Why astronauts weep in space -- and how to find that same wonder without leaving Earth

In 1965, astronaut Ed White stepped out of his Gemini 4 capsule for America’s first spacewalk. When ordered to return, he resisted: “I’m not coming in… this is fun!” Minutes later, climbing back inside, unforgettably he said: “It’s the saddest moment of my life.”

Years later, Alan Shepard stood on the lunar surface and, looking back at Earth, wept --experiencing what scientists now call the “overview effect,” a cognitive shift that comes from seeing our planet from space. White was overwhelmed by the vastness of the cosmos; Shepard by the fragility and beauty of home.

Most of us will never float in space or walk on the moon. But awe isn’t reserved for astronauts. It lives within every soul, waiting to be awakened in everyday wonders.

✨3 Ideas

1. What Awe Is -- The Soul’s Response to Transcendence

Awe is that unmistakable “wow” -- whether standing at the Grand Canyon, hearing a symphony swell, or beholding a baby’s perfect tiny foot. It’s humbling and exhilarating at once: we feel small yet expanded, connected to something greater than ourselves.

In awe, the soul whispers: this matters.

Awe arises when we encounter something vast, beautiful or morally profound -- something that stops us in our tracks, transcending our ordinary understanding.

2. What Blocks Us From Awe -- Taking the Amazing for Granted

Children live in constant fascination, but somewhere along the way, most of us grow numb to what surrounds us. Why? Because yesterday’s wonder becomes today’s wallpaper -- we get used to the miraculous and call it mundane.

We treat people as objects, experiences as interruptions, and life itself as a checklist.

The extraordinary becomes invisible through repetition: the sunrise, a leaf’s design, the birth of a child. We mistake life as familiarity, when all of existence is extraordinary.

3. Cultivating Awe -- The Fascination Formula

We don’t have to wait for awe to find us; we can cultivate it deliberately. Start by noticing the amazement already before you: the Fibonacci spirals in a sunflower, the quiet dignity of a store clerk, a stormy sky’s tumultuous roar.

When awe strikes -- the resilience of a friend, music that moves you -- name the moment or write it down. A soul attuned to fascination sees what others overlook.

Awe is a gateway to the transcendent; the soul expands when reminded of infinite space.

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📜2 Quotes

“When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You have set in place.”
— Psalms 8:4

“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe … the starry heavens above and the moral law within.”
— Immanuel Kant

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❓1 Question

What might you be taking for granted today that once filled you with awe and wonder?

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In 1997, Bill Gates spoke to 1,500 people in Seattle at a science convention. Back then, Fortune Magazine reported Gates had a personal wealth of $35 billion. After his speech, Dr. John Cantwell Kiley, a medical doctor with a Ph.D. in philosophy, stood up and asked, “Mr. Gates, if you were blind, would you trade all of your billions to have your sight restored?” Without hesitation, Gates replied, “I’d trade all my money for my sight.”

Awe-inspiring wonders surround us every day -- but we’ve grown used to them, and they fade into invisibility. Consider practicing to see the familiar as if for the first time.

Until next time,
May your soul stay open to wonder, and may awe meet you in unexpected places.

Rabbi Ze'ev Smason

P.S. When was the last time you felt genuine awe -- and what was it about that moment that sparked it? I’d love to hear your experience.

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Looking for an inspiring, thought-provoking newsletter to peruse -- and possibly subscribe to? Check out “The Ethics Ninja” by Yonason Goldson https://yonasongoldson.substack.com/ I highly recommend it.