I am curious what role depression plays in diminishing one’s capabilities of experiencing awe and wonder. You could find something like this, which is saying that searching out a sense of awe staves off depression or anxiety. One might associate the concepts or feelings of awe or wonder with happiness or joy, things one isn’t really predisposed to have alongside depression. Assuming awe and wonder aren’t just a subset of joy or the like, what role does depression play in inhibiting them if it does at all?
Possibility in Depression
This line of thinking stems from a few different things. First, philosopher Matthew Ratcliffe argues that depression consists of a change in worldview where one’s sense of possibility changes. In the depressed person’s lived experience things that were once possible no longer are. One example Ratcliffe notes is of authentically connecting with other people. In the lived experience of many individuals with depression it is not possible to make a genuine connection with another person. Another shift in possibility Ratcliffe finds is of the possibility of things ever getting better. Depression sucks away the future and leaves a black hole that seems impossible to escape. If it is no longer possible for some things to happen such as to have hope for the future or to really connect with other people, then does feeling awe or wonder seem impossible for someone with depression? Awe is intertwined with possibility. The feeling of the possibility of grandeur and something beyond what you normally conceive of. When one’s reality is constrained by a lack of possibility, it would make sense that feelings of awe or wonder might disappear as well.
Depression and Creativity
Second, there’s a link between being depressed and having a harder time of thinking of new things, out of the box or being creative, which is related to the lack of possibility in the world. There does seem to be evidence for increased artistic creativity in those with depression. This seems to be linked to more manic-type disorders rather than traditional depression. Decreased creativity might be related to Shlomo Giora Shoham’s view of creativity. He suggests that creativity arises out of a synthesis between the two separant and participant vectors. In his view, depression would be a case of a dominating separant vector preventing the cooperation of the two vectors. This prevents authentic creativity from flowing as it normally would.
Third, there’s a positive link between awe/wonder and creativity. Feeling awe or wonder seems to enhance creative thinking (See here and here for example). So, if there is a lack of creative thinking in depression is the lack of creativity tied to the lack of wonder/awe that is experienced? Or are they separate co-existing occurrences?
Fourth, as mentioned above, some research suggests that awe and wonder can help stave off depression. There also is research that authentic connection helps with depression as well. So is it just reintroducing these different elements which are lacking in the depressed individual that helps them? Psychedelics, which foster healing in those with depression, promote connection, awe, wonder, and creativity. Perhaps psychedelics are so effective because they target multiple areas that are lacking in depressed people.
I’m still not sure though if it is depression, another aspect of depression (such as creativity) that is decreasing one’s ability to experience awe and wonder or if it is just a feature of the whole shift of the person’s world that depression causes. I’d love to hear someone’s theories or thoughts on this.
Perhaps a shift in what is considered awe and wonder is needed. Perhaps awe and wonder manifest themselves differently for those who have depression. Perhaps we have locked in the idea that awe and wonder feel one particular way or look one particular way. Maybe people with depression experience and exhibit awe and wonder differently than expected, but I don’t think that makes their awes any less awesome or their wonder any less wonderful.