Awe
A response to something perceived as vast, overwhelming one's current frame of understanding — combining high valence with a genuine cognitive frame-shift.
How it shows up
Awe tends to arrive before the very large or the very intricate: a night sky, a storm, a cathedral, a mathematical proof, a newborn. People often fall quiet, feel small, and sometimes describe chills. Research suggests awe can shift attention away from the self and toward others, though findings vary across studies. What sets it apart is the sense that one's usual frame of understanding has to stretch to take something in.
How it differs from Wonder
Wonder is curious delight at the unexplained; awe involves a vastness that overwhelms your usual frame of understanding.
Notice
Notice the last time something felt too large to fit inside your usual way of seeing.
Where it is felt
Felt most in the chest, face and whole body.
Based on Nummenmaa et al. (2014), bodily maps of emotions, and related research. The map shows where people report bodily sensation, on average; individual experience varies.