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HomeMagazine issuesSeptember 2024

September 2024

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Share International magazine
September 2024

Up to the end of 2025, the online edition of Share International magazine presents a selection of items from the printed edition. Each online edition includes a complete article by Benjamin Creme's Master. Most other articles reproduced here, covering a wide range of topics, are excerpts. The online edition usually also includes a selection of Questions and Answers, Readers' letters, and photographs of Signs of Maitreya's presence. From the beginning of 2026, the printed edition is no longer being produced, but the entire magazine is available on this website.

See the full table of contents of the printed edition at the foot of the page.

View/download page as PDF
Contents
Problems awaiting action
Editor's comment
Questions and answers
Letter to the editor
Signs of the time
From our own correspondents


From the inception of Share International magazine, Benjamin Creme’s Master provided an article every month for nearly 35 years. These were intended to be published not only at the time they were written, but also whenever appropriate according to world circumstances.


Problems awaiting action
The Master —, through Benjamin Creme

It can be said without fear of contradiction that not all is right with the world. For example, the gap between the very rich and the hopelessly poor grows ever wider. This extreme imbalance is not healthy for any society. To be sure a few members of the rich community do indeed share their wealth with the poor, but in general the very rich aim rather at becoming mega-rich to the detriment of all.

The ever-increasing commercialization of every aspect of life today is, in itself, a ‘time bomb’ whose rupture will bring the present economic structure to its knees. This time is not far off. So great are the tensions caused by this deep materialism that equilibrium is strained to breaking point. Most people are unaware of these forces, so deeply involved are they in the building of the tension.

Thus will be presented to men their only natural course: the adoption of the principle of sharing. More and more, humanity is being edged towards this realization, however distant as yet are they from its actual manifestation. At the same time the ecological problems facing the world continue to a climax. Most countries today recognize that global warming is the enemy of all. The question which divides the nations is whether and to what extent man is responsible. The wisest course that men can follow is to assume that they are responsible for most of the pressures on the climate and to take all practical measures to rectify the problems. Some nations assuredly are doing so but not all. Our advice is that the actions and non-actions of humanity are responsible for eighty per cent of the problem and that men must, for their own and their children’s sake, spare nothing in its alleviation. Be assured that We will help them but they must play their part.

With the collapse of the world economy men will come to realize their oneness. This realization will have a profound effect on their attitude to war. They will see that they are bound together in a struggle for survival, and the words of Maitreya will resound more loudly in their minds. Sharing, justice and freedom will grow in men’s minds as powerful symbols of the future, as inherent rights of all, the way to correct relationship.

(Share International, April 2014)


These articles are by a senior member of the Hierarchy of Masters of Wisdom. His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed. Benjamin Creme, a principal spokesman about the emergence of Maitreya, was in constant telepathic contact with this Master who dictated his articles to him.

See further articles by this Master


Editor’s comment (excerpt)
Urgent — potent action needed

Knowing, even if only theoretically, the future of the United States as foreseen by the Masters, and knowing that its destiny is part of a Divine Plan for the future of this planet, the possible reactions of many readers of this magazine are perfectly understandable. Much of the world’s population is ashamed and saddened for humanity. The careless and distracted couldn’t care less; the brainwashed, the invested and those who have sold their souls applaud; and those who see do as much as they can, but they are often muzzled and their protests broken up, judged to be illegal by governments that are part of ‘the great disgrace’. Will history forgive or forget an event that is a blot on our collective karmic record?

It was bad enough when we turned a blind eye to hunger and mass poverty in many areas of the world. It was abhorrent when our governments ignored international humanitarian law and the law of the sea to shut its ports and borders to desperate migrants. It has become worse as we witness the massacre of civilians, the slaughter of children, the destruction of a country and its people. It becomes more unbearable by the day as we watch insane crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. We were already carrying the burden of those horrors but now we are also disgraced. A murderous leader of an extremist regime that is deemed guilty of crimes against humanity was invited into the heart of American democracy. Not destructive enough that he was in the halls of government but he lied to Congress. And he was rewarded with a standing ovation in a house of the people.

