Desmond E. Bing
Professor Kerr
English 101-H4
September 22, 2010
Videre
In Simon Ings’ book, A Natural History of Seeing: The Art and Science of Vision, he writes:
“Human beings arise not from dust, but from stuff hardly more edifying: a gelid spittle. How, from this unpromising material, anything beautiful emerges-let alone anything that comprehends and communicates something of the world beyond itself is a mystery to big to be encompassed by just one version of events.” (“The Art and Science of Vision” 2)
The words of Mr. Ings, a well respected science writer and author of over ten novels, could not be a more accurate description of the struggle we now seem to find ourselves in. There are countless theories on how the human race “came to be” but the distinct theme that remains a constant in every story is the importance placed on one body part in particular: The eyes. From Roman mythology to Egyptian Pantheon, almost every civilization in some way seems to lend itself to the idea that the eyes are both windows and beacons for the mind, body, and soul. They provide vision-our most precious sense; but they also transmit signals to others-signals of anger, lust, fear, and compassion. Eyes can desire or violate; they can even reflect our innermost thoughts (“World of Body: Eyes”). The human eyes, for their physical, spiritual, and symbolic concepts, have been seen throughout the world, past and present, as one of the most revered aspects of our body.
The first recorded physical scientific study of the human eye was the work of Greek physician Herophilus (335-280 B.C.). He used a unique analogy to describe the anatomy of the eye. He formulated that the eyeball was much like layers of clothing. Working inward, he described the components of the eyeball just as one might describe what some one is wearing (“The Art and Science of Vision”). Beginning with the conjunctiva there are 15 other mechanisms that make up the eye. The collagen based cornea, the ciliary muscle, and the iris, the pupil, and the lens make up most of the front parts of the eye. The aqueous humor, the suspensory ligament, and the sclera, which is the white of the eye, help to incorporate the mid-section. These are then followed by the choroid, the retina, and the vitreous humor, leaving the macula, the fovea, the blood vessels and the optic nerve to comprise the last four mechanisms of our eyes (“The Art and Science of Vision”). This is the structure of the human eye, but even infinitely more fascinating is how vision actually occurs. According to research done by Sightsavers USA, an international nonprofit that works to restore the sight of blind people and provide medical care to prevent blindness, the images we see are composed of light reflected from objects. This light enters the eye through the cornea. Now, because this part of the eye is curved, it bends the light, creating an upside-down image on the retina, which is eventually put the right way up by the brain. The retina is a complex part of the eye, but only the very back of it is light-sensitive. This part of the retina is packed with photosensitive cells called rods and cones, which allow us to see images in color and to see at night, respectively. Sightsavers USA researchers found that cones are the cells responsible for daylight vision and contain three different types of structures-each responding to a different wavelength of light: red, green and blue. The cones also allow us to see in detail, while rods are responsible for night vision and sensory depth awareness. The lens aids in the clarity of an image and allows an object to change shape as well as bringing into focus objects at different distances. Once the image is clearly focused on the sensitive part of the retina, energy in the light that makes up that image creates an electrical signal. The nerve impulse then carries the information about that image to the brain through the optic nerve and, hence, you have vision (“Sightsavers USA”). The Latin word for vision is videre. It literally means to see. There is validity, academically of course, to the fact that our eyes are not the only assets we use for vision.
