Astropsychology
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General Overview
The field of Astropsychology or Exopsychology is the field of study concerned with how intelligent extra-terrestrial beings operate, including their behavior, mental processes, and pathologies and is directly related to the more established and recognized field of space science known as Astrobiology or Exobiology (see Xenobiology). At the time of the writing of this entry most information about this particular field is not readily accessible to the general public and much of it may only be pure speculation. From a strictly scientific and professional approach to encyclopedia article writing an entry such as this must be approached with due skepticism and caution, for it can only be highly speculative and highly P.O.V. (for those not familiar with the abbreviation, P.O.V. stands for "Point of View" and implies the strong likelihood of bias, lack of objectivity and risk of misinformation).
In Practice
Astropsychology, due to its very nature, is probably a field that involves a very small group of select scientists and academic researchers, who would have to have a serious background in human and animal psychology and who may, on occasion, seek the opinion of outside professionals working in specific branches of psychology. This latter statement is partly based on anecdotal statements made by researchers and academics in the fields of Astrobiology and Space Science in general, and partly based on logic. After all, given that Astrobiology is a branch of space science that is officially recognized and applied by such institutions as N.A.S.A., S.E.T.I., E.S.A., I.S.A. and other international, private and public, space exploration agencies and institutions, it would logically follow that where biological research is conducted so must there be psychological research. Carl Sagan, the late scientist and author, has alluded to this numerous times in his books, academic papers and other writings and statements he made during his long career at N.A.S.A.. In all probability, Astropsychology is also a highly secretive field, given that a significant amount of it would concern issues of national and international security! After all, policy recommendations, theoretical or otherwise, concerning the risks of contact with intelligent, space-faring extra-terrestrial entities, beings and civilizations are known (this is hearsay) to have been requested by top government agencies in the United States (of America), France, Great Britain (i.e. the U.K.), Japan, Russia, Israel and other governments worldwide. Such agencies probably include U.S. Gov. agencies, such as the N.S.A., N.S.C., The Department of Homeland Security, and various ones connected to the military. And clearly information on Astropsychology in the files of the previously mentioned institutions, departments and entities would be off limits to the general public and fall under the category of classified, secret or top secret.
Considerations
It is likely that N.A.S.A. and other space agencies would have a slight bias in favor of the theory that any intelligent, space-faring extra-terrestrial civilization would be highly evolved, have the technology to manipulate matter and energy to the point where there would be no need for them to want anything that is ours and could easily wipe us out if they had any unlikely reason or desire to do so. Of course, such a relatively positive or neutral view of extra-terrestrials has its opponents, and even those who might concur with the view that E.T.C.s (Extra-Terrestrial-Civilization(s)) or E.T.E.s (Extra-Terrestrial-Entities...Note: for the purposes of brevity consider E.T.C.s and E.T.E.s as more or less the same thing) are in all probability normally harmless, would have to admit that we know, at present, very little about the effects of long-distance, long-term space travel on both the integrity, genetic and otherwise, of organisms, their organs (including their brains), not to mention the kind of psychological problems and disorders that might arise from such travel! The late and great science fiction and science book author, Isaac Asimov, was a staunch humanist and tended to think that advanced E.T.C.s were probably far superior to us in their ethics, sense of morality and compassion for others. However, the general consensus of most scientists and sci-fi writers is the relatively neutral stance that says that we should be very cautious in making any assumptions about E.T.C.s and their possible intentions towards our species and planet. Those who hold a relatively or very negative view of the possible intentions of any E.T.C., a vociferous minority, whose number includes some established, highly accredited scientists and clergy, warn us that there may already be signs of a real and imminent threat to our world much due (though not entirely), as they point out, to our attempts to communicate with E.T.C.s and/or to capture signals from E.T.C.s, such as the S.E.T.I. Project has been trying to do for over three decades. Radio signals have been travelling in space for more than 80 years, and T.V. for over 60! These outspoken critics of S.E.T.I. and other similar efforts tend to think that if an E.T.C. close enough to our planet had any good intentions it would have already provided us with the highly advanced technology and scientific knowledge to save our world from the environmental and social problems it faces, not to mention to help improve the quality of our individual lives. The counter-argument is that even if an E.T.C. were in sufficient proximity to our planet and could easily send us such technology and science, or at least the blueprints and information of such, the E.T.C. might have the same concerns as those who argue that providing the general public with hi-tech security devices would do more harm than good given the low level of intellectual and emotional maturity, not to mention the prevalence of psychological disorders and dysfunctional behavior, of many (perhaps most) in the general public. And then there is the classic stance as best expressed by Gene Roddenberry, the late creator and writer of the original "Star Trek" TV Show, which also points out that a policy of non-intervention in the evolution of another intelligent species is generally advised, not just from a technology security point of view, but with regards to the serious emotional and psychological damage to the less-evolved, less-intelligent species. In fact the "Prime Directive" of Captain Kirk's crew aboard the research vessel "Enterprise" forbids such contact! So, it is probably that the same directive would apply towards our species, from the stand-point of an advanced E.T.C.. Last but not least, there is the possibility of an E.T.C. still surviving on Mars or on one of the moons of the big gassy planets, whose intentions towards us might depend on several factors, including their technological superiority or inferiority, as it were.
