Astronaut who spent 178 days in space says humanity is 'living a lie': "The problem is..."

Ronald Garan, who spent 178 days in space looking at Earth, made a rather bold statement—human beings are living 'a big lie.' The former NASA astronaut claimed that humanity is trapped in a grand illusion and that "we’re paying a very high price." Garan had a significant shift in perspective as to how to live life on Earth. His time in space helped him arrive at a simple truth—we are all connected, and the problems we face require us to work together. In an interview with Big Think, Garan shared the lessons the universe taught him.

As reported by Scoop Upworthy, he said, "When we see our planet from the perspective of space, certain things become undeniably clear. We keep trying to deal with issues such as global warming, deforestation, and biodiversity loss as standalone issues when, in reality, they're just symptoms of the underlying root problem. And the problem is that we don't see ourselves as planetary." From space, Garan not only witnessed lightning flicker and auroras glow, but he also realized a fragile truth— Earth’s thin atmosphere is the only thing protecting all life below.

Garan explained, "I saw an iridescent biosphere teeming with life. I didn't see the economy. But since our human-made systems treat everything, including the very life-support systems of our planet, as the wholly owned subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vantage point of space that we're living a lie." He believes our everyday environment holds us back from fixing Earth’s real problems. Garan detailed what he dubbed the 'Overview Effect'— a powerful shift in perspective that many astronauts undergo having seen our planet from space. He noted, “It describes the shift that astronauts have when they see the planet hanging in the blackness of space. There's this light bulb that pops up where they realize how interconnected and interdependent we all are.”

Garan argued that instead of prioritizing financial matters, humans should work on restoring the planet, society, and economy to their rightful positions. To preserve the world that supports us, he urges us to accept our common reality as Earth's residents. Garan also thinks that when enough individuals realize this, the public outlook will change, bringing with it much-needed change, the GOOD reported.

On May 31, 2008, Garan's first space mission, STS-124 Discovery, launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, marking the beginning of his journey beyond Earth. His passion for space exploration was only heightened by this incredible experience. Garan retired from NASA in 2014 and is now concentrating on promoting what he calls the 'Orbital Perspective'—a perspective influenced by his time in space. He wrote a book titled, 'The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles,' which delves into the interconnectedness of life on Earth and the vastness of the universe.