Each solar eclipse feels just as intense as the last, he says. “Nothing extraterrestrial, but a hydrant to your fundamental humanity. Emotions run high. Tears fall. I don’t know what happened, but it meant something.”
It’s not just makeup pieces. Those who stand on the path of completeness, where the Moon completely overshadows the Sun, regularly report strong emotional outbursts and lingering awe. This heightened emotional state is said to not only open us to the wonders of the universe, but also make us more curious and feel connected to others in the universe.
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Psychological effects of awe during a solar eclipse
“This is a human event, not just for astronomers. We all need to experience it,” eclipse tracker Kate Russo said of the total solar eclipse that will occur on April 8. Masu. “You don’t need to know anything about it to feel that overwhelming sense of awe.”
Russo has used his work as a clinical psychologist to study the profound effects of solar eclipses on humans and has written several books on the subject, including “Being in the Shadow.”
Like Makepeace, when Russo’s first total solar eclipse occurred in 1999, she immediately knew it was a life-changing event and she had to see it again. Since then, she has followed the moon’s shadow from Madagascar to the Galapagos Islands to Mongolia, witnessing a total of 11 total solar eclipses.
