Besides meditation, which is probably one of the most famous ways of spirituality, history shows us that humans have always been religious. Church rituals and famous holidays – Christmas, Easter, etc. - bring people who share the same beliefs together. It is considered by specialists that church gatherings create stable communities in which anxiety decreases and many find comfort, because they receive answers to their problems. Choosing to adopt a more religious lifestyle has brought people back to their senses, has reunited families and has restored peace in many cases. Religion promotes the idea that through prayers, a good behavior and different habits, we make our way to divinity, where there will be no pain and suffering. Thus, many religious institutions provide a variety of charitable events through which those in need can be helped, also brightening the mood and increasing the confidence of those who volunteer to help. Worldwide, there are lots of places in which men and women from different religions can gather and express their spirituality. On our settlement we are trying to create a life as similar as the one on Earth, providing Aphrodite with spaces specially destined for meditation, church rituals and praying, in which every religion and belief can be expressed. An environment like Aphrodite comes with a lot of difficulties in terms of adaptation. Our inhabitants will have to get used to a new normal, to a completely different lifestyle in order to reach a point in which they will consider the settlement their home and the place where they belong. This process obviously takes time and challenges someone emotionally. Seeing how spirituality benefits one’s mental health, we encourage everyone on our settlement to manifest their spiritual side and to connect with anything they feel attached to. Creating a balance between what surrounds us and ourselves is a key aspect when it comes to adapting to a new way of living.
ART AND SPACE “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” ― Elbert Hubbard Art is any creative work of a human being, a form of expressing oneself and manifests the beauty by making something visually entertaining. It allows “discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use”, as brilliantly said by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Art is more than just an image – it tells a story, as it elicits powerful sentiments and sends across meaningful messages through feelings. Arts encode information, stories and perspectives as it is a way of life and more than just a skill, it is a passion. Art and science For a while, it was believed that people are predisposed to either right-hemisphere brain dominant, which is more creative or to left-hemisphere brain dominant, which gives mathematical skills. However, this proved to be a misconception as many astronauts are both artists and scientists. By using both skills people use the entire brain, the left and the right, by making a union between art and science. As each artist is unique through their own experimentation and process, painting in lower-gravity can become a challenge that creates opportunities for redefining new processes. While doing science, there is often a routine that needs to be followed precisely, especially in space where is no room for errors. Due to routine, people are caught in keeping perspective out of sight. Through arts, people in space get a chance to introspect and relax, while looking for new horizons and vision, opening doors to “out-of-box” thinking. By usage of art, scientific data is better communicated. As science fiction led to science facts, art leads to visual communication as a “picture worth a thousand words”. Many art competitions are being organized on a regular basis on Earth and professional artists depict how far away planets or galaxies might look like after drawing scientific facts. Such galaxies are so far away that telescopes cannot reach to take real pictures therefore imagination brings perspective closer to reality.
