After 178 Days in Space, Astronaut Says Seeing Earth Revealed a “Big Lie”

One thing they have not told you is that when astronauts go outside of our home planet, Earth, and see it from above, most of them question their belief system. Seeing how everyday life can be complicated in our cities, different countries, and various economies, then you view them all from above, and it all pales in comparison.

You will feel like you are a part of something even bigger than yourself, or that we, whatever race, nationality, or species you are, are all just living on this one blue planet. The term for that is called the “Overview Effect”, and that’s what this Astronaut realized after viewing Earth, and how he came to find out what the “Big Lie” is.

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A Life-Altering View from Space

Former NASA astronaut Ron Garan spent 178 days aboard the International Space Station, while orbiting our beautiful and unique planet over 2,800 times. During all this time outside the planet, astronaut Garan got the “Overview Effect”, a term first coined by Frank White to describe the emotional and perspective shift that Astronauts report after seeing Earth.

This is a type of experience that will shake your core beliefs, giving you a deeper sense of just how interconnected life is on Earth, and a stronger motivation to reevaluate your priorities. That is why most astronauts come down to conclude that there is a big lie that we all believe here on the planet.

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The “Big Lie”

NASA astronaut Ron Garan’s epiphany in space | The InnerView

Astronaut Garan says that humanity is just living a “Big Lie”, that we all try to come up with a solution to take care of the problems of the planet, like deforestation, global warming, and biodiversity loss, but keep forgetting one important part. According to him, those problems are not the root cause but just the symptoms.

The real problem is that we as a species do not think of ourselves as planetary. He said that in space, there are no separate economies, there are no borders, and that we are all interconnected somehow. That we all live on this planet where a simple thin atmosphere is protecting us all, keeping life surviving.

He highlights that we should make our planet’s health the top of everything else, rather than the man-made constructs, which are rooted in artificiality. We are all in a single biosphere, and that is the truth.

The Overview Effect and Its Implications

In 1987, author Frank White first described the “Overview Effect” that most astronauts feel after viewing our planet from above. Aside from the realization of the Big Lie, they also report feelings of awe, a sense of belongingness to nature, and a sharpened sense of responsibility towards protecting the planet that is protecting us all.

Astronaut Garan’s experience is just an example of this psychological effect, and most people will agree that it is mostly positive. All of those feelings could be translated to make progress in our mission to make Earth a better place to live for everyone who already does.

Astronaut Claims Humanity Is living a 'Big Lie' After 178 days in Space | WION Podcast

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Author's Final Thoughts

Astronaut Ron Garan’s journey in space gifted him a unique perspective on Earth’s fragility and the interconnectedness of all life on the planet. However, we, the other people living in it, who have not been in space, could also carry on this perspective. To look at each and every single one of us as planetary, instead of a separate entity, for the continued survival and well-being of the human race.

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