How the solar eclipse may affect the brain and bring people together

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How the solar eclipse may affect the brain and bring people together

You are currently viewing How the solar eclipse may affect the brain and bring people together

Awe-inspiring cosmological events can powerfully influence our psychology.

The date is 28 May, 585 BC, in what is now present-day Anatolia in Turkey. The Medes, an ancient people from modern-day Iran, and the Lydians – a kingdom from the south of modern-day Turkey – have been fighting for six years. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the war shows little sign of ending, with neither side making significant progress. It will  to end the bloodshed.

“Just as the battle was growing warm, day was of sudden changed into night,” Herodotus . “The Medes and Lydians, when they observed the change, ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to have terms of peace agreed on.”

We may not see such a dramatic reaction to the total eclipse passing across  this year, but recent research suggests it may nevertheless have  – by evoking the emotion of awe.

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There are few events more awe-striking than the series of celestial coincidences that allow us to experience a total solar eclipse. It relies on the Moon being the exact size and distance from Earth, and in the right orbit to pass in front of the Sun and completely block out its light for a few moments. Witnessing such an astonishing event could, according to the research, inspire us all to find greater humility and care for others.

“People may be more affiliative – they may say that they have closer social ties with others – and they feel more connected to their community,” says Sean Goldy, a psychologist at Johns Hopkins University, who has investigated the psychological effects of the 2017 eclipse.

The shock of immensity

Long neglected by scientific study, awe has become  in the past two decades. It is defined as a sense of wonder and amazement, triggered by a perception of vastness that leaves us feeling small in comparison.

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