Wonder
Curiosity intensified by something that exceeds ordinary explanation, without Awe's overwhelming scale.
pleasantmoderate activation
How it shows up
Wonder often shows up in front of a spider's web, a magic trick, a child's question, or an elegant idea. It combines puzzlement with pleasure and an urge to look closer or ask how. It seems to keep people open to learning. Wonder is usually gentler than awe; it can live comfortably at small scales, without the overwhelming vastness that awe tends to involve.
How it differs from Awe
Wonder can be found at small scales and invites closer looking; awe involves a vastness that overwhelms your usual frame.
Notice
Notice the small things that still make you ask how they work.
Where it is felt
Felt most in the chest, face and head.
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.