Awe Inspiring Experiences: Natural, Unnatural, and Supernatural

Awe Inspiring Experiences: Natural, Unnatural, and Supernatural

University of California, Los Angeles

This interdisciplinary group convenes to explore the many aspects of awe-inspiring experiences with the aim of understanding the human ability to experience awe. The working group, representing scholars of religion, culture, politics, neuroscience, anthropology, psychiatry, psychology, biology, and communication endeavors to develop and present an undergraduate course on their findings, and will present these findings for public discussion. Monthly gatherings bring together members of the group for exploration and research. Thrice-yearly conferences featuring experts in the field, will explore subjects such as evolution; sociology/ human social sciences & complex systems; experimental manipulation, measurement & assessment of awe; neurology; evolutionary biology; economics; and evolutionary psychology are widely publicized and open to the public. Matching funds are provided by UCLA.