Reflections on Solar Eclipse and Wonder
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On August 21, 2017, I had the privilege of observing to total Solar Eclipse from 6000 feet elevation in Jackson Hole, WY. It was a wondrous experience, in the most genuine sense of the word.
At the instant when totality clicked into place, I spontaneously uttered, “Wow,” as did so many of my fellow viewers, a collective “awesome.” It literally took my breath away, as few experiences have in my life. I was reminded of the wisdom, “The measure of one’s life is not in how many breaths are taken, but how many times your breath is taken away!” I guess in that moment, my life measured up.
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Wonder is a uniquely human experience. Wonder is to be awed, inspired and/or emotionally moved. Wonder is usually triggered by an event, an encounter that is perceived as sacred, mysterious, and admirable. Wonder usually catches us by surprise. It comes to us as something serendipitous. Humans have a unique capacity, even need for wonder.
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Our human ancestors responded with a mixture of fear and wonder in the face of astronomical phenomena like solar eclipses. “The mysterium tremendun et fascinas” is Latin for the tremendous, overwhelming mystery that elicits trembling even as it attracts us in a compelling way. Wonder and fear coexist together. Wonder and fear blended together led to worship. In modern times, science has taken the fear out of wonder. No one on the mountain side in Jackson, WY that August morning was afraid of that the sun would not return. Some people say that science undermines wonder (and faith), but I think that science deepens wonder by eliminating the fear, leaving only pure wonder.
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The experience of a total solar eclipse is humbling. I felt a bit small, insignificant, and childlike. I was reminded that we are creatures in this world, connected to all other creatures. I was reminded that we are a part of the natural world, not the master of it.
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At the same time, wonder makes us curious. We are curious to know more about this solar eclipse, how did this event occur, what are the mechanics, logistics of the event. We want to look behind the magician’s screen. It is interesting that we use the word “wonder” as a verb in this regard. “I wonder what that means…I wonder if there is more…I wonder how that works.” Wonder evokes curiosity in us. Wonder gives birth to science. I might even say, spirituality undergirds science.
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Humans need wonder, as surely as we need food, water, sleep, security and meaningful work. We do not get our need for wonder met naturally because we no longer live in a natural environment like our ancestors. So instead, we marvel at tall buildings, magic shows, new special effects in movies, and even the fireworks on Independence Day. But there is something artificial and unfulfilling about these “wow” experiences, compared to more genuine wonder experienced in a total solar eclipse. In modern culture, wonder has degraded into entertainment. We look for our “wow” experiences in the world of entertainment, in particular in what is novel, new, unexpected, and sensational.
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Many of the wait staff in restaurants where I live are young people, who sometimes speak in a language all their own. Lately, I have noticed that everything is “Awesome!” I find the overuse of this term to be fascinating. Is my order of Salmon for dinner awesome? Certainly, a cheapen of the word and concept of “awe” and “wonder.” Maybe the over use of this term, is a subtle reference to the absence of wonder in modern life.
If humans have spiritual needs, and if wonder is one of those needs, and if that need is not getting nourished in healthy and appropriate ways in modern technological society, can we say that the deficit of genuine wonder in modern life, has created a disease. If a vitamin deficit creates symptoms, what might the deficit of genuine wonder in modern lives look like? What are the symptoms of a wonder deficiency? Boredom, addictions of very kinds, cynicism. What is the cure? A return to nature?
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Scott Sullender