There are certain situations that seem to touch a deep part of the human brain.
I’ve observed universal, seemingly hardwired responses to certain experiences:
- Campfires
- Sunsets
- Eclipses
- Big water (oceans and lakes)
- Rainbows
- The smells of spring and rainstorms
Experiencing these and other natural experiences can feel soul-settling: they bring you into the present moment and space. It’s part of why so many people are drawn to camping, hiking, and other ways of communing with nature.
What else is on your list?
For me, transcendent art feels like it falls naturally onto that list. Great architecture, sculpture, and painting can all inspire the deep satisfaction that makes my soul settle.
And no art does it as much for me as vocal music. Hearing a group singing, or singing with a group, centers me as much as watching a sunset over Lake Michigan (what I’m doing now).
This affirms to me that singing together is as natural as a rainstorm, as human as building a fire.