Glen Jeffery
People Mentioned
Academic/Scientific
- Paul Ekman: professor emeritus of psychology, University of California, San Francisco
- Paul Rozin: professor of psychology, University of Pennsylvania
- Jonathan Haidt: professor of business and society, New York University
- Jim Russell: professor of psychology, Boston College
- Lisa Feldman Barrett: professor of psychology, Northeastern University
- Jess Tracy: professor of psychology, University of British Columbia
- Richie Davidson: professor of psychology and psychiatry, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Alex Grey: psychedelic visual artist
- William James: established Harvard’s psychology department
- Charles Darwin: naturalist
- Jane Goodall: primatologist, conservationist
- Frans de Waal: primatologist, Emory University
- Ralph Waldo Emerson: essayist, philosopher
- David Yaden: professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Johns Hopkins University
- Roland Griffiths: professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University
- Robin Carhart-Harris: professor of neurology and psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
- Molly Crockett: professor of psychology, Princeton University
- John Cacioppo: professor of psychology, University of Chicago
- Steven Pinker: professor of psychology, Harvard University
- Émile Durkheim: sociologist
- Susan Langer: art philosopher, educator
Arts/Culture
- Pete Docter: Pixar Chief Creative Officer
- Yumi Kendall: cellist
- Matías Tarnopolsky CEO New York Philharmonic
- Tim Armstrong: punk musician
- Jim Thiebaud: skateboarder, artist
- Rick Rubin: record producer
- Joe Strummer: punk musician
- Steve Kerr: NBA coach
- Jocko Willink: retired US Navy SEAL, podcaster
This transcript is currently under human review and may contain errors. The fully reviewed version will be posted as soon as it is available.
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