Overview Effect scaling: Can everyday people have the same epiphany as astronauts?

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• January 19, 2023

Insight summary

When billionaire Jeff Bezos and actor William Shatner went on a low-Earth orbit (LEO) trip (2021), they reported experiencing the Overview Effect that astronauts commonly identify with. It’s only a matter of time before companies can successfully recreate this sense of enlightenment digitally or use it to create new forms of space tourism.

Overview Effect scaling context

The Overview Effect is a shift in awareness that astronauts report experiencing after space missions. This perception of the world profoundly impacted author Frank White, who coined the term, stating: “You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.”

Since the mid-1980s, White has been investigating astronauts’ feelings while in space and gazing upon Earth, whether from LEO or on lunar missions. His team found that astronauts often realize that everything on Earth is interconnected and working towards the same goal instead of being divided by race and geography. White believes that experiencing the Overview Effect should be a human right because it reveals an essential truth about who we are and where we fit into the universe. 

This understanding can help society to evolve in positive ways. For example, it can help people realize the foolishness of destroying their habitat and the futility of wars. When astronauts leave the Earth’s atmosphere, they don’t “go into space.” We are already in space. Instead, they merely leave the planet to explore and view it from a new perspective. 

Out of the billions of people on Earth, less than 600 have had this experience. Additionally, those who have experienced it feel compelled to share their newfound knowledge in hopes that we can make positive changes in the world.

Disruptive impact

White suggests that the only way to completely understand and feel the Overview Effect is by having the same experience as astronauts. This endeavor will be possible using commercial space flights from Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, SpaceX, and others in the near future. 

And although not the same, virtual reality (VR) also has the potential to simulate a flight into space, potentially allowing individuals to experience the Overview Effect. In Tacoma, Washington, a VR experience called The Infinite is being offered, allowing people to explore outer space for USD $50. Using a headset, users can wander around the International Space Station and admire the Earth from the window. Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a VR study that found individuals who simulated shooting themselves into low orbit reported feeling awe, though to a lesser degree than those who have actually traveled to space. Nonetheless, the experience has the potential to be scaled up and allow everyday people to have that sense of wonder and responsibility toward Earth.

In a 2020 study by Hungary-based Central European University, they discovered that astronauts often engaged themselves in ecological initiatives once they returned to Earth. Many supported policies in the form of government action and international climate accords. This engagement confirms prior findings that the Overview Effect results in a recognized need for global participatory management of the planet.

Implications of scaling the Overview Effect 

Wider implications of scaling the Overview Effect may include: 

• VR companies creating space mission simulations in partnership with space agencies. These programs can be used both for training and education.
• Environmental projects using VR/augmented reality (AR) simulations to establish more immersive experiences for their causes.
• Brands collaborating with ecological initiatives to create augmented ads that simulate the Overview Effect, establishing strong emotional bonds with their audiences.
• Increased investments in extended reality (VR/AR) technology to create more heightened experiences of space, including weightlessness.
• Increasing public support, charitable donations, and volunteerism for environmental causes of all kinds.

Questions to consider

• If you have tried space simulations, what was your experience like?
• How else do you think scaling the Overview Effect can change people’s perspectives toward Earth?