DVG

Do you know what is Overview effect!?

Well, it is profound! Just as the astronauts who were stranded in ISS for nine months are coming back soon; they all would have faced this effect looking at the Earth from above!

The feeling that our planet is just a simple fragile speck in the whole Universe!

That is called the Overview effect!

The overview effect is a cognitive shift reported by some astronauts while viewing the Earth from space.

Researchers have characterized the effect as “a state of awe with self-transcendent qualities, precipitated by a particularly striking visual stimulus”.

The most prominent common aspects of personally experiencing the Earth from space are appreciation and perception of beauty, unexpected and even overwhelming emotion, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole!

The effect can cause changes in the observer’s self concept and value system, and can be transformative.

Of course you do not have to spend nine months in the ISS to get these effect! If you face a life changing experience then you would start to realise that fact life is so fragile that you must enjoy and take care of it as much as possible! You must appreciate the small things in life which are actually the best!

For many people, a regular office job with a steady salary and more or less steady health is Utopia!

The effect on astronauts seems to take hold of astronauts regardless of culture or nation of origin and it has been observed that cultural differences, including differences in religious and social identity, affect the ways in which the effect is experienced and interpreted.

Author Frank White, who in the 1980s coined the term overview effect after interviewing many astronauts, said that the overview effect is “beyond words”, requiring experience to understand, even likening it in this regard to Zen Buddhism!

He said that astronauts’ very first views of the planet were generally very significant, adding that some experience the effect “in a moment” while in others it grows over time; and generally that the effect “does accumulate”.

Of course not all astronauts experience the overview effect.
This is true for professional astronauts, who are focused on their missions—versus people who have recently been going into space “with an intention to have an experience” and who may already be aware of the overview effect. Also it depends on the time of stay which can have a profound effect on the feeling of the finite nature of life!

Of course many state that it may actually a mental disorder stating that the effect embodies a natural imperative for humans to pursue space travel and colonization! In fact there is a concern that a perception of having achieved a new level of enlightenment can cause a feeling of ‘divine experience’ which can actually lead to what some call the “overlord effect” akin to some spiritual guru having a divine transformation!

Then again, it is better to not over analyse things too much and just be happy that they are coming back! Just remember that seeing our home against the blackness of space is a profound experience that leads to a greater appreciation for Earth and its apparent fragility, and a deep connection to humanity as a whole!

And this is a feeling for anyone who has been away from his or her family for a long time! For them simply spending time with their family is pure bliss! Bliss is also listening to music and for some listening to poetry! Which reminds me of the legendary
Devanahalli Venkataramanaiah Gundappa, popularly known as DVG! Celebrate his birth anniversary by reading couple of his great works and you will feel bliss and sleep well!

Shubh ratri!