The Overview Effect
I wonder what it’s like to look at earth from space right now? I wonder if you’d notice anything different from this time last year, and whether I’d be able to make any sense of what I saw.
As we get to grips with different tiers and work out how and who we’ll spend our Christmas with, I wonder what a trip to space would do to our sense of perspective?
I read recently about something called ‘The Overview Effect’. It describes the experience that many astronauts have when first seeing earth from space. They oftentimes describe the experience as ‘mystical’ and ‘marvellous’, having a profound effect on their perception of the world, it’s borders and it’s fragility. I imagine been all the way ‘up there’ can’t help but alter your sense of what’s really important.
Such is the profundity of ‘The Overview Effect’, that various people have sought to reproduce it here on earth, with one study launched last year at the University of Missouri, setting out to immerse willing participants in a tank full of salt water and a VR headset and then measure the effects. I don’t recommend trying this at home!
A less extreme version of such an experiment might be to simply stop and consider your current situations from some different perspectives. As you consider your decisions over the next month, why not use these questions to help you:
In 6 months time, what will have been important to have done in this next month?
Six months ago, what advice would I give myself now about this next month?
What would my ‘best self’ say to me about this next month?
What would my most faithful cheerleader say to me about this next month?
If there were no expectations/obligations on me, what would I do in this next month?
What would an astronaut looking down at my life say to me about the next month?
Article by Ben Harper
Ben is Space to Breathe’s Wellbeing Lead. You can continue a conversation with him on Twitter @wellbeingteach