UW-Superior Mindfulness Center Hosts Dacher Keltner for Virtual Awe Discussion

Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and faculty director of the Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, will deliver a virtual presentation titled "Awe: Meeting the Crisis of Our Times" on Tuesday, April 28 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. CDT, hosted by the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness & Well-Being at the University of Wisconsin–Superior.

Keltner frames awe as something far broader than scenic overlooks or cathedral ceilings. "Awe is the feeling we experience when we encounter vast mysteries we don't understand," the event description reads, pointing to what he calls the eight wonders of life: moral beauty, music, nature, and spiritual epiphany among them. The science behind that feeling, he argues, carries real physiological weight. "A new science finds that a brief dose of awe benefits our brains, hearts, and immune systems, counters toxic selfishness and anxiety, and encourages greater sharing, creativity, and sense of common humanity."

The 90-minute session will cover the evolution and neurophysiology of awe, its mental and physical health benefits, and practical approaches for weaving more of it into daily life, making it the kind of talk that lands differently for longtime meditators than for someone who just downloaded their first breath-work app.

Keltner's credentials span academic research and surprisingly mainstream cultural territory. He directs the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, leads a new global project on awe, and has published research on power, class, and inequality. He also served as scientific consultant for Pixar's Inside Out and Inside Out 2, the films that put the science of emotion in front of millions of moviegoers, and has collaborated on projects at Facebook and Google.

The Keltner talk fits into a larger spring slate at the Pruitt Center. The center runs Midday Mindfulness every Tuesday at noon, a virtual meetup offering 15 to 20 minutes of accessible mindfulness exercises with an optional discussion afterward. Weekly Runa Yoga classes meet in person on the second floor of the JDH Library at UW–Superior. Community Tai Chi also appears on the spring calendar. Separately, the Pruitt Center is hosting a faculty and staff book club centered on Keltner's book "Awe," meeting once to discuss the text.

Registration for the April 28 virtual talk is available through the Pruitt Center. The center is located in Swenson Hall 3117 on the UW–Superior campus in Superior, Wisconsin, and can be reached by phone at 715-394-8094.