You can only imagine the things going through the minds of astronauts when they have a bird’s-eye view of our planet from space – but I reckon “it’s a long way down” might be a leading contender.
But former NASA space cadet Ron Garan, 62, had only one thing in mind… “sobering” that we Earthlings are “living a lie.”
And no, it’s not like the Flat Earth Brigade has been right all along. It’s actually something lots of more convincing.
Just put yourself in Garan’s spacesuit for a second and imagine what he was thinking when he had an unobstructed view of our globe and experienced what is known as the “overview effect.”
For those who don’t know, the term described the cognitive shift that many astronauts experience when looking at Earth as they float through space—which the researchers equated to “a state of wonder with self-transcending qualities.”
This phenomenon can produce an “unexpected and overwhelming emotion” for those brave enough to scream aboard the rocket, which, to be honest, shouldn’t be that surprising.
I mean, he’s seeing something that only a few mortals ever get – I’m pretty sure I’d be in my feelings too.
That’s exactly what Garan had when he spent 178 days in space and traveled more than 71 million miles in 2,842 orbits during his NASA career.
With the unique worldview he gained from his time on the International Space Station (ISS), he drew some very interesting conclusions about our way of life when viewed from the window.
In an interview with Big Think, the New Yorker said he realized that the things most people worry about aren’t a big deal after all — but we should be many more concerned about global warming, deforestation and biodiversity loss.
NASA astronaut Ron Garan woke up in space (ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Discussing what he witnessed, Garan explained, “When I looked out the window of the International Space Station, I saw paparazzi-like flashes of storms, I saw dancing curtains of the aurora that seemed so close we could reach out. and touching them.
“And I saw the incredibly thin atmosphere of our planet. At that moment I was struck with the sobering realization that this paper-thin layer keeps all living things on our planet alive.”
“I saw a rainbow biosphere teeming with life. I didn’t see an economy. But because our human-made systems treat everything, including the life support systems of our planet itself, like a wholly owned subsidiary of the global economy, it is clear from the vantage point of space that we live in lies.”
Looks like Elon Musk needs to sort out the SpaceX rocket quickly so we can all see for ourselves.
“From the perspective of the universe, it’s obvious we’re living a lie,” Garan continued. “We have to move from thinking economy, society, planet to planet, society, economy. Then we will continue our evolutionary process.”
“That’s where the light bulb goes off where they realize how interconnected and interdependent we all are.”
A 62-year-old man returned to Earth with a new perspective after experiencing the ‘overview effect’ (Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
Since getting his feet back on solid ground, Garan has been passionate about caring for our planet while encouraging people to stand up to each other in the rat race that is modern life.
“We will not have peace on Earth until we recognize the fundamental fact of the interconnected structure of all reality,” Garan added — and he’s not alone in this thought process.
Astronaut Michael Collins, who piloted Apollo 11, said he was struck by how “fragile” and “small” the Earth appeared, while Edgar Mitchell of Apollo 14 said the experience gave him an “explosion of consciousness”.