What is the Congress to the average American citizen? “Article I of the United States Constitution established the legislative branch known as the Congress. Congress enacts laws that influence the daily lives of all Americans and is intended to serve as the voice of the people. Its responsibilities include funding government functions and programs, holding hearings to inform the legislative process, and oversight of the executive branch.” (visitthecapitol.gov)

What harm was done, in that event, to justice, to truth, to the authority of the people’s voice and its representatives? That spectacle has given Israel carte blanche – the full permission and backing of the United States — to continue to massacre and to expand the theatre of war in the region, the consequences of which insanity we can only guess at. It is clear that Netanyahu wants and needs a wider war and, if possible, with Iran. How self-serving and cynical an approach to the lives and deaths of others — giving yourself a ‘get out of jail free card’ since a prolonged war delays a prison sentence for the serving prime minister of Israel. Just as holding high office would stave off a prison sentence for presidential candidates in other countries, like the US, for example.

It is a stain on democracy. Where does that leave American citizens? What are the options when bombs paid for with American tax dollars rob a whole nation of life? Condoning barbarity must come at a price for the US and the global community.

We know that Maitreya’s energies work to make clear the choice between the constructive and destructive — between something that would move the world forward to goals we can broadly describe as positive, cooperative and conducive to a creative and peaceful society, or its opposite. And, faced with that choice, a man who may yet be judged a criminal was allowed to address the world from Congress? Here was a moment when those in positions of power, deciding on behalf of the American people, were faced with a choice for good or its opposite. What options face the electorate in the coming months?

The early motto of the United States was “E pluribus unum” — Out of many, One. Later, her motto became “In God we trust”. The esoteric motto of United States is “I light the Way.”

To achieve this goal, it will take all her people; the ‘pluribus’ could be taken to refer not only to the federated states but to the multicultural, multi-ethnic mix that is her strength and destiny — if only all could embrace it. They will be the basic building blocks, as it were, for the new civilization and new human — an intuitive race of people living according to universal laws of cooperation, harmony, synergy, where sharing is simply the norm. …

Questions and answers

Prayer is one of the easiest, sweetest and most elegant ways to remember the Lord. In prayer there is always detachment. In prayer you have no weight, no cares – this is a state of absoluteness. You experience the presence of the Almighty. Maitreya says: “In prayer, you will never be lost.” (Maitreya on prayer, Share International, March 1990)

The following compilation of questions and answers by Benjamin Creme on prayer is a selection of previously published questions from Share International.

Is the power of prayer magically intertwined into the fabric of the universe so that it is available to each individual, or is its nature such that it always requires an intercessory agent, be that a supreme Being, Christ, Master, Saint, etc? Is the power of prayer magically intertwined into the fabric of the universe so that it is available to each individual, or is its nature such that it always requires an intercessory agent, be that a supreme Being, Christ, Master, Saint, etc? 

It always requires an intercessory agent.

Are there two basic categories of prayer — the personal-power view of prayer and the intercessory view of the religious layperson? Or, is God ‘no respecter of persons’ when it comes to prayer — is all prayer basically the same and utilized in the same way? Are there two basic categories of prayer — the personal-power view of prayer and the intercessory view of the religious layperson? Or, is God ‘no respecter of persons’ when it comes to prayer — is all prayer basically the same and utilized in the same way? 

There are stages in the use of prayer — from desire-based supplication to, more, or less, scientific invocation. It depends on the evolution of the one doing the ‘praying’.

How do we make our prayers known to those capable of interceding? (1) (a) Is that way available to everyone, or (b) does one need to have contact with a Master? (2) Does it make a difference (in healing) depending upon whom one prays to? How do we make our prayers known to those capable of interceding? (1) (a) Is that way available to everyone, or (b) does one need to have contact with a Master? (2) Does it make a difference (in healing) depending upon whom one prays to? 

By visualizing or thinking of the intercessor. (1) (a) Yes. (b) No. (2) To some extent, yes.

(1) What is the difference or advantage of using prayer for healing compared to affirmation or invocation? Mother Teresa of Calcutta considered that she was giving a helping hand to Jesus Himself through the people she helped to heal, saying “Jesus, my patient, how sweet it is to serve you,” and her success is legendary. (2) Is her method more the demonstration of prayer, affirmation, recognition, or rather more simply serving need as she encountered it? (1) What is the difference or advantage of using prayer for healing compared to affirmation or invocation? Mother Teresa of Calcutta considered that she was giving a helping hand to Jesus Himself through the people she helped to heal, saying “Jesus, my patient, how sweet it is to serve you,” and her success is legendary. (2) Is her method more the demonstration of prayer, affirmation, recognition, or rather more simply serving need as she encountered it? 

