Space travel will radically change human psychology and spirituality

BIG THINK

Humans have lived on Earth for millennia, but one day that will change. The stars are calling us, and their pull is far too strong for us to ignore. We have already put our feet on the Moon; one day we will be back. Then perhaps we will head to Mars and beyond. When we do, it will change us. Leaving the pull of Earth will alter how we think and feel. It will affect our spirituality and our psyche — and perhaps even redefine humankind. 

Spirituality in the sky

Throughout human history, we have associated our spirituality, myths, and religions with the sky. Constellations are peppered with sky stories, from Orion to Warepil (the eagle constellation of aboriginal Australians). The Lakota Native Americans associated the Milky Way as a path for departed souls. Jesus ascended to the heavens. The primary god of ancient Egyptians was Ra, the god of the Sun. And the entire Universe was seen inside Krishna’s mouth. 

Jason Batt, a science fiction author, mythologist, and futurist, has spent a lot of time thinking about stories like this, and how our relationship with the heavens will change when we become a space-faring race. “So what happens to humanity?” Batt, who is also a co-founder of Deep Space Predictive Research Group and a Creative Manager of 100 Year Starship, pondered while speaking to Big Think. “What is going to change in us? What is going to transform?” 

Even though we often associate our space travel with feats of engineering and science, there is an undeniable connection with our myth as well. We see this in how we name our rockets destined for space: Gemini, Apollo, Artemis. Going to space is big, not just for our technology, but for our spirits. 

“There’s a spiritual transformation that happens to whatever group of humanity makes the leap,” Batt said. “We fundamentally alter and change ourselves when we transition to a new stage in a new environment.”

Whenever we transition to a different place, we begin to form new ideas. Stories grow from these ideas, and they become legends and myths. We see patterns. We try to make sense of it all. In a way, isn’t this what spirituality is: trying to connect with and understand something that is much, much larger than ourselves? We’ve set foot on the Moon but we haven’t been back for 50 years. When we return to the stars, how will it change us? It’s hard to say. But we can make some guesses…