Exploring the Benefits of Astronomy for Mental Health and Wellbeing

How often do you venture out into the night to raise your eyes upwards into the night sky? There is something magical about this ordinary act. The stars glitter at unimaginable distances while the moon seems to shine from a reach away with a halo. The universe is so vast that greatness of its extent is hardly conceivable; small wonder it has been the subject of humanity's fascination for millennia.

That interest in celestial bodies compelled something more meaningful to brew over the last couple of decades. For many today, astronomy has become a deep practice for mental health. While some chose meditation and morning yoga, others chose another, perhaps forgotten way: astronomy to reconnect with themselves. Looking up beyond the confines of Earth may do for us something that is both grounding and freeing in its way.

Your Sanctuary

Stargazing is a deceptively simple act; it is, nonetheless, one of transformation. We fall into that quiet of lying beneath the stars, until we are far enough from urban chaos to make sense of the dark. This static practice is a balm to the overstimulated mind.

Many studies confirm that nature positively influences levels of stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. One conduit to nature is the sky. The simple act of looking upward creates a sense of space and contemplation that is often hard to find otherwise, much like the clarity one might seek through an online psychic reading. Both experiences encourage reflection and help in finding a sense of calm amid life's uncertainties.

There is something to the constancy of the stars and how they have been there long before us, and will continue to be so for a time after we're gone. Overwhelming problems, anxieties that have weighed us down, somehow break down in such enormity. We are reminded of the fact that we are part of a much greater thing than just ourselves.

Mindfulness Practice

The amazing thing is that astronomy functions very much in the same way as mindfulness does. There is a beautiful knowledge that the same stars that we look upon today are the same ones ancient peoples saw in search of answers to their existential questions. Astronomy as a science and practice teaches us to observe, pay attention, and question. That is the quintessence of mindfulness — to be at that moment.

Astronomy really speaks to something hardwired within us: our curiosity. We stand under the night sky, feeling that pull to understand more: what are we seeing, how far away those stars are, what is going on upon the planets? It is these kinds of questions that tap into that sense of wonder that often gets buried beneath the mundane concerns of life. And it now would appear very important for our wellbeing.

That would suggest that feelings of awe and wonder are associated with greater life satisfaction. The night sky is probably one of the more accessible sources of awe available to us. Allowing ourselves to be moved by the immensity of the universe, we can begin to know life in a fuller, richer way.

Mental Freedom

When you get down to the understanding that the sun is one of the billions of stars in our galaxy, which is one of the billions of galaxies, you get a cosmic perspective on it. All of the little stuff that can consume us like worries about work, social pressures, and financial stress, feels less weighty by comparison to the galaxy.

Astronomy can create a kind of peculiar freedom. If the universe is this big, then all of our troubles perhaps aren't as insurmountable as they seem to be. It's an idea that can ground one and empower them at the same time.

Connection With Others

Stargazing has become one of the most popular types of dating for a reason. Stars can connect people. Even an evening outside with a friend and looking at the stars together fosters mutual feelings of awe. These moments are remembered forever.

Yet that is not all; it also establishes a significant relationship with Earth. Ironically, the fact that we look away from our home planet reminds us of how unique it is. Do you remember your school classes? Earth is the only one of all the planets capable of sustaining life in our solar system, as your teacher said. This blue dot out in space is important to us, just as we are important for it.

Conclusion

Ten minutes of silent gazing at the sky can change everything. This is a metaphor, of course. Nothing will change around you, but inside you — everything can change.

Perhaps you will feel a strong connection with the universe that will inspire you. Perhaps you will understand how small your problems are compared to the entire galaxy, and this will calm you down. Maybe someone special, looking at the stars with you, will take your hand and turn your world upside down. Anything can happen. You only need to look through the telescope.