Light pollution - a blight on spirituality and well-being?
Cleanthes's Thoughts on a Tie to Nature
In Cicero’s On the Nature of the Gods Balbus references Cleanthes, a former scholarch of the Stoa as stating that humans have four engrained convictions that Gods exist (he doesn’t specify which ones). One of these notions of an existence of something larger is the marvel of the heavens:
As the fourth and most important cause of all he names the uniformity of motion, the revolutions of the heavens, the grouping of the sun, and moon, and all the stars, their serviceableness, beauty, and order, the mere appearance of which things would be a sufficient indication that they were not the result of chance. Just as a man going into a house, or gymnasium, or market-place, would find it impossible, when he saw the plan, and scale, and arrangement of everything, to suppose that these things came into being uncaused, but would understand that there was some one who superintended and was obeyed, so in the case of such vast movements and alternations, in the orderly succession of phenomena so numerous and so mighty, in which the measureless and infinite extent of past time has never deceived expectation, it is much more inevitable that he should conclude that such great operations of nature are directed by some intelligence.
(Cicero, On the Nature of the Gods)
How do you feel, when you are out camping or walking from the car to the house late at night and catch a glimpse of the stars. Does it make you pause? Do you feel small?
Perhaps, for just a moment you feel a sense of calm and peace wash over you, and get the sense of things falling into perspective. Seeing the stars, and witnessing their shifts over time is a key reminder in the practice of belonging to the cosmopolis.
But as the modern world churns, on we see that more than 80% of humanity is being affected by light pollution (with that figure expected to grow over time). Is there a potential connection between the disappearing cosmic connection, and the rising rates of depression or falling religiosity/ spirituality in the US/ Western world? While these are complex issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if lacking connection to Nature played a role in spiritual malnourishment and diminished well-being (with even small amounts of time spent in nature being linked to psychological well being).
Perhaps a virtuous course of action would be to protect the remaining dark sky areas that we have left, or encourage people to unplug and find their place.
In your own world, next time you’re outside at night. Take a moment, and look up at the sky.