The science of awe

We’re awe-inspired

Awe is what brought us to Tahoe. It’s why we stayed. It’s what we want to share.

A hiker sitting on granite, watching a wall of cloud turn orange over the ridge
A deep blue alpine lake held in white granite below the Sierra crest
A woman standing on water so still it mirrors her and the mountains behind
A small sailboat crossing Lake Tahoe under a sky burning orange at sunset
A full moon rising into a pink sky above the snow-streaked ridge across the lake
A paddleboarder crossing Lake Tahoe on a morning calm enough to mirror the clouds
A sailboat anchored in a turquoise cove below Jeffrey pines
A wooden pier running out into flat water at first light

Ever had an experience that gives you that amazing, goose-bumpy, humbling feeling that makes you feel you’re part of something bigger and somehow puts everything in perspective? It can get triggered in lots of ways: the grandeur of nature, great art or music, or being part of a crowd that’s all connected as one. Think of an incredible concert.

Those are awe-inspired moments. And experiencing awe is actually really good for us. It’s one of the few human emotions shown to quiet self-focus, ease stress, free us from the loneliness epidemic and reconnect us to what really matters. It makes people feel more generous, more connected, more cooperative, and quicker to notice someone else’s needs and want to help.

Tahoe’s world-class awe

Dr. Paul Piff, a social psychologist, and his research team at UC Irvine have spent years studying the social effects of experiencing awe. In 2025, Piff’s team picked the most awe-inducing place they could find, Lake Tahoe, and put it to the test, running studies with more than 1,000 participants around the lake. The results were, well, awe-inspiring.

A walker stopped at the edge of a still alpine lake below the Sierra crest at first light

Seven studies. 1,000 people. One lake.

After spending 2 minutes taking in the beauty of Lake Tahoe, people felt

Measured across seven studies run around the lake, using Tahoe experiences from two minutes long upward.

more feelings of awe against two minutes on their phone

70%

happier overall

33%

more interested in protecting the environment

20%

more gratitude after a short lakeside hike

14%

more connected to the world

12%

Seven studies, more than 1,000 participants, conducted around Lake Tahoe in the summer of 2025 by Dr. Paul Piff and his team at the University of California, Irvine. Read the full study at Visit Lake Tahoe

Spreading the awe

We don’t think drinking Tahoe Teas will trigger the same experience you have when you see Emerald Bay for the first time. Our hope is that when you take a moment to enjoy one of our unique, Tahoe-inspired blends it will remind you of awe-inspired moments you’ve had in the past or hope to in the future, and trigger some of those same amazing, awe-inspired feelings that we all need a little more of every day.

Want to learn more about the power of awe? Watch Dr. Piff’s docuseries, Beyond Awestruck, on OutsideTV.