It is a matter of walking into a submarine and passing through some unseen barrier in which your senses start bending their own laws. The old song of ordinary life is lost; in its place comes a gentle mechanical beat of the heart which directs the ship down the water. The first thought that goes into your mind is that you are no longer in a world you can control instinctively or by habit. The body is adapted to lower light, lower temperature, and the low shiver of the hull on the point of submersion. This is the point of awakening the initial wave of awe, since the brain feeds on new things. It opens its eyes, when thrown into the environment not of ordinary experience, to a kind of elevation of awareness, with nothing left to take. Every breath becomes heavier, every note is clearer, and every second is as long as a ribbon, which does not want to break. As the descent sets in, you become more sensitized, start thinking more, and expecting more.
The Descent Response
As the submarine stops being on the surface, the brain undergoes a process known by researchers as cognitive expansion. The pressure changes, the filtered blue light, and the weird stillness speak directly to the emotional centers. This drives a strong internal silence that causes all things to slow down as though time had decided to keep time with you. The fall causes a cocktail of neurotransmitters that bring about suspense and serenity. Your mind is as open as the ocean, and the mind is taking on a sort of meditative rhythm, which still becomes deeper and deeper as you get away from the surface.
Awe in the Deep
One only gets awe when the ocean engulfs you in its great and breathing cathedral. And beyond the little windows, there is the light and the shadows and the streams, and there is a story, which you can only follow. The brain reacts by opening its perceptual window. Your identity becomes diminished a little, not out of fear, but out of humility, like you have been called on to look at something too big to quantify. The cortex of analysis, the prefrontal cortex, loosens its hold, and emotion and interest take over. This gives the floating sensation that many people talk about, which is the feeling that the mind has slackened its borders. Awe is a type of mental melting that opens the door to new thoughts and feelings, whose entry is easy.
Calm Through Immersion
It gets progressively less exciting the deeper the submarine goes, and this serenity spreads over your nervous system. The sea serves as a filter of the senses, as it deadens the world beyond its walls until only the unchanging silence is left. To compensate for this silence, the vagus nerve slows your heartbeat and lessens brain chatter. The submarine is like a cocoon in which stress is overcome. You are suspended in a timeless world, and your mind puts itself in a new pattern about that strange peace. This quietness underwater forms a refuge of contemplation, which provokes more expansive and more generous thoughts than normal ones.
The Brain’s Curiosity Switch
The mystery of the ocean adds to the human interest in the underwater world since the sea only conceals rather than discloses. All shadows promise something, and every movement stirs a query. Hippocampus, the seat of memory, discovery, is sparked by this feeling of mystery. It takes the underwater world like a treasure box that is to be opened. This interest connects to the reward system, and in response, there is a discharge of little pumps of dopamine that leaves you feeling alert, active, and interested in what you are watching. The submarine window is made into a gate, and your head starts plotting the new shapes, colors, and movement that you have never seen before. Curiosity provides a stretch of attention and maintains awe all the way through.
Perspective Shift
It is the natural way of a submarine trip to promote the widest view. The space of the ocean makes your brain remember that the world is bigger, weirder, richer than life, since it is possible to experience it in ordinary life. This change has psychological rewards. Individuals have been known to be more affiliated with nature, more accepting of fresh concepts, and appreciative of the experience. The brain loosens the hold on the self-centered thinking that it usually has and takes on a more exploratory approach. This submerged world is turned into a mirror that shows the insignificance of us and the amazingness of the world. This point of view can still be present even after the submarine has reappeared.
Resurfacing and Integration
The experience is now being sewn into memory as you come up to the surface again. The falling back into deep blue and then back to daylight is a gentle awakening. The fear that you felt slips into peaceful contemplation as the hippocampus imprints the experience as a valued experience. The world up could be a little different since getting out of the depths, so it seems that its edges are clearer and its color is deeper.
FAQs
What evokes a sense of wonder in a sub?
The unrecognized submerged space triggers the emotional and sensory stimuli.
Why do individuals feel relaxed under the water?
The constant calm of the ocean reduces stress in the brain.
Is there a greater depth of response in the brain?
More profound settings enhance concentration, interest, and emotional clarity.
Why is the underwater viewing dreamy?
The decreased sensory states produce an illusory condition of the mind.
Will awe underwater enhance moods?
Yes, awe liberates neurotransmitters, which boost emotional well-being.
