Real Health Podcast: Why awe is one of the most important emotions at Dacher Keltner

If you were asked what the most important emotion is, what would you say? Happiness? Love? Empathy?

ah, my guest this week says there is cause for awe. It’s an emotion that’s hard to define, but something he says can improve our lives.

Dacher Keltner is the author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.

Awe is an emotion often associated with things like art or nature. According to Dacher, music is also a great source of awe that can enhance our well-being.

“Music and what it brings us is calmness or stress-related physiology, a better immune profile, a better ability to focus, and a better ability to deal with daily stress,” says Dacher.

“Music and nature give us a sense of contentment and peace. Like, ‘Oh, I see myself as part of something bigger that really matters’.”

We also discuss why things like money or possessions don’t bring you that sense of “wow” in your life and you really don’t need them to find that sense of awe in everyday life.

“There is the world of material possessions and transactions and money and consumer goods. This is a realm of pleasure, and it has its own laws.

“There is another realm of meaningful experience that is awe, and awe is independent of the transactions of our ordinary life. It is about meaning and purpose and even spirituality for many people. It doesn’t work under the laws of purchase. It is different”

For more episodes, tips and advice from the series, see:

And you can contact me – I’m @KarlHenryPT on Instagram and realhealth@independent.ie.

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The Real Health Podcast is in partnership with Laya Healthcare.