How we experience awe -- and why it matters | Beau Lotto and Cirque du Soleil

翻译人员: psjmz mz 校对人员: Wanting Zhong

Before I get started:

在开始前我想说：

I'm really excited to be here

我真的很高兴来到这里，

to just actually watch what's going to happen, from here.

可以从这里看到会发生什么。

So with that said, we're going to start with:

那么，我们就这样开始吧：

What is one of our greatest needs,

我们最大的需求是什么，

one of our greatest needs for our brain?

我们大脑最大的一个需求是什么？

And instead of telling you, I want to show you.

不过空口无凭， 我想向你们演示一下。

事实上，我想让你们感受它。

In fact, I want you to feel it.

There's a lot I want you to feel in the next 14 minutes.

在接下来的 14 分钟里， 我想让你们感受很多东西。

那么，请各位站起来，

So, if we could all stand up.

We're all going to conduct a piece of Strauss together.

我们将一起指挥一曲施特劳斯。

Alright? And you all know it.

好吗？你们都知道它。

Alright. Are you ready?

准备好了吗？

Audience: Yeah!

观众：好了！

Beau Lotto: Alright. Ready, one, two, three!

博·洛托： 好的，准备，1，2，3！

It's just the end.

只是结尾部分。

(Music: Richard Strauss "Also Sprach Zarathustra")

(音乐: 理查·施特劳斯 《查拉图斯特拉如是说》)

Right?

对吧？

You know where it's going.

你知道它的走向。

(Music)

（音乐）

Oh, it's coming!

哦，来了！

(Music stops abruptly)

（音乐戛然而止）

Oh!

哦！

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Right?

对吧？

Collective coitus interruptus.

群体性中断。

好了，你们都可以坐下了。

OK, you can all sit down.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We have a fundamental need for closure.

我们对终止有基本的需求。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We love closure.

我们钟爱有始有终。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

I was told the story that Mozart, just before he'd go to bed,

有人告诉过我莫扎特的故事： 在他上床之前，

he'd go to the piano and go,

他会去弹钢琴，

"da-da-da-da-da."

"哒-哒-哒-哒-哒。"

His father, who was already in bed, would think, "Argh."

他已经躺在床上的父亲 会心想，“呃。”

He'd have to get up and hit the final note to the chord

他必须起来，敲完和弦 的最后一个音符，

before he could go back to sleep.

才能继续睡觉。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So the need for closure leads us to thinking about:

对终止的需求让我们思考：

What is our greatest fear?

我们最大的恐惧是什么？

Think -- what is our greatest fear growing up, even now?

想想——什么是我们成长中 最大的恐惧，直到现在还存在？

And it's the fear of the dark.

是对黑暗的恐惧。

We hate uncertainty.

我们讨厌不确定性。

We hate to not know.

我们讨厌一无所知的感觉。

We hate it.

我们讨厌它。

Think about horror films.

想想恐怖电影。

Horror films are always shot in the dark,

恐怖电影总是在黑暗中拍摄，

in the forest,

森林，

at night,

夜晚，

in the depths of the sea,

伴随着大海的深渊，

the blackness of space.

太空的黑暗。

And the reason is because dying was easy during evolution.

原因是在进化过程中 死亡很容易发生。

If you weren't sure that was a predator,

如果你不确定那是个捕食者，

it was too late.

就为时晚矣。

Your brain evolved to predict.

你的大脑进化到会进行预测。

And if you couldn't predict, you died.

如果你无法预测，你就会死亡。

And the way your brain predicts is by encoding the bias and assumptions

你大脑进行预测的方式 是由在过去很有用的

that were useful in the past.

偏见和假设编码成的。

But those assumptions just don't stay inside your brain.

但那些假设不会 只停留在你的大脑中。

You project them out into the world.

你把它们投射到了世界中。

There is no bird there.

那里没有鸟。

You're projecting the meaning onto the screen.

