“Awe-scillations”: EEG spectral and complexity representations of awe

Awe is a positive emotion often accompanied by sensations of vastness and unity, with known benefits for well-being and social behavior. However, its neural underpinnings remain poorly understood. We recorded EEG and autonomic physiology in 23 healthy older participants while they watched a nature-based audiovisual film, The Nature Journey , and subjective ratings of awe were recorded. Awe was associated with decreased alpha and theta spectral power, and increased Lempel Ziv complexity (LZC) – indicating heightened neural signal entropy and increased information processing. These effects partially converged across datasets and awe induction methods, supporting their generalizability. Notably, awe-related increases in LZC correlated with reduced sympathetic activity and greater self-reported awe intensity, but not self-reported joy, suggesting some level of specificity. These results suggest that awe evokes distinctive neurophysiological states linked to both autonomic changes and subjective experience.