Danny Jones Podcast – Episode #328

NASA Space Psychologist: What Astronauts Really See in Upper Orbit

Guest: Dr. Iya Whiteley
Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Danny Jones

Overview

In this episode, Danny Jones speaks with Dr. Iya Whiteley, a renowned NASA-affiliated space psychologist. They delve into her unique background, the psychological challenges of astronauts, extraordinary human perception, and how her work is shaping the future of cognitive development for children and multidisciplinary teams. The conversation traverses from Dr. Whiteley’s Soviet-era roots and martial arts philosophy, to cognitive engineering for aviation and space, the mystery of telepathy, overcoming societal taboos, and her pioneering research into universal language and multisensory experiences for future generations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Iya Whiteley’s Path to Space Psychology

• Her beginnings in Latvia: Raised in the Soviet Union, Dr. Whiteley was exposed early to underground martial arts and Eastern philosophy, which emphasized deep situational awareness—skills relevant to aviation and space psychology.
  [02:18-04:36]
• Interest in human consciousness: Inspired by parapsychology and noetic sciences, she focused on consciousness, extrasensory perception, and human abilities beyond the traditional five senses. “My background was in martial art...all of it was about being aware, always aware… that situational awareness bubble. It’s where you are constantly what in aviation would say ahead of the plane.” — Dr. Elena, 03:00

2. Bridging Psychology and Extreme Environments

• From martial arts to aviation: Dr. Whiteley describes the philosophical overlap between aikido and piloting—working with energy rather than against it, and fostering highly honed intuitive responses. “So you’ve got spinning movements... you amplify the angle... you keep spinning... it’s a philosophy or Tao or way of life.” — Dr. Elena, 07:10
• Aviation and pilot psychology: She found that pilots possess unique group “hive minds” and communicate with precise, nonverbal cues. This helps manage high-stress, safety-critical situations, but also causes taboo around discussing UAPs (UFOs). [13:23–18:05]

3. Parapsychology, UAPs, and Stigma

• Research origins: In the Soviet Union, parapsychology and UFO phenomena were both stigmatized and oddly mainstream. “It is stigmatized exactly the same way... there were books published, and scientists, as curious as here...” — Dr. Elena, 08:29

• Noetic Science and astronaut experiments: Dr. Whiteley references Edgar Mitchell’s parapsychology experiments on Apollo missions, and discusses her work with pilots and Air Forces, exploring intuition and decision-making in emergencies. “What is interesting is that Dean Radin... Institute of Noetic Science... founded by Edgar Mitchell... done parapsychology experiments in space.” — Dr. Elena, 05:21

4. Cognitive Engineering: “Reading Minds”

• Innovative research with pilots and surgeons: Dr. Whiteley pioneered methods to capture real-time decision-making, using helmet cameras and post-event interviews to reconstruct internal cognitive processes.
  • For pilots: Video feedback allowed pilots to recall complex internal calculations, improving decision-making speed by up to 200%.
  • For surgeons: Transferring expertise from master practitioners was made possible by recording and articulating tacit, intuitive knowledge. “So that was literally reading the people’s mind... rapid expertise transfer.” — Dr. Elena, 34:30–46:41 “They were able to watch each other and hear their thoughts... so literally immersed in another person’s point of view.” — Dr. Elena, 49:30

5. Space Missions: Psychological Toolkits & Prevention

• Support for Moon & Mars missions: Dr. Whiteley led the first UK/ESA study on psychological support for long-duration missions, emphasizing the need for robust preventative tools as “packing for Mars” can’t include treating depression in space. “The most important part is prevention. Because if we are packing for Mars, we cannot take all the medications with us...” — Dr. Elena, 72:04

• Space medicine: Alongside physical challenges (like muscle atrophy), she highlights unique psychological dangers, including isolation, communication lag, and the “overview effect,” a profound shift in consciousness experienced by astronauts. [110:45–115:03]

