There have been only a few astronauts who have left earth and have been able to look back and see our planet. Most of those who have seen earth from space have experienced what is called “The Overview Effect.” That effect is “A state of awe with what they have seen. Experiencing the appreciation and perception of beauty of our blue planet has created a lasting effect on those who have seen it with their own eyes.” “The most prominent common aspects of personally experiencing the Earth from space are appreciation and perception of beauty, unexpected and even overwhelming emotion and an increased sense of connection to other people and the earth as a whole.'(Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research and Practice.)
“Astronauts have come away from the experience transformed with an appreciation of this wonderful place we live.” (Wikipedia, The Overview Effect) Some have referred to it as a powerful, almost overwhelming experience. Some have called it “among the deepest and most powerful aspects of the human experience.” ( Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice) Astronauts have said they felt a connection with mankind and with the planet as our home. The effect seems to take hold of astronauts regardless of culture or nation of origin. Expressions range from the religious, to the spiritual, some have felt a call to social duty after seeing it.
Some have talked about the feelings of vastness of the universe or of how small we are compared with the vastness of space. Astronauts have called the effect “beyond words” and say that it requires experiencing it to really understand it.
The Skylab 4 crew once seeing the beauty of the earth through the portholes in the space station, refused to work. The flight director expressed “Their need to reflect, to observe, to find their place amid these baffling, fascinating, unprecedented experiences.”
“Michael Collins, who flew on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 said “the thing that really surprised me was that it [earth] projected an air of fragility. And why, I don’t know. I don’t know to this day. I had a feeling it is tiny, its shiny, its beautiful, its home, and its fragile.” (The New York Times, July 17, 2019)(Wikipedia, The Overview Effect)