6: Awe: Its Role in Holistic Education

This paper explores awe and its role in education. It is based on the research of Dachner Keltner who defines awe as the “feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding”. There is evidence that experiencing awe is vital to one’s wellbeing. The paper focuses on four types of awe that are most relevant to holistic education: moral beauty, nature, music and spirituality. Examples of awe are given for each of these areas and how they might be explored in educational contexts.