6. Children, Curiosity, and Universal Language

• Telepathy, “spellers,” and the ‘Hill’: Fascinated by children with autism and extraordinary abilities to communicate telepathically, Dr. Whiteley discusses the “nonverbal” children forming communities in a virtual/mental “Hill,” sharing thoughts and even teaching each other abilities. “Apparently they teach each other… they have their own teachers. We can only hear from them what these teachers are. Some describe them as angel-like…” — Dr. Elena, 29:23

• Pattern recognition and synesthesia: She explains that high pattern recognition (the foundation for future success) is not formally taught in schools. Her innovative “Cosmic Baby Books” use natural patterns to train these skills in infants, bridging synesthesia (blending of senses) and preparing for a “universal nature language.” “Our face… encodes all golden section proportions, Fibonacci, fractals… if they’re exposed to more of this pattern, they’d be amazing designers. They’d know how nature problem solves.” — Dr. Elena, 130:07

7. Technology, Attention, and Developmental Risks

• Screen time and “technoference”: Screen devices cause children’s senses and attention span to atrophy; live interaction is crucial. “Adolescents spend a working day on technology—7 to 8 plus hours. This is a direct link... if you’re on a screen, you have fewer live adult interactions.” — Dr. Elena, 99:00

• Curiosity as antidote to depression: Rather than medication, Dr. Whiteley posits that rekindling curiosity through engaging the senses and experience can prevent or heal depression. “What’s opposite of depression?... Curiosity.” — Dr. Elena, 141:22

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On astronaut transformation:
  “We are not changed by knowledge. We are changed by experience.” — Dr. Elena, 111:49

• On taboo and openness:
  “If Ryan Graves says what he saw, we need to investigate. We cannot ignore it because it distracts from their time... if pilots see it, you can’t deny it.” — Dr. Elena, 161:23

• On children’s perception:
  “The child, if you’re not paying attention, and you are the authority — you are the superman. And they are like, I want to be like my dad… when they are born, their mind in the first year develops much more than it will ever develop in the lifetime of an adult.” — Dr. Elena, 95:46

• On UAP witnesses and social cost:
  “All the letters begin with ‘I am a surgeon, I am a barrister, I am a policeman’... trying to put that ‘I’m not crazy’... but I have no one else to share it to.” — Dr. Elena, 159:09

Important Timestamps

• Dr. Whiteley’s origins & martial arts roots: [01:19–04:36]
• Parapsychology, Noetic Science, and Edgar Mitchell: [05:13–07:04]
• Pilot hive mind & cognition: [13:23–15:50]
• Reading minds: cognitive engineering method: [34:30–41:53]
• Surgeon expertise transfer: [46:41–54:32]
• Psychological toolkit for space missions: [72:04–75:03]
• Children with telepathic/extraordinary skills – “the Hill”: [26:33–29:58]
• Attention spans and technology: [99:00–100:03]
• Depression and curiosity: [141:22–142:57]
• Universal language and synesthesia in child development: [130:07–139:18]
• Overview effect and astronaut psychological shifts: [110:45–115:07]
• Work with NASA, ESA, Space Medicine: [153:38–157:22]
• Coping with taboo and investigating anomalies: [157:23–165:11]

Flow & Tone

The episode maintains an open, inquisitive, and philosophical tone. Dr. Whiteley blends rigorous scientific insight with personal storytelling, expressing curiosity and a drive to bridge gaps between disciplines, cultures, and even senses. Danny Jones serves as a curious everyman, occasionally inserting humorous asides, but mostly guiding the conversation into ever-deeper territory.

Resources & Further Information

• Cosmic Baby Book (pattern-based learning for infants) and Dr. Whiteley’s Toolkit (Amazon)
• Dr. Whiteley's handle: @dr.e.away on Instagram
• For further reading: Diana Pasulka’s Encounters, Whitley Strieber’s Communion, and the IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences) studies cited.

Conclusion

Dr. Iya Whiteley offers a rare glimpse into the psychology of astronauts and the future of human perception—one that is multidisciplinary, open to taboo ideas, and committed to advancing humanity’s understanding of itself both on Earth and in space. Her optimism for developing a universal, nature-based language and rekindling human curiosity leaves a hopeful imprint for listeners.

[Podcast summary by AI]