Transcendental awe of God and dimensions of well-being: exploring the mediating role of meaning in life

ABSTRACT

Scholars have long speculated that experiencing awe – an emotional state where people believe they are in the presence of something grand – might be beneficial for well-being. We explore a manifestation of awe that is unique to religion – awe of God. Drawing on a national sample from the United States, being in awe of God was associated with lower depression, higher life satisfaction, and better self-rated health, associations partially mediated by the sense of meaning in life. Awe of God may bolster well-being by allowing people to view their life according to the vastness and complexity of a divine plan.

KEYWORDS:

• Awe of god
• depression
• health
• life satisfaction
• meaning in life
• mediation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institure of Aging [RO1 AG009221] and the John Templeton Foundation.