An astronaut shared the 'enormous lie' he discovered upon viewing the Earth from space.
It's a spectacle only a few are privy to — enjoying a glimpse of our planet from the International Space Station or an orbiting spacecraft.
Seeing our world from that view is bound to put things into perspective, and make you question life back on solid ground. And that's exactly what happened to one cosmonaut during his time up above.
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who made history by becoming the first human to travel to space over 63 years ago in 1961.
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Once there, he experienced what scientists now refer to as the 'overview effect' — a cognitive shift that some astronauts report having experienced while viewing Earth from space.
Scientists say the effect causes an overwhelming appreciation and connection to other people and to Earth as a whole, potentially changing the observer's own value system.
The effect is known to make all worldly worries seem totally insignificant as the astronaut views the Earth as one united planet.
Another astronaut who experienced this phenomenon is Ron Garan who spent 178 days in space.
Talking to Big Think, Garan said: “When I looked out the window of the International Space Station, I saw the paparazzi-like flashes of lightning storms, I saw dancing curtains of auroras that seemed so close it was as if we could reach out and touch them. And I saw the unbelievable thinness of our planet's atmosphere.
“In that moment, I was hit with the sobering realization that that paper-thin layer keeps every living thing on our planet alive.
“I saw an iridescent biosphere teeming with life, I didn't see the economy. But since our human-made systems treat everything, including the very life-support systems of our planet, as the wholly owned subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vantage point of space that we're living a lie.”
Garan's experience certainly did change his perspective on life. Since returning to Earth he's dedicated his time to turning people's attention away from the economy and towards the planet.
It's not just astronauts and cosmonauts who have experienced this overwhelming effect though. Actor William Shatner also wrote about a similar experience when he traveled to space: "It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered.
“The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness. Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna … things that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly we will never see them again because of the interference of mankind.”
Incredibly, environmental issues seem to be most prominently pushed to the front of peoples' minds upon viewing Earth from space.