Edgar Mitchell: we are one
He was the sixth person to walk on the moon. On the trip home Dr. Mitchell sat in the window seat of the space capsule. As he saw Earth floating freely in the vastness of space, a profound sense of universal connectedness engulfed him: “The presence of divinity became almost palpable, and I knew that life in the universe was not just an accident based on random processes . . . The knowledge came to me directly.”
“The experience in space was so powerful that when I got back to Earth I started digging into various literatures to try to understand what had happened. I found nothing in science literature but eventually discovered it in the Sanskrit of ancient India. The descriptions of samadhi, Savikalpa samadhi, were exactly what I felt: it is described as seeing things in their separateness, but experiencing them viscerally as a unity, as oneness, accompanied by ecstasy.”
Dr. Mitchell sought out others who likewise felt the need for an expanded, more inclusive view of reality. In 1973, this small group of explorers founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences—derived from the Greek word nous, meaning “intuitive ways of knowing.” with a goal: to create a shift in consciousness worldwide — where people recognize that we are all part of an interconnected whole and are inspired to take action to help humanity and the planet thrive.
