Cultivating Awe & Emotional Connection in Daily Life | Dr. Dacher Keltner

About this video

Huberman interviews Dr. Dacher Keltner of UC Berkeley about cultivating awe and emotional connection in daily life. Dr. Keltner describes awe as arising when perception shifts from a small scale to a very large one or back again, such as reaching a new vista. He reports research associating awe with reduced inflammation, elevated vagal tone and reduced long COVID symptoms, and describes brief daily awe and ‘awe walks’ as practical ways to evoke it through nature, music and collective experiences. The conversation also covers teasing and embarrassment in social bonding, what establishes or inhibits deep group bonds, and stories about musicians whose work evokes awe. Dr. Keltner presents awe as accessible in everyday life, not elusive.

Key takeaways

• Dr. Keltner describes awe as a shift in perception from a small scale to a large scale, or back again.
• Dr. Keltner reports that even a minute of awe a day reduced long COVID symptoms in the people studied.
• Dr. Keltner associates awe with reduced inflammation and elevated vagal tone.
• Dr. Keltner describes the awe walk as a practical way to cultivate awe in everyday life.
• Huberman frames Dr. Keltner’s work as covering teasing, embarrassment and the conditions that establish deep human bonds.

Episode details: published April 6, 2026 · 101K views · 2:20:20 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

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