Sharing the Sublime:Co-Experiences of Awe, Social Connection, and Meaning

Abstract

Shared experiences are a ubiquitous and vital feature of our lives, but what are the most valuable varieties of shared experiences––those most tied to feelings of social connection, richness, and meaning in life? Guided by the emerging psychological science of awe, we conducted a combination of three experimental and naturalistic studies to test whether co-experiencing awe is particularly suited to enhancing feelings of closeness and meaning, compared to co-experiencing various comparison states. In Study 1 (N = 775), participants who recalled a shared experience of awe reported that it led to greater feelings of social connection and, in turn, meaningfulness, relative to either shared ordinary or amusing experiences. In Study 2 (N = 291), participants instructed to go out and share an awe-inspiring experience with someone else described the experience as more meaningful and psychologically rich, though not more connecting, than participants who shared an experience of their choosing. Finally, in Study 3, we analyzed online reviews of shared experiences on a popular marketplace for group-based activities (Airbnb; N = 3,923). Expressions of awe were positively associated with expressions of connection and meaning, even after controlling for general positivity. Together, this research indicates that when it comes to deciding how to spend time with others, sharing awe may be one potent source of closeness and meaning.

Keywords: Awe, social connection, meaning, psychological richness, emotion