An astronaut who flew in space for 178 days reveals the major "lie" he discovered upon seeing Earth.
Ron Garan's experience in space left him with a completely different outlook when he returned to Earth.
One can only speculate about the kinds of thoughts that race through an astronaut's mind when they have a bird's eye view of our globe from orbit, but "that's a long way down" seems like a strong candidate. However, Ron Garan, 62, a former NASA space cadet, had only one thought—the "sobering realisation" that we humans are "living a lie." It's not the case that the Smooth Planet group was correct all along, either. It's actually something far more interesting.
For a moment, place himself in Garan's spacesuit and try to envision what he was thinking as he saw the "overview effect" and had an unobstructed view of the Earth.
For those who are unaware, this phrase refers to the mental shift that many astronauts experience when they gaze upon Earth when they are floating in space; psychologists have compared this mental state to a "state of amazement having self-transcendent aspects." For individuals who are courageous enough to climb aboard a rocket, this trend may cause a "unexpected and overpowering emotion," which, to be truthful, shouldn't be all that shocking.
They're witnessing something that very few mortals would ever experience, so I'm very sure I would feel the same way. During his tenure at NASA, Garan travelled over 71 thousands of kilometres in 2,842 orbits and spent 178 days in the environment, exactly the same experience. Seeing out of the window, he made some very fascinating observations on our way of life based on his unique view on the planet during his time on the orbiting laboratory (ISS).
Speaking about what he observed, Garan said, "I saw shimmering drapes of northern lights that looked so nearby to earth as if we could go out and touch them, and I saw paparazzi-like lights of lightning storms through the window of the Global Space Station."
"And I witnessed the astonishingly thin atmosphere of our planet." I was struck with the sombre idea that each organism on our planet is kept alive by that minuscule layer at that particular time. "I witnessed a vibrant environment brimming with life. The economy was hidden from me. But from the perspective of space, it's clear that our existence is a lie while our constructed structures treat everything, even the planet's very life-supporting systems, as an entirely owned part of the global economy." Elon Musk seems to need to get the SpaceX rocket fixed as soon as possible so that the rest of us can examine it for ourselves.
"It's clear from the perspective standpoint of orbit that existence is a lie," Garan said. "We must shift our perspective from one of planet, society, economy to one of planet, society, economy. We will then carry on with our evolutionary process at that point.
Ever since he set foot on solid ground again, Garan has advocated fervently for protecting the environment and urging people to prioritise their relationships over the fast-paced pace that is contemporary life. "Until we acknowledge the fundamental truth of the interrelated framework of all reality, there will be no peace on Earth," continued Garan, who is not alone in thinking this way.
