[wordup] The Planetary Collective - Overview Effect

[Adam Shand]

This is beautiful.  Astronauts talking about how their experience of seeing the Earth from above changed their perspective.  

I'm particularly fascinated where one of them talks about trying to make sense of the experience (begins at 10:45) by investigating religious and scientific material and coming to compare what he experienced to enlightenment (specifically savikalpa samadhi).

Watch the video, it's only 19 minutes long and full of lots of beautiful footage of the Earth from space. :-)

Adam.

Source: http://vimeo.com/55073825
More: http://www.planetarycollective.com/

Overview 

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.