(1) None. It depends on what one is able to do. (2) Both the demonstration of prayer and serving a need as she encountered it.

Will you compare the similarities, and the differences between: prayer, invocation, affirmation, use of mantra? Will you compare the similarities, and the differences between: prayer, invocation, affirmation, use of mantra? 

Prayer is more from desire. Invocation (with or without mantra) is the most scientific. Affirmation is somewhere in the middle, depending on the person affirming.

Does it matter to whom one prays? Does it matter to whom one prays? 

It really does not matter to Whom you pray; the important thing is to believe in the one you choose. The more conscious the approach, the more mental, the more the will is involved, and the greater the faith of contact, the more the likelihood of the prayer being heard and, within karmic law, answered. My recommendation is to pray to Maitreya, as Representative of God, Divine Intermediary, not least because He has promised to answer the prayers of those who need His help. I would suggest that we should not pray for, and expect to receive, material goods or solutions to life problems, which it is our responsibility to find or work out for ourselves.

After what happened in 1945, was it not the prayers that brought Maitreya to London? After what happened in 1945, was it not the prayers that brought Maitreya to London? 

Maitreya’s decision to return as soon as possible was announced in 1945. This decision was in large measure due to the invocative cry for help from humanity. (The decision to make London His ‘point of focus’ has different reasons.) People cried for help in every language, not to Maitreya particularly but to God, to ‘up there’, just crying out “Please! Please! – Reality, God, Cosmos, help us!” When we pray to God, to Maitreya, or whomever, for peace, to my mind it is going about it the wrong way. We have to do it ourselves. Pray for help, for energy, for guidance, for inspiration, to bring about peace, but we have to make the peace. We cannot just sit back and think God will make peace. God has peace; God is peace. There is already peace but we disturb the peace.

Letter to the editor

Regular readers may be slightly surprised since the customary letters in this section describe uplifting experiences which indicate the presence of a spokesperson for Maitreya or one of the Masters, inspiring hope and providing comfort to the letter writer and to readers. In the case of this letter, by someone in our broader network, it might be thought, at first glance, to be quite the opposite. The value of this account is that it provides first-hand experience of how the pro-Israel lobby works — it is an example of how propaganda and nefarious influence distract and destroy. In this case, we hear the impact of hostility, unfounded allegations and defamation working in a European capital.

The letter is also an excellent example of one of the first requirements expected of a disciple — a practical response to world need. At a time when the world needs all the help it can get this letter inspires hope and illustrates how working with other groups to implement Maitreya’s priorities is possible, whether as individuals or as a group.

As Benjamin Creme advised “Groups like this need to work together with other groups, to support all such groups in building world public opinion. It is world public opinion, as it expresses itself through the peoples of the world, which will change the world. … An important and useful task for this group and all groups of this kind is to act consciously at creating synthesis, at developing unity in diversity with other groups. … Find out by reading the websites of all the groups. I should think there is not a reasonably-sized group today that does not have a website. There you can read about various groups, and if they share our concerns and values, if they work for the good of the world, then it is worthwhile contacting them and making some kind of demonstration at fairs and festivals, or exchanging speakers. Working with other groups is possible.” (Unity in Diversity, by Benjamin Creme)

How propaganda Works

For 10 months we have witnessed Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Using the nonsensical argument of a war between ‘civilization [Israel] and barbarism [Hamas]’, Israel assumes the right to deprive the Gaza Strip of food, water, medicine and fuel, thus putting the lives of more than two million people at risk. It is equally shocking that politicians in the US and Europe stand unconditionally behind Israel and, with arms supplies and political support, enable Israel to flout international law and toss it on the garbage heap. I have never been so disappointed in politics as I am now.

After the war began, because I could no longer bear the suffering of the Palestinians, I became a volunteer with an organization called ‘Friends of Palestine’ (not its real name). Given the circumstances, I think it is wise not to use its real name here.

‘Friends of Palestine’ is responsible for charitable work in Palestine. Although our contacts in Gaza have to work under appalling conditions, they are still able to distribute relief (food, water, etc) to the needy population with our donors’ money.

