Nicholas Comninellis

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Essay: Life From Outer Space

Spaceship One 2004

 

At this moment, Fall 2004, our nation is embroiled with political debate. Just weeks away from the Presidential election many conversations surround the issues of gay marriage, Iraq policy, the lackluster economy, and stem cell research. As debates intensify, so does the importance of our individual positions. Whether we lean left or right is steadily becoming the defining factor in many friendships.

 

But in spite of the political focal point, national attention was distracted briefly as we witnessed the first human flight into outer space of a private spacecraft. Space Ship One soared to an altitude over 64 miles and collected the coveted 10 million dollar prize. More importantly, is a milestone not only for the future of space tourism but also of a host of new ventures into outer space. Our imaginations were briefly spurred to consider where we might go in the 21st century – perhaps into outer space ourselves, or even greater flights.

 

Perspective-provoking moments like these psychologists call the Overview Effect. A study of the roughly 450 people who have flown in space reveals what a striking impact the experience has upon their perceptions of themselves, the world, and their future. Seeing the earth from above, floating in weightlessness, and gazing at the brilliance of the stars causes astronauts to profoundly reconsider what truly is important to them. (The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, 2nd Edition, by Frank White, AIAA Publishers, 1998).

 

Earth-bound people like you and I get a glimpse of this experience the first times we fly in airplanes. Below the cars appear to move slowly. The seemingly urgent challenges of life become less pressing, and we pause momentarily to consider the course of our lives.

 

Near death experiences, whether our own or someone close to us, often have a similar effect. Just days ago in a hospital emergency department I worked to resuscitate an elderly man who developed trouble breathing at home. We gave him oxygen, CPR and medications to stimulate his flagging heart. When our efforts ultimately failed, his wife Judy, reflected, “He had a tough life. But he was faithful, kind, and a hard worker.” Judy was experiencing an Overview.

 

One of my most memorable Overviews occurred in the fall of 1989. I had been working in Angola for six months at the Kalukembe Hospital. The civil war was growing in intensity, and we were inundated with patients who often had not eaten in days. I was walking home to my family one evening. The day’s work had been intense, but I was feeling remarkably encouraged over the progress of some patients. Suddenly, my five-year old daughter Elizabeth appeared, running toward me on the path. “Wow,” I thought, “Life really does not get any better than this!”

 

What do you think of in your own Overview moments? What about your family, professional aspirations, financial situation? What about your relationship with God or your spiritual journey? Do friendships, political interests or social causes enter into the picture?

 

Two people in particular greatly influence my own Overviews. Albert Schweitzer, one of history’s most noted philosophers and medical missionaries, observed, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” James Dobson, penning his own epitaph shortly after his heart attack, noted, “I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living. When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and machines and stock and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else makes much sense.”

 

While I have benefited greatly from Overviews, I have also often been distracted from what is most central in my personal life. Professional aspirations, financial dreams, musical endeavors and aviation ambitions – while worthy side shows – have too often burst into the center stage and consumed my time and energy. I need to take advantage of Overviews far more often than I do. The words of Jesus frequently remind me of the consequences of becoming distracted:

 

“The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21

 

No doubt each of you have already decided how to vote in the upcoming election. Now that this is done, I encourage you to pursue your own Overview. Pause for a day, take a trip, climb a mountain, enjoy a long hike. In a moment of stillness and inspiration, I wish you profound clarity in appreciating all things that are truly most precious if your life. With this renewed vision, you can’t help but soar!

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