šĀ The view from above
Oh, I know this was a while ago now, but I canāt stop thinking about William Shatnerās reaction to actual space travel. Every time I watch this clip (and it has been many times), Iām brought to the verge of tears. Okay, I do cry easily but the contrast between Shatnerās deeply reflective and emotional reaction and Bezoās uncaring obliviousness is just too much.
What Shatner described is the overview effect, the overwhelming emotional response to seeing Earth from space that many astronauts have reported. I first heard about it from astronaut Michael Massimino who I met in passing at the Web Summit check-in desk a few years ago. As one does when you meet someone who says they are an astronaut, I asked the genius question, āWhat is it like to see Earth from space?ā He responded thoughtfully, saying that he had a profound feeling of connection with the Earth that is hard to capture: āIāve never seen anything more beautiful than the earth from space.ā
The overview effect seems to encompass an appreciation of beauty and a profound feeling of connection on the positive side. But like all big feelings, perhaps itās bittersweet. Shatner describes an overpowering sense of grief.
Itās not a giant leap to imagine seeing Earth small, vulnerable, and distant is unnerving at best. I wonder if the rest of us can get that feeling without space travelāand Iām not the only one. Kate Yoder wrote a beautiful piece in The Grist about how the overview effect might be the key to saving the planet. As images of Earth from space have become so ubiquitous, former astronauts (many of whom have become climate activists themselves) are hoping that new technology can bring those images to life again.
A virtual reality series from Felix and Paul Studios filmed aboard the International Space Station, gives viewers anĀ overview effectĀ using VR headsets. A Unitarian Universalist minister in Colorado, Jeremy Nickel, uses the effect inĀ virtual meditations. And thereās SpaceVR, where participants strap on VR headsets and get inĀ float tanksĀ to take in views of Earth and experience zero gravity at the same time.
The overview effect may be the key to saving the earth, but that isnāt the only reason to seek out wonder. Awe-based experiences have so many positive effects, ranging from helping you to feel more generous, humble, connected, and just satisfied with your life. IRL there are opportunities for awe, even if not every day. The view from a mountaintop at the end of a hike, contemplating the intricacies of a beautiful building facade, or listening to a sweeping symphony can induce that shot of awe. Of course, we get it online too. There are epic drone videos on YouTube, meditation sessions with your Muse headset, or even syncing up with thousands of people on Twitch.
āĀ A Shot of Awe
Lately, our shot of awe might just be an encounter with the wonders of Chat GPT. Iāve recently been going back to William Jamesā writing on spiritual experiences. As a pragmatist, James always seems to create a beautifully written but also just-so summary. The spiritual is characterized by:
Passivity ā a feeling of being grasped and held by a superior power, not under your own control
Ineffability ā no adequate way to use human language to describe the experience
Noetic ā universal truths revealed that are unable to be acquired anywhere else
Transience ā the mystical experience is only a temporary experience
I donāt know if ChatGPT qualifies. Perhaps neither did DALL-E. But it comes close. This article in The Atlantic collects just a few examples, including a solid A- college essay in response to a 200-level history assignment, a moving letter to a child explaining how Santa isnāt real, and a story about removing a sandwich from a VCR in biblical verse. Thereās surprise and delight at how much it can do, shock at how it surfaces bias, and maybe true awe at the pace of change ahead.
ChatGPT came up with a few ideas about how we might experience awe online.
When I asked if ChatGPT itself could induce wonder, it modestly responded with āHmmā¦something seems to have gone wrong. Maybe try me again in a little bit.ā In the meantime, maybe you know of examples of experiences online that induce awe or wonder?
šŗĀ Going goblin mode
This week, I became unreasonably excited by Oxfordās word of the yearāgoblin mode. I literally began restlessly pacing and muttering to myself, like some 19th-century mad poet/scientist character. Then I realized that I might not be the only one who agreed that goblin mode is the 2022 mood. Itās the 318,956 people who pulled themselves out of goblin mode long enough to vote for the phrase and itās you, dear reader.
Oxford chooses a word each year that captures the zeitgeist and this year, they opened that process up to public vote for the first time. And the unapologetically self-indulgent, slovenly, and sometimes greedy public chose their preferred mode in droves. Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, noted:
The strength of the response highlights how important our vocabulary is to understanding who we are and processing what's happening to the world around us. Given the year we've just experienced, 'goblin mode' resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point. It's a relief to acknowledge that we're not always the idealized, curated selves that we're encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds.
The phrase has been around since 2009 but took off in February of this year. As COVID restrictions lifted, we collectively decided we werenāt ready to slay all day every day.
Instead, we rejected social expectations and embraced our inner goblins. Spending all day in sweatpants? Mild goblin mode. Leaving your house in pajamas to pick up a box of Dove bars from the store? Yes, now youāre getting there. Laying in bed, watching 90 Day FiancĆ© on mute while pouring chips in your mouth directly from the bag? Full goblin. This year, some Spotify users were surprised to see their Wrapped describe their moods as goblincore.
Want to know more about Goblin Mode? Iām experimenting with posting the Friday Feelings on Medium.
šŗšŗšŗšŗšŗ
Thatās all the feels for this week!
xoxo
Pamela š