On our website, we have outlined our view of relations in the Middle East, noting that because Palestine is occupied by Israel, Palestine has a right to resistance under international military law. [Letter writer’s note: As far as we are concerned, Palestine’s situation is comparable to that of Ukraine. Just as Russia has no right to occupy Ukraine, Israel has no right to occupy Palestine. Under international law, Ukraine and Palestine have the right to resist].

A right-wing national newspaper took our perfectly legitimate text completely out of context in an article they published claiming that ‘Friends of Palestine’ urges the killing of Israelis. We presume that ‘Friends of Israel’ (also not their real name) were responsible for this initiative — the pro-Israel lobby in our country was very extensively featured in the publication. ‘Friends of Israel’ has a reputation not only in our network but also outside of it for constantly agitating aggressively against pro-Palestinian groups; it does not shy away from aggressive means to do so.

That particular edition of the right-wing newspaper had barely reached the news-stands when total pandemonium broke out. Our email address was flooded with hate mail and death threats. Politicians from the conservative parties in parliament, probably also in collaboration with the Israel lobby, practically fell over each other to strongly condemn this supposed ‘glorification of terror’. One far-right political party demanded that our charitable status should be revoked and that we should be investigated to find out whether we might be receiving large sums of money from obscure Arab countries and are perhaps funneling money to Hamas.

Banks and other financial institutions are obliged to guard against money being transferred to terrorist organizations. Some of them were already conducting extensive investigations into the amounts we receive and, in particular, the amounts we transfer to Palestine, even before the newspaper article in question. But when the right-wing newspaper published the claim that ‘Friends of Palestine’ was “calling for Israelis to be killed”, all our financial partners launched an investigation into our finances, with or without reference to the newspaper article. The result was that we, a very small group of volunteers, were busy day and night answering questions about our financial relations while struggling to maintain our aid to Gaza at the same time.

We considered taking legal action against ‘Friends of Israel’, but we were not optimistic about the chances of success. We are a small volunteer group and ‘Friends of Israel’ is a large organization with an extensive team of lawyers and good contacts with the national political parties, almost all of whom believe that Israel deserves the world’s unconditional support. As there seemed little point we decided not to initiate legal proceedings against them.

Unfortunately, this shocking episode is not unique. Worldwide, democracy and the rule of law are under pressure and many governments restrict freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate. On top of all this, anyone who speaks out against the great injustice being carried out against Palestinians runs the risk of being accused of anti-Semitism. In this way we are effectively being silenced.

(Name withheld)

Signs of the time

Apart from some few isolated hoaxes, the crop circles seen around the world are made by spaceships manned by Space Brothers from Mars and Venus, working in close cooperation with Earth’s Spiritual Hierarchy and its head — Maitreya, the World Teacher. The Space Brothers visualize the shape they want to create in any given circle, bring their machines down to near the surface of the field and, using technology operated by their minds, create the patterns. It is a combination of advanced technology and thought; the machinery responds to their thought. The whole process takes place in seconds, even for the most complex patterns.

Crop circles have several purposes. First, they are the ‘calling cards’ of the Space People who create them, to announce that they are here without alarming people or infringing our free will. More importantly, each circle is magnetized and occupies a specific place in the lines of magnetic force in our Earth’s magnetic field. Each circle is a vortex, drawing energy in and radiating energy to its surrounding area. Together they form a ‘grid’ or interrelated energy system. This energy grid — combined with electrical energy brought directly from the sun — will give us the new Science of Light as predicted by Maitreya. It will give this planet unlimited, safe power for all purposes, in ways that cannot be bought up or cornered by any group. (See also: Signs of Maitreya’s emergence: Crop circles)

Owslebury Hants, 26 June 2023 (Photograph: Copyright © Steve Alexander)
Owslebury Hants, 26 June 2023 (Photograph: Copyright © Steve Alexander)

From our own correspondents

Rutger Bregman — Moral Ambition
Stop Wasting Your Talent and Build a Legacy that Matters (review)
Corné Quartel

The UN Summit of the future in New York is coming up in September [2024], with the aim of finding international consensus and solutions for a better tomorrow. At the same time, many people are wondering impatiently, ‘When can we finally expect any real transformation for the good of all?’

It seems that the greatest threat to the world is not the climate crisis, escalating conflicts or economic inequality, but people’s inertia — passive inaction against the injustices in the world. Are we paralyzed by the machinations of a system that values the pursuit of material success over human values, justice and the planet? The world is on fire, and democracy and the rule of law are under attack. Shouldn’t we be more ambitious morally?

