10/11/2025
Children are fluent in mystery.
They speak it in symbols, dreams, imaginary friends, shadow play, and whispered questions at bedtime. They don’t require neat answers—they’re more comfortable sitting with wonder than most adults. What we sometimes call “magical thinking” is, in many ways, a natural neurological state—an integration of imagination, emotion, and early meaning-making.
It’s not just charming—it’s important.
In developmental neuroscience, awe and wonder are associated with the default mode network, the brain’s hub of internal reflection, identity formation, and creativity. Studies suggest that experiences of awe (whether in nature, music, or mystical experience) can reduce ego, increase prosocial behaviour, and support a sense of connection beyond the self.
In other words, when a child is entranced by the night sky, invents invisible creatures, or asks you, “Where were we before we were born?”—they aren’t being “silly.” They are profoundly human.
Yet our adult response to mystery often leans toward explanation, correction, or “realism.” But what if our role isn’t to dispel the mystery—but to hold space for it?
This is especially important today, when children’s imaginative lives are being squeezed by fast-paced digital inputs, reduced unstructured time, and pressure to mature too quickly. What would it look like to protect mystery as a developmental need?
✨ Read more about the top 8 things we can learn from our children on our blog here:
https://neuro.now/lived_experience/what-you-can-learn-from-your-children/
References:
https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Awe_FINAL.pdf