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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Have you ever dreamed of traveling through galaxies?

Bet you have. And I bet too that you’ve heard or read about the effects of space travel on the human body. But have you considered the impact it might have on your brain? Does it boost brain power?

I know that of all the possible consequences of hurtling through space that I’ve considered, somehow it never occurred to me to think about the brain.

Cosmic Overview

Mystic moon

Yet, according to a recent news report, a journey through space can profoundly affect the human brain. It’s a phenomenon that’s sometimes called the “Overview Effect.” It’s a weird feeling of cosmic connectedness. The Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell reportedly experienced it during his space mission in February 1971. He described it as a feeling of euphoria, bliss, timelessness, and connectedness. He became profoundly aware of how profoundly interconnected everything and everyone is—from atoms to animals to planets and systems, everything was part of everything else, we are all one synergistic whole.

The Galactic Mystic

Other astronauts have described similar experiences. Wouldn’t you say that they sound very similar to certain types of religious or mystical experiences?

Neuroscientist and physician Andy Newberg, who has been studying this phenomenon, discovered that there are actual neurological markers in the brain that correlate with this space-induced altered state of consciousness. It appears that they are similar to ones found in meditators and others who enter transcendent states.

Newberg’s objective is to find out why and how this state occurs. He has plans to scan the brain of space travelers and study their brain functions live.

It’ll be interesting to find out what it is about space travel that induces a quasi-mystical experience. Does this happen to everyone?

And, what I’d most like to know is if such an experience can boost cognitive function. Will you become smarter? Will it become easier to enter a “flow” state and perform at an outstanding level? These are just a few of the questions I’d like to ask.

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Tags: brain power, galaxy, mind, mystic experience, overview effect, space travel

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 11:52 am and is filed under What's News with the Brain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.