Exactly this is addressed by Dutch historian, Rutger Bregman, in his new book Moral Ambition: “The greatest waste of our time is the waste of talent. There are millions of people who could help make the world a better place but don’t; people who got stuck in pointless or just plain harmful jobs. There’s an antidote to that sense of emptiness; it’s called moral ambition.”

Bregman is also the author of Utopia for Realists (2017) and Humankind (2020). Moral Ambition (2024) is published in Dutch and will be available in English in early 2025.

Bregman does not lack courage and went viral in 2017 with his TED Talk: “Poverty isn’t a lack of character; it’s a lack of cash”; and in 2019, when he was invited by The Correspondent to talk about universal basic income in the lion’s den, the annual conference of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland — a gathering of the richest and most powerful people. There, he could not ignore the elephant in the room: the structural underpaying of taxes by rich individuals and large companies. “Taxes, taxes, taxes”, he said, “the rest is b***s***.” He was also interviewed on The Daily Show (US, 2019), but it wasn’t broadcast because it was deemed too radical. Both interviews, however, can be seen on YouTube.

Bregman: “Moral ambition is the will to make the world a wildly better place. To devote your career to the greatest challenges of our time, whether that’s climate change or food security, extreme poverty or the next pandemic. It’s a longing to make a difference.”

His book is aimed at younger people who have not yet become rigid or too entrenched in financial obligations and status. But if ‘older people’ disagree, he cordially invites them to prove otherwise.

According to Bregman, it is “an almost embarrassingly ambitious book that aims to be the start of a new movement and the guide to a new lifestyle”. It is teasingly provocative and optimistic and aims to ignite courage and faith in human potential, but it also paints a picture of a derailed humanity that is on a fast track to creating an uninhabitable planet. “We are at a pivotal point in history. The question is, what do we want to do about it?”

When Bregman talks about so-called “b***s*** jobs”, he does not refer to firefighters, healthcare workers, teachers, etc. “They don’t need a lecture on moral ambition because they are in the firing line every day, making the world a better place.” Some professions, however, are not very harmful per se, but don’t contribute much to society either, such as bankers, many lobbyists and marketeers (of whom 22 per cent appear to find their own profession useless). Not surprisingly, research also shows that with higher salaries usually comes less morality. …

Moral Ambition also provides insightful background stories of heroes who did prove to be effective; heroes who were at the forefront of major transformations such as the abolition of slavery, the ending of segregation in the US, and the right to vote for women. They were ordinary people like you and me, but they believed they could make a difference and simply began, asked other people to join in and managed to create a ripple effect — it turns out that, when asked, most people will help. Above all, they were idealistic and pragmatic. …

People are rising up all over the world, buzzing with discontent and idealism, but why are the results achieved rather disappointing up to now? Think of the Occupy movement, Extinction Rebellion, climate marches, and Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Bregman: “In the old days, there was no social media, and activists had to build an immense and potent organization, and by working closely together, they became a formidable opponent.” … “When Martin Luther King gave his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on 28 August 1963, his opponents not only saw 250,000 people, they also saw the organization behind that protest, and thus, how powerful the civil rights movement had become.”

We should not let this get to us or think we can’t make a difference, but we need to continue in growing numbers. A quote from Nelson Mandela on stepping down as President of South Africa: “Changing Society is not the hardest thing in the world. The hardest thing is changing yourself.” Bregman: “If you manage to choose the path of moral ambition, the ripple effect can be enormous” and “actually, you must have a very individualistic worldview to think that as an individual, you cannot make a difference. Humans are thoroughly social beings, and precisely because behavior is contagious, you can move dozens, hundreds or even millions of others.” …

Conclusion
Moral Ambition is not an intellectual exercise in why our systems fail, nor does Bregman come up with ready-made solutions, for which he has been much criticized. Is this criticism perhaps yet another excuse for inaction?

However, The School for Moral Ambition, co-founded by Bregman, offers several means of support to put people’s ideals into action (more on that in the next edition of Share International). And his encouragement to: “Improve the world by improving yourself; pick an issue close to your heart, just begin, join others, ask others to help, and it will create a ripple effect” nevertheless offers a solution that can lead to system change. After all, the Whole is the sum of its parts.