你把意义映射到了屏幕上。

Everything I'm saying to you right now is literally meaningless.

我现在和你说的任何事情 都毫无意义。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You're creating the meaning and projecting it onto me.

是你在创造意义 并把它投射到我身上。

And what's true for objects is true for other people.

对物件是这样， 对他人亦是如此。

While you can measure their "what" and their "when,"

虽说你可以测量他们 的“什么”和“何时”，

you can never measure their "why."

却永远无法评估他们的“为什么”。

So we color other people.

所以我们给他人上色。

We project a meaning onto them based on our biases and our experience.

我们基于我们的偏见和经验 向他们投射意义。

Which is why the best of design is almost always about decreasing uncertainty.

这就是为什么最好的设计 几乎总是在降低不确定性。

So when we step into uncertainty,

于是当我们踏入不确定时，

our bodies respond physiologically and mentally.

我们的身体会在生理 和心理上作做出反应。

Your immune system will start deteriorating.

你的免疫系统开始恶化。

Your brain cells wither and even die.

你的大脑细胞会萎缩甚至死亡。

Your creativity and intelligence decrease.

你的创造力和智商会下降。

We often go from fear to anger, almost too often.

我们常常从恐惧变成愤怒， 实在太常见。

Why? Because fear is a state of certainty.

为什么？因为恐惧是 一种确定的状态。

You become morally judgmental.

你会开始对道义进行评判。

You become an extreme version of yourself.

你会变成你的激进版本。

If you're a conservative, you become more conservative.

如果你是个保守主义者， 你会更加保守。

如果你是个自由主义者， 你会变得更加自由主义。

If you're a liberal, you become more liberal.

Because you go to a place of familiarity.

因为你去到了熟悉的地方。

The problem is that the world changes.

问题在于世界是变化的。

And we have to adapt or die.

我们必须适应或死亡。

And if you want to shift from A to B,

如果你想从 A 变成 B，

the first step is not B.

第一步不是 B。

The first step is to go from A to not A --

第一步是从 A 到非 A——

to let go of your bias and assumptions;

放下你的偏见和假设；

to step into the very place that our brain evolved to avoid;

踏入我们大脑的进化 让我们回避的地方；

to step into the place of the unknown.

去踏入未知的场所。

But it's so essential that we go to this place

但这个地方是如此重要，

that our brain gave us a solution.

我们的大脑已经给出了解决方案。

Evolution gave us a solution.

进化给了我们解决方案。

And it's possibly one of the most profound perceptual experiences.

而这可能是最深刻的 知觉体验之一。

And it's the experience of awe.

也就是对敬畏的体验。

(Music)

（音乐）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

(Music)

（音乐）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

(Music)

（音乐）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

(Music)

（音乐）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

(Cheers)

（欢呼）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Beau Lotto: Ah, how wonderful, right?

博·洛托： 啊，多令人惊叹呀！

So right now, you're probably all feeling, at some level or another, awe.

那么现在，你们可能都体会到了 某种程度的，敬畏。

Right?

是吧？

So what's happening inside your brain right now?

那么我们大脑中 正在发生什么？

And for thousands of years,

在过去几千年间，

we've been thinking and writing and experiencing awe,

我们一直在思考、 书写和体验敬畏，

and we know so little about it.

然而我们对它却知之甚少。

And so to try to understand what is it and what does it do,

所以为了理解它是什么、 它有什么作用，

my Lab of Misfits had just the wonderful opportunity and the pleasure

我的 Misfits 实验室 非常荣幸有机会

to work with who are some of the greatest creators of awe that we know:

与我们知道的一些最伟大 的敬畏创造者一起工作：

the writers, the creators, the directors, the accountants,

作家，创作者，导演和会计师，

the people who are Cirque Du Soleil.

