http://www.upworthy.com/some-strange-things-are-happening-to-astronauts-returning-to-earth?g=4
This video may seem a bit off topic with what we are currently discussing in the class, but I hope that you all watch it anyway. It contains some amazing interviews with ex-astronauts describing the “overview effect.” This is a term used to describe an emotional self-awareness of our complete unity and interconnectedness with everything in the universe. Not surprisingly, most ex-astronauts claim to have experienced the overview effect while viewing Earth from outer space. It is also interesting to find that the perspectives these cosmic explorers describe closely match the ideas of savikalpa samadhi, a similar meditative state mind that has been practiced by Eastern cultures for thousands of years.
Though this topic could more easily be related to the ideas we discussed in the first unit of this class, such as the paradigms of unity, complexity, and harmony, as well as physics and metaphysics, I still think that we can apply it to our current discussions of revolutions in science and technology. I believe many of us would consider space exploration to be a scientific or technological revolution (or at least the later-emergent result of such a revolution). Human space exploration has spanned from the first satellites to men walking on the moon and robots roving around the surface of Mars. These are all obviously huge scientific feats, the development of which required new shifts in how we think about and use science and technology. On those scientific grounds, I feel like I could safely say that space exploration is revolutionary. But what about also in the social spectrum?
As discussed in the video, the overview effect is something immensely strong which has changed these individuals’ outlooks on life – especially in how we treat all connected living beings, including our fragile planet, “spaceship Earth.” The video also discusses how even the images of Earth taken from outer space have psychologically affected many humans here who have not been lucky enough to see the direct view of our planet from space. If the emotions evoked by similar images, videos, personal stories, artwork, or just the very ideas of human space exploration can have this strong of an impact on individual lives – if this “overview” mindset can directly cause many people to live their lives differently than they had before – does that mean that space exploration can also be viewed as a revolution in society? Or if you cannot consider our current space exploration as being revolutionary to society, might it lead to such a social revolution in the future if more and more people begin to change the way they live because of their direct or indirect experiences with human space exploration and the overview effect?
"if this “overview” mindset can directly cause many people to live their lives differently than they had before – does that mean that space exploration can also be viewed as a revolution in society?" -- I think it could be, to the extent that it causes people to realize we are interconnected on a finite planet and to start re-structuring our economics etc. accordingly. I do hope humanity takes that clue soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat video, Brandon, thank you! I immediately thought about the scientist, inventor, and classic science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke when he wrote, "It is not easy to see how the more extreme forms of nationalism can long survive when men have seen the Earth in its true perspective as a single small globe against the stars."
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