Seeing the World from Space

"One of the astronauts said, when we originally went to the moon, our total focus was on the moon. We weren't thinking about looking back at the earth. But now that we've done it, that very well may be the most important reason we went."

                                              ~ David Beaver, co-founder, Overview Institute

Seeing our world from the vantage-point of space was indeed a shift in our consciousness. I have written briefly about how just seeing the photos has changed our understanding of the world. Watch this short film,  The Overview Effect (19 minutes), and hear astronauts tell how their lives were profoundly changed by seeing the earth from space. 

From the video website:

On the 40th anniversary of the famous ‘Blue Marble’ photograph taken of Earth from space, Planetary Collective presents a short film documenting astronauts’ life-changing stories of seeing the Earth from the outside – a perspective-altering experience often described as the Overview Effect.

The Overview Effect, first described by author Frank White in 1987, is an experience that transforms astronauts’ perspective of the planet and mankind’s place upon it. Common features of the experience are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

‘Overview’ is a short film that explores this phenomenon through interviews with five astronauts who have experienced the Overview Effect. The film also features insights from commentators and thinkers on the wider implications and importance of this understanding for society, and our relationship to the environment.