Globulathon: The Psychology of Globular Clusters

‘Tis the season for globular clusters! With a clear sky last night, I couldn’t resist imaging a few. What started as one target turned into a full-on globular cluster marathon… a “Globulathon,” if you will. I captured M92, M53, M3, M12, and M13, each a brilliant swarm of ancient stars.

Now here’s where it gets interesting: what do these stellar formations have to do with mental health? As it turns out, more than you might think. They echo the mind in some surprising and meaningful ways.

Globular clusters are densely packed, spherical groups of tens of thousands to millions of stars, gravitationally bound and orbiting the outskirts of galaxies. These collections of stars are not considered galaxies themselves because they are much smaller and orbit galaxies like the Milky Way, rather than existing as independent galaxies.  We often think of gravity as a heavy force, something that pulls down, confines, or binds. But when we look to the cosmos, gravity is also the quiet architect of unity. It’s what holds galaxies together, orchestrates the elegant dance of moons around planets, and gives structure to seemingly chaotic systems. In mental health, we can learn from this cosmic principle by reimagining unity not as control, but as connection.

Gravity as Connection, Not Control

In space, gravity doesn’t shout (Also, in space no one can hear you scream. But that’s a different topic). It doesn’t rush. It simply draws things toward one another. And I use the term simply, loosely. Likewise, mental health thrives not in strict control, but in gentle connection between our thoughts, emotions, values, and the people in our lives. Remember that next time you want to change your feelings.  It’ll be harder and more frustrating than you think.

When we’re well, we feel a kind of inner gravity pulling us toward what matters: relationships, meaning, creativity, self-compassion. Take note of these things. Sometimes it can be described as flow. It’s not about forcing ourselves into alignment but allowing an inner pull to guide us toward wholeness. In other words, our bodies seek homeostasis.  Forcing alignment (e.g., suppressing emotions, denying needs) can create internal conflict or dysregulation. And when there’s dysregulation, there’s a stressed system.  In a stressed system, there can be an increase in cortisol levels.  This “inner pull” is the body’s natural way of guiding us back to equilibrium.

Unity

When we think about gravity as interpersonal connection, we can also think about unity in a systemic sense. Unity doesn't have to mean every part of us is identical or fused together. Think of celestial systems: planets orbit at different speeds, stars shine with different brightness, yet together they form something coherent. In the mind, unity might look like emotional resonance.  This is when our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors aren't identical, but they’re in rhythm. When circumstances align with our values or we achieve a state of empathetic understanding, we experience a sense of connection.   

When we’re out of sync and when anxiety spirals, or emotions clash with logic, we feel scattered. But when we find even a moment of internal resonance, everything begins to orbit more smoothly. We may still have anxiety or grief, but they move in patterns we can understand and work with.

Letting Gravity Guide You

We don’t need to force everything into alignment. We just need to listen to the inner gravity, what matters most, and allow that to guide how we move through the world. Like the cosmos, our minds are dynamic systems. We are never static, never perfectly ordered, but we can still find beauty in motion.

So, the next time you feel off-balance, ask:

What am I orbiting right now?

What am I being pulled toward?

And does that gravity serve my mental health, or does something need to shift?

Because unity isn’t perfection, it’s motion with meaning.

Thanks Globular Clusters!

From an astronomical lens…

Globular clusters are densely packed, spherical groups of tens of thousands to millions of stars, gravitationally bound and orbiting the outskirts of galaxies. These stellar systems are some of the oldest structures in the universe, stable and ancient, yet constantly in motion. Astronomers study them not only for their beauty, but to unlock secrets of cosmic evolution.