When I was 12 years old, I locked myself in my bedroom for three days, (excluding bathroom breaks, of course). You see, my parents came to the unanimous conclusion that the family cat, Scooter, had to go. Sure, he might have poked his nails in the leather couch or missed the litter box on occasion, but otherwise he was completely lovable and adorable.
So when Scooter finally left, I went on strike. I refused to be seen by my own family. I had threatened but failed to do this plenty of times before, but I loved that cat way too much to even try to enjoy that remarkably sunny Labour Day weekend with my parents. But by the end of day three I was muttering one-liners that could have contended with the likes of Jack Torrance. I experienced cabin fever, to a tee.
Recalling this arguably embarrassing episode, I can only imagine what it would be like to travel afar on my own or live in complete solitude. Instinct would be to collapse to the fetal position and dramatically declare that all hope is lost, but according to Dr. Peter Suedfeld, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia, humans are better at adapting to altered environmental conditions and settings than we might think. This is especially true for something as momentous as spaceflight.
As a space psychologist, Suedfeld regularly conducts research on the psychological effects of spaceflight to identify similarities and differences between it and other environments on Earth. He says that a space psychologist is a psychologist who is involved in some aspect of human space exploration. Some are engaged in the selection of astronauts from the many applicants; others, in training those who have been chosen.
Also, space psychologists may work with engineers, technicians, and other scientists to make living on the spacecraft and mission programming as stress-free as possible. They tend to communicate with astronauts in space as well as their families in order to provide psychological support and counselling as needed. Suedfeld says he will typically ask research questions about perception and behaviour, and is particularly curious about how people adapt to the environment in space and how they cope with altered environmental conditions in general.
Although robotic spacecraft has already touched down on Mars, plans are underway for human expedition as early as the 2020s. Journeys such as these may last upwards of three years and may involve a crew of four to seven people, so along with a number of technological and physiological issues to work out, there are also a variety of behavioural issues that astronauts will need to prepare for. This is where Suedfeld's expertise comes in handy.
My work in Antarctica and the High Arctic'where the isolation, confinement, and monotonous inside environment, combined with a dangerous outside environment'posed a significant challenge to adaptation, says Suedfeld. I was then invited by two space agencies to consider extending my interest to spaceflight, which I was happy to do. So far, he has determined that most people are quite resilient and able to cope with extremely stressful experiences or environments. He believes it would be erroneous to assume that everyone suffers to the same degree, or that someone cannot lead a healthy, fulfilling life after undergoing great distress.
However, this is not to say that future astronauts should not mentally prepare for any damaging psychological effects of space travel. Although Suedfeld has never been to space himself, his research indicates that negative stress could potentially evolve from extended isolation in an enclosed environment. Astronauts may feel a lack of physical and mental stimulation, a disconnect from family members for months or years at a time, and in the case of group travel, a lack of privacy.
Yet according to Suedfeld, space psychology is important because human beings will always have a drive to explore new places. Spaceflight is one of our two best enterprises for that, he says. The other is the deep ocean.
Personally, I think I'll just stick to my office.
[Image: NASA]