This article originally appeared in Psychology Today.
Being awed by the wonderment of nature is a breathtaking experience that can send blissful shivers down your spine.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature's awesome power is increasingly marked by terror and destruction. Whether the environment inspires eudaimonia or intimidation, the awe experienced during "wow!" moments in nature never fails to remind us that there's something much bigger and more powerful than we are in the universe.
I was reminded of nature's "shock and awe" capacity throughout the night of Sept. 1-2, 2021. Hurricane Ida whipped through my Massachusetts hometown in the wee hours of the morning, dumping record-breaking amounts of rain overnight. We were relatively lucky; nobody died near where I live.