太阳马戏团的人。

And so we went to Las Vegas,

于是我们去了拉斯维加斯，

and we recorded the brain activity of people

在十余场马戏团标志性剧目

while they're watching the performance,

“O” 的演出中，

over 10 performances of "O,"

我们在人们观看表演时

which is iconic Cirque performance.

记录他们的大脑活动。

And we also measured the behavior before the performance,

我们也在演出的前后

as well as a different group after the performance.

分别测量了人们的行为。

And so we had over 200 people involved.

一共有超过 200 人参与其中。

So what is awe?

那么什么是敬畏？

What is happening inside your brain right now?

你的大脑里正在发生什么？

It's a brain state. OK?

它是一种大脑状态。

The front part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex,

你的大脑前部，前额叶皮层，

which is responsible for your executive function,

是负责你的执行功能、

your attentional control,

注意力控制的区域，

is now being downregulated.

它的活动现在正在被下调。

The part of your brain called the DMN, default mode network,

你的大脑中被称作 DMN 的部分， 即默认模式网络，

which is the interaction between multiple areas in your brain,

它负责你大脑中 多个区域之间的交互作用，

which is active during, sort of, ideation,

并在思想、发散思维

creative thinking in terms of divergent thinking and daydreaming,

和白日梦这类创造性思维中 处于活跃状态；

is now being upregulated.

此时它的活动正被上调。

And right about now,

就在现在，

the activity in your prefrontal cortex is changing.

你的前额叶皮层的活动正在变化。

It's becoming asymmetrical in its activity,

它的活动变得不对称，

biased towards the right,

偏向右边，

which is highly correlated when people step forward into the world,

这跟人们走向世界， 而不是后退

as opposed to step back.

呈现高度关联。

In fact, the activity across the brains of all these people was so correlated

实际上，所有这些人的 大脑活动的相关联度如此之高，

that we're able to train an artificial neural network

以致我们能够训练人工神经网络

to predict whether or not people are experiencing awe

去预测人们是否体验到了敬畏，

to an accuracy of 75 percent on average,

准确率平均达到了 75%，

with a maximum of 83 percent.

最高为 83%。

So what does this brain state do?

那么这个大脑状态是做什么的呢？

Well, others have demonstrated,

其他人已经揭示过，

for instance, Professors Haidt and Keltner,

比如海特和凯尔特纳教授，

have told us that people feel small but connected to the world.

告诉我们人们感到渺小 但与世界连接。

And their prosocial behavior increases,

他们的亲社会行为会增加， 【注：帮助他人的行为】

because they feel an increased affinity towards others.

因为他们对别人更有亲近感。

And we've also shown in this study

我们在这项研究中也发现，

that people have less need for cognitive control.

人们对认知控制的需求减少了。

They're more comfortable with uncertainty without having closure.

他们对缺乏结束感的不确定性 更能泰然处之。

And their appetite for risk also increases.

他们对风险的偏好也增加了。

They actually seek risk, and they are better able at taking it.

他们甚至会寻找风险， 并且能更好地承担风险。

And something that was really quite profound

有件意义相当深远的事情，

is that when we asked people,

发生在我们问人们，

"Are you someone who has a propensity to experience awe?"

“你是那种有敬畏倾向的人吗？”

They were more likely to give a positive response

在看完演出后，相比看演出前，

after the performance than they were [before].

他们更可能给出肯定的回答。

They literally redefined themselves and their history.

他们重新定义了自己 和自己的历史。

So, awe is possibly the perception that is bigger than us.

所以敬畏可能是 对“比我们更大”的感知。

And in the words of Joseph Campbell,

用约瑟夫·坎贝尔的话来说， 【注：美国神话学家】

"Awe is what enables us to move forward."

“敬畏使我们前进。”

Or in the words of a dear friend,

或者用一个亲爱的朋友的话来说，

probably one of our greatest photographers,

他可能是我们最伟大的、

still living photographers, Duane Michaels,

仍在世的摄影师之一， 杜安·迈克尔斯，

he said to me just the other day

就在前几天，他对我说，

that maybe it gives us the curiosity to overcome our cowardice.

