Earth from Space

I realized that the story of ourselves as told by science—our cosmology, our religion—was incomplete and likely flawed. I recognized that the Newtonian idea of separate, independent, discrete things in the universe wasn’t a fully accurate description. What was needed was a new story of who we are and what we are capable of becoming.
     — Edgar Mitchell, ScD.

Dear Esteemed Readers,

For those of you who are accustomed to reading my documentations of nature, artists, and “artistic” subjects in this journal, a “postcard” about an astronaut may first appear to be an unlikely subject to present. But as the dual feature images above suggest, there is more to this story than meets the “everyday” eye.

This post highlights the extraordinary career and experiences of Edgar Mitchell, who was an aviation captain in the US navy, and the sixth astronaut to walk on the moon, during a mission in 1971.

Following his return journey back to planet earth, he also became a noted and sometimes controversial spokesperson for using his own experiences to describe the wonders of the cosmos from a decidedly “alternative” viewpoint, similar to the repeating variations on this theme that I've incorporated into my visual art over many years.

Edgar Dean Mitchell was born in farm country in Hereford, Texas in 1930, and following an early fascination with airplanes, he first learned the basics of aviation at age 13 and received his pilot’s license at 16. Mitchell pursued his higher education at Carnegie Mellon University (BS,) Naval Postgraduate School (BS,) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (ScD.) He later received a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. From 1965 to 1966, he attended the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School, and graduated first in his class. During this same period, he was also an instructor in advanced mathematics and navigation for new astronaut candidates.

But this professional, scientific, and practical background had not prepared him for the transformation of consciousness that unexpectedly took place during his travel in space.

In the following video, Edgar Mitchell speaks in his own straightforward, simple, and eloquent style about the life-changing shift of perspective that occurred during his voyage.

Drawing on this transformative experience, Dr. Mitchell founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Palo Alto, California, to oversee research into the nature of consciousness and other related phenomena.

Toward the end of his life, Dr. Mitchell shared some thoughts about his life's work:

Science and religion have lived on opposite sides of the street now for hundreds of years. So here we are in the twenty-first century, trying to put two faces of reality—the existence face and the intelligence or conscious face—into the same understanding. Body and mind, physicality and consciousness belong to the same side of reality.

Today, Wednesday, November 6, 2024, as the world appears to have imploded into millions of infinitely contrasting and opposing realities, it seems to me that these challenges may provide an especially important opportunity to reflect—and act wisely—on Edgar Mitchell’s thought-provoking views.

With best wishes to all for moving positively into the future.

Sandra Dean, Visual Artist
Tieton, Washington USA