Dr. Dacher Keltner on Huberman Lab: Why awe walks ease pain

Weekly awe walks raise vagal tone and lower inflammation through small-to-vast attention; collective effervescence at concerts synchronizes physiology too.

Dr. Dacher KeltnerguestAndrew Hubermanhost

Apr 6, 20262h 20mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 6, 2026
Duration: 2h 20m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Dacher Keltner, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a leading expert on the science of emotions and human connection. We discuss the science of awe—what evokes it and how to access it. Dr. Keltner explains how awe helps us frame our experience of life and who we are both as individuals and collectively. We also discuss the role of humor in social bonding, dispel common myths about the biology of emotions and review the lesser-known factors that strengthen or inhibit relationships and communities. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/JzXwTdS Thank you to our sponsors AG1: ⁠https://drinkag1.com/huberman Joovv: ⁠https://joovv.com/huberman Helix Sleep: ⁠https://helixsleep.com/huberman Function: ⁠https://functionhealth.com/huberman Our Place: ⁠https://fromourplace.com/huberman Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Dacher Keltner Website: https://www.dacherkeltner.com Academic profile: https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/dacher-keltner Greater Good Science Center: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu Lab: https://bsil.studentorg.berkeley.edu Awe (book): https://amzn.to/4sfQKYI Science of Happiness (podcast): https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/series/the_science_of_happiness Other Books: https://www.dacherkeltner.com/books Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oqw_lMkAAAAJ Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr Dachner Keltner 00:01:55 Emotions, Awe; Facial Expressions & Culture 00:08:11 Sponsors: Joovv & Helix Sleep 00:11:05 Emotion, Motor Movement & Language 00:15:36 Measuring Emotion; Studying Awe 00:24:10 Horizons, Small to Vast, Shifting Perspective 00:29:27 Tool: Awe Walk 00:33:53 Time Perception, Tool: Space-Time Bridging Meditation; Chimps, Vastness 00:42:13 Sponsor: AG1 00:43:37 Consciousness, Collective Experiences & Brain Synchronization 00:50:04 Music, Concerts & Awe; Sparring, Transcendence 01:01:28 Joe Strummer 01:06:04 Inhibitors of Awe, Self-Focus & Narcissism 01:12:41 Sponsor: Function 01:13:52 Sports, Collective Effervescence 01:19:03 Social Media & Online Life, Social Community 01:29:51 Designing Cities & Places for Awe 01:34:29 Sponsor: Our Place 01:35:44 Embarrassment, Teasing; Collective Values 01:43:05 Male Friendship, Teasing 01:47:50 Isolation, Loneliness, Reemergence of Community 01:54:33 Psychedelics, Awe, Treating Trauma; Microdosing 02:01:18 Looking Forward, Awe Design 02:08:36 Campfires, Connection, Red Light 02:13:34 Life After Death; Acknowledgments 02:17:19 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Science #EmotionalConnection Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Dr. Dacher Keltner
guest
Emotion scientist and professor known for research on awe and its effects on health and social connection.
Andrew Huberman
host
Professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. Dacher Keltner and Andrew Huberman, Dr. Dacher Keltner on Huberman Lab: Why awe walks ease pain explores how awe shapes health, connection, and meaning in modern life Keltner argues awe is measurable and trainable, and is linked to better health markers including reduced inflammation, higher vagal tone, less pain in older adults, and even reduced long COVID symptoms with brief daily exposure.

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