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The Overview Effect and Well-Being

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Expanding Worldviews: Astrobiology, Big History and Cosmic Perspectives

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings ((ASSSP,volume 58))

Abstract

The Overview Effect (OE), a term coined by Frank White (The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution. Houghton-Mifflin Company, Boston, 1987; The Overview Effect. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston, 2014), describes a psychological state that can emerge when witnessing remarkable natural landscapes from an expansive vantage point, and Earthgazing from orbit or the Moon is the epitome of this experience (Yaden et al. Psychol Conscious 3: 1–11, 2016). White (The Overview Effect. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston, 2014) defines the OE as a cognitive shift in worldview experienced by astronauts when they view the Earth from space and in space. He further catalogues the experience as seeing the Earth as a tiny, fragile ball of life, eliciting a profound feeling of awe, an understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the planet. The OE can be considered an atypical method of engaging with the natural environment, yet it is one that offers demonstrable and perhaps enhanced benefits in terms of promoting self-transcendence, eudaimonic well-being and feelings of connectedness with nature. This chapter presents the case for self-transcendent interventions in mental health, inclusive of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, nature-based interventions, and the OE. It concludes with an analysis of how the OE can be understood, studied, and applied within the therapeutic context to promote individual, societal and planetary well-being.

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Acknowledgments

AN expresses her appreciation to Ian Crawford for the opportunity to fulfil her intention of disseminating ideas surrounding the psychological and therapeutic potential of the Overview Effect, and to her co-authors, Lisa Marie Persaud and Frank White, without whose support and thoughtful input the process of writeup would have been more arduous. She has been inspired by the Overview Effect, and the work of David Bohm, Ken Wilber and Carl Jung, which, in different ways, all propelled her into the wondrous world of wholism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of London, London, UK

    Annahita Nezami

  2. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lisa Marie Persaud

  3. Kepler Space Institute, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Frank White

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  1. Annahita Nezami
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  2. Lisa Marie Persaud
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Correspondence to Annahita Nezami .

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  1. Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, UK

    Ian Crawford

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Nezami, A., Persaud, L.M., White, F. (2021). The Overview Effect and Well-Being. In: Crawford, I. (eds) Expanding Worldviews: Astrobiology, Big History and Cosmic Perspectives. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, vol 58. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70482-7_10

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