FLASH
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In recent years, scientific research has increasingly focused on an emotion that until recently was considered elusive or merely philosophical: awe. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, experiencing moments of wonder and profound emotion is not only psychologically beneficial, but also has measurable health benefits. As columnist Dana Milbank writes, the experience of awe can be so powerful that it can even surprise us.
In a similar study, scientists recorded people’s physiological responses as they looked at artwork for just 20 minutes. The results were striking: levels of the stress hormone cortisol dropped by an average of 22%, while markers of inflammation fell even more. At the same time, heart rates showed increased relaxation, suggesting a deeper physical release.
From a neuroscience perspective, psychologist Dacher Keltner explains that slow, mindful observation activates areas of the brain associated with both emotional processing and basic autonomic functions, such as breathing and heart rate. In other words, exposure to art not only “calms” the mind, but synchronizes the entire body.
And you don't have to be an expert or an art historian to be moved by this process of observation and contact with artistic expression. On the contrary, many times the emotion becomes more intense when we feel something that touches and moves us without being able to determine the exact reason or fully understand the creator's language.
Art, then, emerges as one of the most direct and accessible ways to experience wonder: through a work, an exhibition, a color, a form, or a silent moment of observation. In a world that is constantly moving at speed, these moments act as essential pauses - reminders that stopping, looking, and feeling can be profoundly healing.
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