Modern Heroes: Astronauts
How the story of the space program can shift the way we think about our mundane problems
A few years ago I came across one of the most fascinating learnings in my life. It’s called The Overview Effect.
Based on a book of the same name, by Frank White, the Overview Effect refers to an unfathomable shift of consciousness astronauts go through once they break into space.
It goes like this:
Back in the mid-1400s, the grand navigators were the heroes of our time. People who ventured into the unknown, literally navigating uncharted territories for the sake of discoveries that pushed the boundaries of humanity.
In modern history, that role has been occupied by astronauts. Men and women driven enough to detach themselves from emotional and material ties in favor of advancing our species.
Think about it for a second.
The journey of an astronaut primarily is comprised of a life-long preparation to be launched into space, and this isn’t just any feat. It is an ultra-risky business. Back at the beginning of the space exploration, when we had a fraction of today’s technology, the risk was even higher.
Thus, every astronaut is nurtured in this absurd reality of confronting death. They have to develop an emotional capacity to withstand the burden of losing everything and everyone.
Their curiosity and willingness to discover the mysteries revolving around our existence are the drivers pushing them forward. A deep inquiry and a selfless mind, coupled with a dose of altruism and a commitment to species. As I like to say, a display of some of the highest forms of Augmented Humanity.
At launch, an astronaut has internally worked a goodbye to it all, even if in practice he/she only verbalized a “so long.” Next, they are slingshot into the atmosphere, and for the next 5–8 min, their lives are on a thin line. Any short circuit can result in immediate death.
Suddenly, everything changes.
The sky turns pitch black, gravity is gone, and an eternal silence takes over. Everything about life as we know it has surrealistically changed 180 degrees, to the extent that it’s hard to believe their eyes.
But the more important point is that the now orbiting astronaut has survived death.
He/she has surpassed the risk of losing it all and, at least for now, not only they kept life as it is, but their very realities have been transformed in paradoxical ways. It feels like rebirth.
They look out the window and all they see is a vastness of blue. Our beautiful watery planet takes of the entire view — and breath. For days, as they circle around Earth, their concept of who we really are will be forever changed.
After a few laps around the planet, they become familiarized with what until then was foreign. They recognize the other different continents, oceans, and city lights at night, developing a capacity affectionately relate to what was other.
From space, astronauts quickly learn that borders don’t exist and that we are nothing but one group of humans who happen to inhabit the same locality.
However, the Overview Effect is far from ending here.
In his book, Frank White instills a distinction which at first sight isn’t necessarily obvious. Based on dozens of interviews with astronauts from across decades of space exploration, his research revealed that the farther away from Earth the missions went, more were astronauts impacted by a shift in perspective.
This became clear during the lunar missions, where they looked at Earth in the background, as a sole blue dot hanging in the immensity of space.
That was the shift.
Ripple Effect
First-person testimonies supported by iconic shots such as the one above helped us collectively understand what was really at stake. We were able to grasp the fragility of our planet and became aware of the impact of human activity on nature.
Long proposed general systems theories were validated, and soon we realized that we had to change. Indeed we are all part of one big organism named Earth — hence the environmentalist movement was born.
In some developmental theories, this moment represented a shift in our collective consciousness. Humanity was never the same, nor was our awareness, and paradigm shifts like these don’t happen so often. Another example was the advent of the internet, a couple of decades later, that changed everything — yet again.
A few decades later, after the decline of governmental agencies that until then carried the financial burden behind space exploration, and their recent renaissance via partnerships with private entities, I feel like these stories have somehow lost traction in the grand scheme of things.
With International Space Station and multi-nation partnerships funding several launches from all around the planet on a yearly basis, little room has been left to give the importance of what the Overview Effect really means, and what it can indeed do for us at an individual level.
A healthy perspective on our individual issues
The transformation experienced by astronauts in space serves as a role model to inspire each one of us to take on different perspectives on our routine and the mundane problems that we feel bothered by every day.
From a macro level, it’s safe to say that the Overview Effect fundamentally changed the lives of humans who were brave enough to face death, experience a rebirth outside of Earth, and return to tell their story.
At a micro level, however, it can be simpler than this. You don’t have to face death to experience something similar — although I could argue the importance of doing it. You can go great lengths by simply staying open and curious.
More often than not, we spend our time immersed in our own individualities. We get consumed by our problems, our minds tend to live in a constant state of recollection of our past or prediction of our future. This is our internal chatter.
We ruminate about our issues and ambitions at work or the things we need to fix or buy for our house. We think about our health and how we want to look. We over-identify with what we seek to accomplish and feel bad when it seems like we’re not doing enough (when are we, really?).
We crave affection and question the relationships we’re in. We get excited about travel plans, and sad about the people we lost in our lives. We spend a great deal of time looking inward.
Welcome to the Ego-Centric Self.
We don’t spend the entirety of our time, however, in what I call “vibrating at this level of consciousness.” Occasionally, we shift into a different order of awareness, for example when we worry about our families, or about a community we identify with.
When we think about is happening to our country, or even when we meet someone who roots for the same football team, and we talk about the game last night, we’re always stepping in and out groups, depending on the moment we’re in.
We’re continually bridging between the different identities we hold.
Every time we identify with a group or collective which we see ourselves as a part of, we fundamentally focus on a higher order of problems — problems that are larger than our own individual ones.
For instance: when you ponder about how your firm is generating revenue, over how you’re meeting your bonus. This is the state of the Ethno-Centric Self.
When you speak on behalf of a group you belong to, you have steered your order of consciousness, because you have included others in your concerns, in your hopes, or in your challenges.
Turn on the TV, and you will be blasted with news from all over the planet. Sadly, most of what makes international news these days come from disagreements between nations. This is a clear example of an overemphasis on ethnocentrism, which at first sight might protect the interest of a particular country, but in the long run, hinders the well-being of our species.
Think of the withdrawal of the USA from the Paris agreement.
In the global economy, most leaders have chosen to prioritize their countries over our species. As a consequence, we are all dealing with world issues such as the climate, refugee crisis, social inequity, or plastic in the oceans.
When you think about such issues, you’re taking a global perspective. You are vibrating at a World-Centric Self level. When astronauts went outside of Earth, they experienced this sense of unity.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but being able to gravitate toward world centrism is not only crucial to our species survival but soothing to our Ego-Centric issues.
This is what you can try
If you want to give a shot at experiencing different how levels of consciousness might affect the way you think about your own issues, this is safe to try:
First, identity with your Ego-Centric Self. It means you, your thoughts and feelings about you in your life. Fill in the blanks:
- I am challenged by…
- I enjoy…
- What I notice is…
Next, identify with a group or ethnicity that you see yourself as a part of. It can be your country, your organization, or the people from in interest groups. Complete the sentences:
- I am concerned that we…
- I am proud of…
- I hope that we…
Lastly, time to go big. Identify with the World-Centric Self, and all of its vastness. Complete the following:
- I am aware that…
- I am challenged by…
- I hope that…
This practice isn’t aimed at having us vibrate at a global level all the time — we’d drop all of our personal commitments if we did that. It’s about vacillating back-and-forth in a healthy way.
The moment when we take part in group or global issues, we have a chance to experience calm in relation to our own problems. It’s merely a matter of magnitude.
And it’s not uncommon to feel a bit ashamed for worrying too much about our (now in perspective) petty things. Integrating and working out of shame toward proactivity is a key step in advancing our level of consciousness.
