Rejected Religion Spotlight Special Audio Episode - Dr. David W. Kim: The 'Overview Effect' & Astronautical Religion

In this interview, Dr. Kim first discusses the phenomenon known as the ‘Overview Effect’, a profound cognitive shift that astronauts experience when they see Earth from space. It’s described as a state of wonderment and self-transformation that occurs upon witnessing the Earth as a fragile, interconnected whole. Many astronauts report feeling an overwhelming sense of unity, beauty, and a newfound appreciation for humanity and the environment. He then moves on to discuss his article, “Mars Space Exploration and Astronautical Religion in Human Research History: Psychological Countermeasures of Long-Term Astronauts” from 2022 in the journal Aerospace. He expands on the challenges and issues that arise when considering long-term space travel (of at least 3 years), such as radiation, zero-gravity, isolation, confinement, the distance from Earth, and emergencies that could arise, as well as the potential for an “astronautical religion” to help mitigate or prevent these challenges.