When Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to have walked on the moon, was returning to earth, the sight of its blue-green brilliance piercing the blackness of space triggered in him an epiphany so profound that the course of his life would be forever altered. Since then, he has dedicated his time, talents, and scientific knowledge to an ongoing inquiry into the metaphysical nature of the universe. In this dialogue with EnlightenNext editor Jessica Roemischer, recorded at the Quest for Global Healing Conference in Bali, 2004, Mitchell describes some of the cutting-edge theories concerning the ultimate origin, purpose, and future of the cosmos and the conscious intelligence he believes pervades it. Mitchell delves into the intricacies of quantum holograms, the interconnectedness of matter, energy, and consciousness, and the supposition that an intelligent self-organizing principle lies at the heart of all creation.
BIO
“My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity.”
Dr. Edgar Mitchell is a scientist, naval officer, astronaut, and author. He is best known for his life-changing experience seeing the planet Earth from space on his Apollo XIV mission in 1971. He was the sixth man to walk on the moon.
Dr. Mitchell is the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), a nonprofit organization sponsoring research on the nature of consciousness. He is also the cofounder of the Association of Space Explorers. Both are educational organizations developed to provide new understanding of the human condition in the epoch of space exploration. He lectures regularly on cosmology, human potential, and the implications of recent discoveries in science as they affect our individual lives.
He is the author of Psychic Exploration: A Challenge for Science (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974), a major reference book, and The Way of the Explorer (Putnam, 1996).
Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University, a B.S. in Aeronautics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His honors and awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, USN Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Group Achievement Award (three times), Explorers Club Man of the Year, Legion of Goodwill, Hors Concours Award, and induction into the Space Hall of Fame.
“Suddenly from behind the rim of the moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slow swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth—home.”
“On the return trip home, gazing through 240,000 miles of space toward the stars and the planet from which I had come, I suddenly experienced the universe as intelligent, loving, harmonious.”
“We went to the moon as technicians, we returned humanitarians.”