Throughout history, mankind has often alluded to the fact there is more to our world than meets the eye. Speaking from a spiritual perspective, they are many examples of how this thinking has influenced different cultures. In Christian scriptures alone, there are thousands of passages that equate the significance of the eye to “the creator,” “The light of the body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” (“Matthew 6:22, 23; Luke 11:34”) Then there is the Hamsa (which means, “I am that”): a Middle Eastern protection spell against the evil eye whose origins date back to more than 1500 years B.C. (“The Hamsa Hand Symbology”) Hinduism is also full of links between the eyes and the creator, “Thou canst not!—nor, with human eyes, Arjuna! Therefore I give thee sense divine. Have other eyes, new light! This is My glory unveiled to mortal sight!” (“Symbolic Meanings of the Eye”) The idea that when one sees with more than just their physical eyes (meaning that they have shed some sort of characteristic of themselves in order to gain a genuine connection to the divine) is known as seeing with “true eyes”, and has been prevalent throughout most cultures since the beginning of recorded time. Many ancient esoteric scriptures give way to the belief of an invisible eye. This “third eye,” commonly referred to as the spiritual eye or the soul of the eyes, is thought to be the domain of focus, clarity, vision, prophesy, and awareness. It is associated with the Brow chakra (or Ajna chakra) which facilitates intuition and extra sensory perception, and is symbolic of the inner eye that sees all things within a cosmic perspective. (“Spiritual Meanings of the Eye”) This branch of thinking has led certain cultures to create symbols that play a key role in how the eye/god relationship assimilates into each individual’s society.
Symbolism has been useful in describing the connection between the eyes and the progress of humanity. In Christianity, the eye of God is depicted as hovering over a tent, which is symbolic of the Tabernacle-the temple of the faithful. The eye here represents the omni-present spirit of God peering into the soul of the faithful-ever watchful over those who serve (“Bible Meanings”). In Egypt, we see “The Eye of Horus,” who during his battle with Set, had it ripped out and torn to pieces. Thoth, however, was able to save Horus’ eye by invoking the magic of the falcon. In this context, the eyes are a symbol of protection and life. Numerous Yogis and Swamis of the Far East believe that in dreaming, the meaning of eyes indicates an opening into a new dimension. This is symbolic of one’s vision clearing and focusing in on a new direction. It may also indicate one’s ability to see past what is common and spiritually arrive to the point where one’s inner vision perceives all things in their divine glory; even the simplest of things become imbued with an exquisite quality inherent in all nature (“Autobiography of a Yogi: Pramahansa Yogananda”) (“Symbolic Meanings of the Eyes”).
Our eyes provide the framework for a considerably large part of who we are and who we can become in life because it is through these lenses one can begin to understand the facets of our world. Our eyes tell the story of our humanity; of the physical, spiritual, and symbolic meanings of one of the most important human body parts. It is how we have come to interpret “eyes” that has led to the on-going allure of the questions; but if one theme is capable of unvarying dominance between people from so many different sects of life, then shouldn’t that provide evidence of its value and be something worthy of further investigation? Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize winning author and playwright, wrote:
“We want more life. We can’t just stop. We’re not rocks-progress, migration, motion is modernity. It’s animate, it’s what living things do. We desire. Even if all we desire is stillness, it’s still desire for.” (“Angels in America” 5.5.264)
Our earnest desire to know ourselves, eyes and all, is assisting in informing the questions to which we all seek answers.
Works Cited
Answers.com. World of body: Eyes. Web, September 5, 2010. Answers Corporation,
2010.http://www.answers.com/topic/eyes-4
Ings, Simon. A Natural History of Seeing: The Art and Science of Vision. W.W.
Norton & Company. New York, NY. London, England, 2008. Print.
Jewish Gift Place. Hamsa Hand Symbology: What is the Hamsa Hand? Web, September
7, 2010. Long Island, NY, 2010.
Kushner, Tony. Angels in America. Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 8th Ave.,
New York, NY, 1995. Print.
Sightsavers USA. How We See. Web, September 5, 2010. Sightsavers International,
Inc., Chapel & York Limited, 1000 N West St, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE, 2010.
Swedenborg, E. and Thompson, I.J. Bible Meanings. Web, September 5, 2010, February
Symbolic Meanings of the Eye. Web, September 5, 2010.
Yogananda, Pramahansa. Autobiography of a Yogi. International Publications Council
of The Self-Realization Fellowship. Los Angeles, CA, 2007. Print.
