The Light That Blinds

I've been hearing a bit about the negative effects of modern lighting on our bodies. Apparently, there is some concern that constant artificial light hurts biological processes in a variety of ways. And then I started wondering if constant light is partly responsible for the rise in atheism.

City light tends to reflect downwards in the atmosphere, effectively erasing the sight of the Milky Way from our awareness. We know more than ever before about the universe, but generally don't interact with it. It's not there every night, demanding our attention, filling us with awe, as well as, perhaps, causing us a bit of fear.

It's a similar thing to the desert- one can see for miles, or at least, to the extent one can actually see. Here in my part of the world a gaze out the window is easily stopped, if not by buildings, then by green. Plants grow, and they'll grow wild if you leave them alone in this part of the country, regardless of environmentalist propaganda. It seems to me easier to believe that the world is only comprised of that which you can see if you can only see a little.

A man in the desert, far away from city lights, must face the vastness.