Specific Concerns
Whatever the actual case may be, Astropsychology would be a multi-disciplinary science, even involving philosophy and political science, and would probably have its own sub-categories or branches as does general Psychology, Human Psychology and Animal Psychology. Much of its research would concern issues such as the following: a) how to recognize signs and signals of intelligent E.T. communication, b) how to safely engage in a Close Encounters of The Third Kind and open lines of communication without having a high risk of misunderstanding between species, c) how to estimate the likely motives of such an E.T.I., especially if it shows even the slightest possibility of harboring ill will and malicious intent towards our species, d) how to engage in Psy-Ops, counter-intelligence measures, and deception in the eventuality that we should determine that the E.T.C. is a threat, and e) how to deal with the general public's likely extreme culture-shock and mass-identity-crisis that would probably ensue even if sufficient, well-devised, timely measures are taken to counter such reactions. The latter would definitely all be the main concerns of Astropsychology.
The Future
In the future, especially if some serious evidence of the high possibility of E.T.C. existing emerges, it is more than likely that Astrobiology and Astropsychology will spawn other fields, such as Astrophilosophy (author's note: something I am also writing about) and Astrosociology. However, it must be pointed out that no conclusive scientific evidence, which is even the opinion of the foremost authorities on and enthusiasts of E.T.C. research, currently exists that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. And while recent findings on Mars show conclusively that the planet once had significant amounts of surface water and hydro-geologic movement, there is as of yet not definitive proof that even small micro-organisms once flourished on Mars. It must be noted that recent findings by the Mars Odyssey probe's gamma ray spectrometer and neutron spectrometer indicate there are significant (possibly vast) deposits of water ice in the upper three meters of Mars's soil below the 60� latitude mark that encircles its south pole, and recently the same has been found for Mars' north pole and the peak of Mount Olympus Mons, the highest mountain in our solar system yet discovered. The existence of bacterial micro-fossils in meteorites found in the ice of Antarctice, whose origins are indisputably Martian, is not yet sufficiently conclusive, although some scientists do claim to have irrefutable evidence that what has been observed under the microscope are indeed non-terrestrial (and most likely Martian) bacterial micro-fossils. There are also psychologists, some with very high levels of accreditation and peer-respectability, who work with people who claim to have had encounters with E.T.C.s and who argue that even though there really is no conclusive proof of the actual existence of such extra-terrestrials that would meet the criteria for recognition by the established scientific community worldwide, there is a need to keep an open mind about these claims. The Radio-Astronomer (see Radio Astronomy)Frank Drake's famous "Drake Equation", concerning the possible number of worlds (natural planets and artificial planets)that might harbor intelligent life, would give us ample reason to be hopeful or fearful, pending which side of the argument you take regarding the likely intentions of such an E.T.C. (or E.T.E.). In the movie "Contact" (Warner Bros., 1997. All rights reserved) based on Carl Sagan's book with the same title the main character (played by Jodie Foster quotes her father's saying (words actually attributed to S.E.T.I. scientist Jill Tarter) : "The universe is a pretty big place, it's bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamed of before... So if it's just us...seems like an awful waste of space!"
Sources & Bibliography
1. Carl Sagan. 1985. Contact: a Novel: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671434004. 2. Brian McConnell. 2001. Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicatiing With Alien Civilizations. O'REILLY. ISBN 0596000375. 3. Michael D. Lemonick. 1998. Other Worlds: The Search For Life In The Universe. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0684832941. 4. Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo. n.d. The Most Important Thought Silver Aleph Books. (based on an earlier work, a book by the same author titled "Infinitism: Secret Key To The Doors of Wisdom", registered with and granted a copyright by The U.S. Library of Congress, 1994). 5. John C. Baird. 1987. The Inner Limits of Outer Space. Hanover: University Press of New England. ISBN 0874514233.
Links
The Inter-Stellar Civilization Research organization.
National Aeronautics & Space Administration.
Exopsychology as defined by Star Trek Manual.
Article entry written for Wikinfo by Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo (Philosopher), December 1, 2005 (5766), released under the GNU Free Documentation License. It is kindly requested that any use of this Wikinfo encyclopedic entry include credit to its author. -Mr.Infinity 00:13, 2 Dec 2005 (EST)
