Exploring the Role of Awe in Architecture as a Pain Disruptor- A Call for New Research

Chronic pain is a widespread and complex phenomenon, driven by a diverse range of factors. Pain management has become a significant concern over the past several decades in the United States as controversy has grown surrounding the use of opioids for chronic pain management, the use of which has led to abuse and addiction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 128 people die in the United States every day from an opioid overdose, whether obtained illicitly or by prescription. While opioids remain one of the frontline methods for pain management, their long term safety and efficacy has come under scrutiny. As with any complex systemic issue, there are many contributing factors to chronic pain and pain management. This paper proposes that the experience of awe – specifically elicited by design of the built environment – can serve as an innovative, non-pharmacological pain management tool. Awe is an emotional response to perceptually vast stimuli, precipitating accommodation or a shift in existing mental structures. The author hypothesizes that awe can be used as a form of the proven self-regulating pain management method known as reappraisal. Pain reappraisal is cognitive reframing of the context and meaning of pain, changing the value that pain is assigned and resulting in decreased pain perception. This paper explores the pertinent intersection of emotions, neuroscience, and the impact of the physical environment on our health and wellbeing. The intention of this paper is to call for a new line of research and does not attempt to address methods or results at this time.