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While the trip was obviously inspiring for the former Starfleet captain, it also brought up unexpected emotions such as grief and sadness.
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Although a champagne-spraying Bezos interrupted Shatner's initial thoughts on his trip, he was able to fully expound on his experience in his book.
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Variety published an excerpt from the book, but this quote sums up William Shatner's sadness: "It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered."
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The stark contrast between the icy coldness of space and the nurturing warmth of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness."
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The phenomenon that William Shatner experienced is known as the 'overview effect.' The overview effect is a cognitive shift when viewing Earth from space.
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The experience can be transformative, leaving the individual with overwhelming emotions and a deep connection to the Earth and its inhabitants.
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William Shatner was able to beautifully summarise his spaceflight experience, returning with a sense of how fragile the Earth is.
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While William Shatner got a special invite to go check out our Earth from outside the atmosphere, the actual cost of a visit like this is prohibitively expensive for most of us.
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