The UN Summit of the Future
Multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow (an overview)
Pauline Welch

Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations has become the only inter-governmental organization with near-universal membership (193 States). As such, it offers the best mechanism we have for the exploration and expression of humanity’s highest aspirations and potential power for good.

❝ We are at a time of profound global transformation. Too many of our fellow human beings face avoidable suffering. We are confronted by a growing range of catastrophic and existential risks. ❞

However, as an open forum still reliant on internal structures that are no longer as fit-for-purpose as they were in 1945, this is also where we can most clearly see the self-interest, self-deception and hypocrisy of powerful nations playing out as counter-forces to the common good. This had become so obvious by 2020 — when the world was hit by Covid-19 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were going way off-track — that Member States pledged to strengthen global governance and asked the Secretary-General António Guterres for recommendations addressing the urgent need for change.

In September 2021, he responded with a wake-up call to the world: the report ‘Our Common Agenda’, calling for reform of the UN through forging “a new global consensus on readying ourselves for a future rife with risks but also opportunities” and a Summit of the Future to be held 23-24 September 2024. There, an “action-oriented” Pact for the Future is expected to be adopted by Member States. Progress in its implementation will be reviewed in September 2028.

An act of Faith
The Pact is intended to be “a blueprint for multilateral co-operation in the twenty-first century” with the aim of protecting our planet and the “needs and interests of present and future generations”, “leaving no one behind”. …

The second revision (17 July 2024), opens with visionary declarations of faith in the future from Heads of State and Government. For example:

“We are at a time of profound global transformation. Too many of our fellow human beings face avoidable suffering. We are confronted by a growing range of catastrophic and existential risks. If we do not change course, we risk tipping irreversibly into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.

“Yet this is also a moment of hope and opportunity. …We believe there is a path to a brighter future for all of humanity, including for the most vulnerable. Through the actions we take today, we resolve to set ourselves on that path, striving for a world that is safe, sustainable, peaceful, inclusive, just, equal, orderly, and resilient.”

Thirty pages long, the Pact’s 58 points of action fall under five sections:

• Sustainable development and financing for development
• International peace and security
• Science, technology and innovation
• Youth and future generations
• Transforming global governance

These are densely populated with assertions of co-operation to achieve right relationships across the board; for “unwavering commitment to international law, including the Charter of the United Nations…”, whilst reaffirming “that the three pillars of the United Nations — sustainable development in all its dimensions, peace and security, and human rights — are equally important, interlinked and mutually reinforcing. We cannot have one without the others.” …

The Pact for the Future is so far-reaching in its vision and aspirations that it is easy to dismiss it as yet another initiative that will inevitably be forgotten as soon as it’s been agreed, or just simply that it’s too diplomatic. But the point is that it embodies our highest aspirations at this time and describes the pathway to that vision. Yes, vested interests of all kinds can still get in the way, but it’s down to the rest of us and our representatives to bring it back on track.

To quote Master Djwhal Khul: “The vision stands even when immediate action is blocked.”

(Sources: un.org; carnegieendowment.org; Alice A Bailey: Externalization of the Hierarchy)

The ‘overview effect’
A vision of interconnectedness
Andy Morgan

After interviewing many astronauts, author Frank White coined the term ‘overview effect’ in 1987 when describing the profound changes in consciousness after a spaceflight experience of viewing Earth from space. As White put it: “There are no borders or boundaries on our planet except those that we create in our minds or through human behaviors. All the ideas and concepts that divide us when we are on the surface begin to fade from orbit and the moon. The result is a shift in worldview, and in identity.”

Such a phenomenon is commonly reported when astronauts travel to space and look back at our beautiful, life-supporting planet for the first time from great distances. Astronaut Ron Garan is one of those fortunate individuals. He spent a total of 178 days in space, covering over 71 million miles between tours on the US Space Shuttle, Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and the International Space Station (ISS).

“There are no borders or boundaries on our planet except those that we create in our minds or through human behaviors. All the ideas and concepts that divide us when we are on the surface begin to fade from orbit and the moon. The result is a shift in worldview, and in identity.” — Frank White (Photograph: PickPik)
“There are no borders or boundaries on our planet except those that we create in our minds or through human behaviors. All the ideas and concepts that divide us when we are on the surface begin to fade from orbit and the moon. The result is a shift in worldview, and in identity.” — Frank White (Photograph: PickPik)

Taking in the spectacular sight of Earth from the heavens helped Garan to firmly grasp the fact that problems like climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss are not standalone issues. There is an underlying flaw in how we perceive ourselves. He says we are failing to realize that we are a planetary species.

