Regional differences in the experience of awe and replication of associations between awe facets, psychedelic experiences, and mental-health outcomes.
Abstract
This project investigates the structure, correlates, and regional variability of the experience of awe, with a particular focus on awe occurring in the context of psychedelic experiences. Awe has been increasingly recognized as a complex, multi-faceted emotional state associated with perceived vastness and the need for cognitive accommodation, and it has been linked to a wide range of psychological and well-being outcomes. However, the structure of awe, its relationship to other altered states of consciousness, and its expression across regions remain understudied. The present study has two primary aims. First, it seeks to examine the convergent and divergent validity of a 12-item short form of the Awe-Experience Scale (AWE-SF) in a large, global sample of individuals reporting on psychedelic experience. This will allow for further validation of a brief, multi-faceted measure of awe suitable for use in large surveys, clinical research, and cross-cultural contexts. The study will examine how the AWE-SF relates to personality traits, mental health, and persisting effects outcomes to confirm whether previously reported patterns replicate in a diverse global sample. Second, the project will examine regional similarities and differences in the structure and expression of awe. Participants will be recruited from multiple countries and cultural backgrounds. This will help determine whether the six-facet structure of awe—Vastness, Accommodation, Self-loss, Connectedness, Altered Sense of Time, and Physiological Responses—operates similarly across regions, and whether the intensity or profile of awe experiences differs between them.
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