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Imaginary worlds are awesome: Awe provides a key to understanding the individual and social functions of imaginary worlds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Sean P. Goldy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USAsgoldy@uci.edu ppiff@uci.eduhttps://paulpiff.wixsite.com/meshlab
Paul K. Piff
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USAsgoldy@uci.edu ppiff@uci.eduhttps://paulpiff.wixsite.com/meshlab

Abstract

Awe arises when one experiences something so extraordinary that it defies current understanding, prompting efforts to comprehend the initially incomprehensible. We situate awe within Dubourg and Baumard's framework for the prevalence and psychological underpinnings of imaginary worlds. We argue that imaginary worlds are powerful catalysts of awe, which, in turn, drive important individual and social outcomes.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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