PSYCHOSCAPES: Mary Oliver and Military Parades

One of the first of Hitler's Military Parades in 1939
Wikipedia Commons

"Still, what I want in my life is to be willing to be dazzled - to cast aside the weight of facts and maybe even to float a little above this difficult world. I want to believe I am looking into the white fire of a great mystery. I want to believe that the imperfections are nothing - that the light is everything - that it is more than the sum of each flawed blossom rising and fading. And I do." -Mary Oliver, House of Light

In this stanza, Mary Oliver, New England’s most beloved poet, hits the nail on the head. Awe is what we all need more of, especially in today’s cruel world of climate crisis, existential uncertainty, and Donald Trump.

On this subject, Dacher Keltner has written a remarkable book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.^⁠1 Tackling a topic that has always been devilishly hard to define, he has successfully shifted awe from a mysterious, fleeting feeling into a serious subject of study.

Krista Tippett considers his research “One of the most fascinating developments of our time … that human qualities we have understood in terms of virtue — experiences we’ve called spiritual — are now being taken seriously by science as intelligence — as elements of human wholeness.”^⁠2

Keltner tells us how transformational awe can be: “By quieting the nagging, self-critical, overbearing, status-conscious voice of our self, or ego, and empowering us to collaborate, to open our minds to wonders, and to see the deep patterns of life.”^⁠3

It is precisely these qualities that have provided humans with an advantage in our evolutionary journey. Our ancestors who formed groups exhibiting awe-inspiring patterns of behavior had a higher survival rate against both known and unknown threats.

That’s because experiencing awe, by definition, means being grounded in the present, which maximizes our ability to counter threats.

All of this led Keltner to conduct further research into these enchanted moments when we experience a sense of wonder and confront mysteries that transcend our understanding. He found that these feelings are universal in societies around the world, bringing many benefits: “joy, meaning, and community, along with healthier bodies and more creative minds.”

I’ve written previously about how empathy is a skill that, if cultivated by more people, could transform society.

Keltner asserts that the same applies to awe; if we could only slow down and take the time to savor the moment. It doesn’t have to be – and usually isn’t – grandiose vistas like the Grand Canyon. Instead, it’s often mundane everyday events that can be awe-inspiring if we could just get out of our heads and truly taste the present: to smell the roses, be blown away by a neighbor’s wisdom, or be captivated by a playful pattern of light dancing across our kitchen wall.

Keltner also noted that people enjoy gathering together: “People walking to work, little kids going to a dance class, people at a picnic, people lining up to get onto a bus. We just have this tendency to start to move together.”

Emile Durkheim, the renowned French sociologist, termed this natural inclination “collective effervescence:” the intense feeling of energy, unity, and excitement that arises when people come together in shared experiences. It’s that oceanic sensation of being part of something greater than oneself, often accompanied by profound emotions and a sense of social cohesion.^⁠4

But, in this case, I believe that we must proceed with caution.

I fully support the natural feelings of awe that arise from everyday occurrences evoking wonder and amazement, such as the expression on a baby’s face or a stunning sunset. However, when people unite in collective effervescence, situations can spiral out of control, as seen when sports fans attack supporters of the opposing team or political rallies escalate into violence.

This becomes absolutely true when awe is not spontaneous but is engineered by a political leader to strengthen their control over the people: I’m talking about Hitler’s flashy mass rallies, which were key to consolidating his power.

Or Donald Trump’s upcoming military parade, scheduled for June 14^th, which also happens to be his birthday.

xxx

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