Overwhelmed By Space

Its called Cosmic Vertigo and you aren’t alone

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by space?

It can be dizzying when you think about the size of the universe compared to yourself. Or the fact that everything that keeps you alive hangs in perfect balance, based on our planet’s position.

Perhaps you look at the stars at night and feel like you are being sucked toward them. Like you are being consumed by the expanse around you.

The concept of gravity seems elusive and you wonder why you don’t just float away. Or maybe the fact that the air you breathe is just available to you without you doing anything to deserve it. Can you trust that?

If these feeling and thoughts are yours, then know you are not alone. This is a normal reaction to space and all that is beyond our atmosphere.

It’s called Cosmic Vertigo.

Reality check

For most of us, it is hard to fully accept or understand things we have not actually experienced.

Maybe I have just made you aware of our place in the universe. If so, welcome to the club. In some ways, we should all look to the sky and be stunned of the immense size of the cosmos.

The very thought of our smallness is staggering.

What you are experiencing when you think about space is perfectly natural. But it is not the same as being afraid of space.

Astrophobia

I’m not talking about being afraid of space. That is a completely different thing. That’s called astrophobia. Cosmic vertigo isn’t about fear of planets, aliens, darkness, or empty expanses. In fact, it’s not about fear at all. It is about awe.

We are made of stars

It is about accepting that all that we are is made up of the stars. Our very atoms floated through the universe before coming to rest on the earth. Each atom was shot across the cosmos as a piece of an exploding star. And after millions of years, those atoms combined, forming life and leading to who you are today.

You are made of the stars and it looks good on you.

Cosmic vertigo is healthy

We take it our planet for granted every day. We live our lives walking around knowing that each step our feet will land back on the ground and we never doubt it. We breathe in and out day after day, not even considering all that has lead to this ability. We need to cherish the world we live in. It gives us life.

Cosmic vertigo is how it feels to be overcome by all that is beyond the earth. But we forget about all that it means so quickly. We are stardust and the cosmos is our mother.