也许敬畏给了我们 克服胆怯的好奇心。

So who cares? Why should we care?

那么谁会在乎？ 为什么我们应该在乎？

Well, consider conflict,

想想冲突，

which seems to be so omnipresent in our society at the moment.

冲突在我们的当今社会 似乎无处不在。

If you and I are in conflict,

如果你和我处于冲突中，

it's as if we're at the opposite ends of the same line.

这就有点像我们在 同一条直线的两端。

And my aim is to prove that you're wrong and to shift you towards me.

我的目的是证明你错了， 要把你拉到我这边来。

The problem is, you are doing exactly the same.

问题在于，你也在做同样的事情。

You're trying to prove that I'm wrong and shift me towards you.

你在试图证明我错了， 想把我拉到你那边去。

Notice that conflict is the setup to win but not learn.

注意，冲突的格局可以让我们 获胜，却不能让我们学习。

Your brain only learns if we move.

只有我们本人移动， 大脑才会学习。

Life is movement.

生活即是运动。

So, what if we could use awe, not to get rid of conflict --

那么如果我们能使用敬畏， 不是去摆脱冲突——

conflict is essential, conflict is how your brain expands,

冲突是重要的， 冲突是大脑扩展的方式，

it's how your brain learns --

是你大脑学习的方式——

but rather, to enter conflict in a different way?

而是以不同的方式进入冲突呢？

And what if awe could enable us to enter it

如果敬畏能够让我们 用至少两种不同的方式

in at least two different ways?

进入冲突会怎样呢？

One, to give us the humility and courage to not know.

第一，给我们“不知道” 的谦卑和勇气。

Right? To enter conflict with a question instead of an answer.

带着问题而不是答案 去进入冲突。

What would happen then?

然后会发生什么？

To enter the conflict with uncertainty instead of certainty.

带着不确定性而不是 确定性进入冲突。

And the second is, in entering conflict that way,

第二点是，用这种方式进入冲突，

to seek to understand, rather than convince.

去寻求理解而不是说服。

Because everyone makes sense to themselves, right?

因为每个人都觉得自己有理，是吧？

And to understand another person,

而去理解另一个人，

is to understand the biases and assumptions

意味着去理解 导致他们行为的

that give rise to their behavior.

偏差和假设。

And we've actually initiated a pilot study

我们其实开始了一项试点研究，

to look to see whether we could use art-induced awe

想看看我们能否用 艺术引起的敬畏

to facilitate toleration.

去促进宽容。

And the results are actually incredibly positive.

结果是非常积极的。

We can mitigate against anger and hate

我们可以通过体验 由艺术产生的敬畏

through the experience of awe generated by art.

来减轻愤怒和仇恨。

So where can we find awe,

既然敬畏如此重要，

given how important it is?

我们到哪里去寻找它呢？

So, what if ...

如果…

A suggestion:

一个建议：

that awe is not just to be found in the grandeur.

敬畏不仅仅体现在宏伟之中。

Awe is essential.

敬畏是至关重要的。

Often, it's scale -- the mountains, the sunscape.

往往，它是宏大的—— 雄伟的山峦，太阳的景观。

But what if we could actually rescale ourselves

但如果我们能重新审视自己，

and find the impossible in the simple?

并在简单中发现不可能呢？

And if this is true,

如果这是真的，

and our data are right,

并且我们的数据没错，

then endeavors like science,

那么诸如科学、

adventure, art, ideas, love,

冒险、艺术、思想、爱、

a TED conference, performance,

TED 演讲、演出这样的活动

are not only inspired by awe,

不只是受到敬畏的启发，

but could actually be our ladders into uncertainty

更能成为我们进入不确定的阶梯，

to help us expand.

去帮助我们扩展。

Thank you very much.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Please, come up.

请上来。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

(Cheers)

（欢呼）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）