In an interview with the multimedia web portal, Big Think, he describes what it was like looking out of the window of the ISS as “paparazzi-like flashes of lightning storms” revealed the thinness of Earth’s atmosphere: “I saw an iridescent biosphere teeming with life. I didn’t see the economy. But since our human-made systems treat everything, including the very life-support systems of our planet, as the wholly owned subsidiary of the global economy, it’s obvious from the vantage point of space that we’re living a lie. We need to move from thinking ‘economy, society, planet’ to ‘planet, society, economy’. That’s when we’re going to continue our evolutionary process.”

❝ A great fallacy which has grown on the people of Earth is the custom of dividing into many parts that which should never be divided. You have multiple divisions in forms and teachings, many firm likes and dislikes, all of which serve only to add to the state of confusion on your planet. We of other worlds have no such divisions but realize the relationship and the interdependence of all things. ❞

Readers familiar with George Adamski’s book, Inside the Flying Saucers, may recall a conversation he had with a Venusian Master who said, “A great fallacy which has grown on the people of Earth is the custom of dividing into many parts that which should never be divided. You have multiple divisions in forms and teachings, many firm likes and dislikes, all of which serve only to add to the state of confusion on your planet. We of other worlds have no such divisions but realize the relationship and the interdependence of all things.”

In Garan’s mind, we are only deceiving ourselves when it comes to our current material priorities and the trivial matters collectively holding our attention. His view of our relationship with nature and the Cosmos resembles something more along the lines of metaphysical philosophy than conventional science: “One of the things that I realized during my time in space is that we’re not from Earth, we’re of Earth. And to take that one step further is that we’re not in the universe, we are the universe. We are the universe becoming conscious of itself.”

Astronaut Chris Hadfield, who spent 166 days in space, said his change of perspective happened quickly and that his emotions crept up on him when he was not prepared. His ‘aha!’ moment happened while taking photos of Pakistan from the spaceship. He referred to the country as “us” instead of “them”, despite him not being from Pakistan. Hadfield then realized just how much humans on Earth are truly living together and how national borders must not define our ultimate identity as human beings.

In 1992, Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to enter space, experienced something equally powerful. During her eight-day mission, not only did she feel connected to Earth but to the whole of the universe. This feeling helped to reinforce what she already believed while growing up: there are no true boundaries to life.

During Mike Massimino’s 23-day tour in space, the sight of Earth’s curvature from outside the atmosphere led to his ‘overview effect’ moment. For him, our planet was a “paradise”. He was a space traveler able to witness the real beauty of Earth, and there was nothing more visually stunning he had seen in his whole life.

It’s not surprising that these experiences can lead to an unshakeable optimism. As Garan has said, “I do see quite clearly a blossoming unity spreading across our planet, a blossoming awareness of our interdependent nature. That awareness will eventually reach critical mass and when it reaches critical mass, then we’ll be able to solve the problems facing our planet.”

(Sources: BigThink.com, spacegrant.carthage.edu)

Share International magazine
September 2024
Full contents of the printed edition
  • The Master —: Problems awaiting action
  • Editor’s comment: Urgent — potent action needed.
  • Jeffrey D Sachs: Ten principles for perpetual peace in the 21st century
  • Luc Guillory: The struggle for French democracy – Parliamentary elections in France
  • Stop Ecocide International
  • Corné Quartel: Book review: Rutger Bregman – Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Build a Legacy that Matters
  • Pauline Welch: The UN Summit of the Future: multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow
  • Phyllis Creme: Visiting the Benjamin Creme Museum of Art, Los Angeles
  • Signs of the time
  • Naoto Ozutsumi: Japanese parliamentary group investigates UAPs over Japan
  • Sébastien Villemot: Recent global economic trends: what they mean for our future
  • Andy Morgan: The ‘overview effect’: a vision of interconnectedness
  • Sebastian Graf and Lars Graf: Central banks and money supply – Part two
  • Aart Jurriaanse: Love and hate
  • Letters to the editor
  • Benjamin Creme: Questions and answers
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