Image: Artist: Mirte Driessen
Part 2 of 5
The Sense of Sight
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, vision is:
the..“physiological process of distinguishing, usually by means of an organ such as the eye, the shapes and colors of objects.The Biological responses to stimulation by light, most often referring to the mechanism of vision.”
Your eyes are at work from the moment you wake up to the moment you close them to go to sleep. Everything we see is interpreted and categorized in accord with the spectrum and vibratory rate of the light emanating from said object. Through the gateway of the eyes the information is sent to your brain for processing, the neurological system responds to what is imprinted and the inner self becomes aware of what’s going on outside of and surrounding your physical body.
When looking at the varied learning styles, it has been proven that most people are visual learners. If you can provide something visual to support what is being learned the information will be processed more readily and easily with longer retention of that information. If, you also add a kinesthetic (movement or tactile sensation) component to that visual process, the entire body takes in the information; remembering the physiologic cues that enhanced the visual experience.
Observing the World Around You
It is through the sense of sight that we make our first judgment of a situation or thing. We then formulate an opinion which later plays out through newly informed action and the resultant decision-making about the information received. This process creates a data-base of information and stored images and if we engage our sense of vision in the most productive of ways, we will provoke an emotional response to what we see. Thereby, creating further pathways of stored information that can be drawn upon when encountering similar experiences. All of these actions are for the most part autonomic on their function. This is exemplified in the visceral reaction we may have to a certain image and we have no clue as to why this response occurs. On further examination, this image may represent one seen as a child that had negative emotions attached to it or even a movie that we don’t remember at the level of the conscious mind, but comes back as we reflect on possible triggers.
In this hurried pace of modern society many things go unnoticed. We see but we don’t truly process what we see and give space for allowing what we see to imprint more deeply on our consciousness. An excellent case in point is the visual offerings available within the public media. Violence abounds within this venue. After all, violence and sex sell. Many, however have become so numbed to these acts that they are no longer perceived with same visceral reaction that may have been engendered if this type of imagery were not so prevalent. If, however, we are bombarded with images of a loving and healing nature, our response to those in distress is generally motivated by the connectedness we may feel in relating to someone needing help and our own storehouse of positive and helpful imagery. It is for this reason that some, as they move forward on a humanity-centered spiritual path find it difficult to find entertainment in movies, music and books that are based upon less than humane acts. With the Summer fast upon us try looking with fresh eyes at the beauty of Nature that is blooming in its fullness.
We talked in the last post about the Sense of Smell. Remember to engage this sense as well. These go hand and hand in forming stronger memories. I loved school and the imagery of Fall always triggers the anticipation and excitement I had in selecting new school supplies. The chance encounters of a Fall smell (pumpkin, cinnamon, etc..) also stimulates images of shopping for those supplies, first days at school, etc..
The Inner Screen
Some may consider the Inner Screen the space of imagination. This is the space of creation that we retreat to in the theater as we close our eyes during a piece of beautiful music and images gather on this inner screen creating the story or painting the abstracts of line and color that bring the vibrations heard to a space of visual life. This is the venue of the arm chair traveller who conjures up images of a chosen locale and clearly sees him/herself sipping wine on a beach at sunset or walking the streets of Venice in Spring. All the while these imag(inary) musings can occur discreetly within the individual amidst the daily drudgery of a crowded subway ride home or the noisy playground during a lunchtime break.
Visual artists instinctively use this inner screen as their metaphorical palette of inspiration when creating a new piece of art work. They are able to “see” the finished or in process project and then transfer this image to whatever medium they are working with. Our inner screen is the space of consciousness onto which we project the images we have stored, created or just seen. As we sit with eyes closed we enter our own personal internal space, upon which we may imagine, create and visualize the experience we wish to have. And, it is from this portal that we may then move those images of our consciousness out into manifest form through the act of creativity.
The Therapeutics of Sight – Visualization
“Holistic Online cites many university studies showing that visualization has remarkable physical health benefits, including boosting immunity, easing depression,decreasing and alleviating headaches and often, seeing yourself healthy in your mind, or visualizing the image of a healthy body, is enough for your body to understand it as truth.”1.
Some simple practices that are used to develop visualization skills involve observation and memory. Focusing your attention on a specific object and then recreating that image on your inner screen. These techniques are also used in law enforcement, business interactions, sports and more.
“Visualization techniques have proven to be invaluable in crime analysis. By interviewing and observing Criminal Intelligence Officers (CIO) and civilian crime analysts at the Tucson Police Department (TPD), we identified two crime analysis tasks that can especially benefit from visualization: crime pattern recognition and criminal association discovery.”2.
The more capable we are at making varied observations and then storing those images for later retrieval the more likely the criminal will be caught and the occasional business liaison will be vastly impressed that you remember them. In spiritual work, candle gazing is a staple practice to develop visualization skills (more about this next week in the Sacred Vessel post).
Seeing Clearly Practice:
A Daily Observation
Select an activity that you regularly and routinely do such as walking or driving (safety first, please) to work or school, a class you attend, your favorite coffee shop, etc… For at least one full week each day make a note of one thing new that you observe that you never noticed before. It can be something as trivial as noting how long a light takes to change or something more covert such as the first bud of a flower or plant. Each day try to “see” something new. Becoming more aware of the little details that cross your path each day, you become more aware of the inter-connectedness of all things. You will also more clearly see what effect you may have on that minor detail, or how it may effect you in ways you were unaware of previously.
Some Resources for a closer look:
All Museums and Great Works of Art
Your Family and Friends
Your Home
Picture Albums
Companion Post: Next Week
The Sacred Vessel
The Subtleties of the Senses: Sight
Quotes:
1. Meditation and Visualization. Gaiam Life
2. Extract of Article: Visualization in Law Enforcement.
Resources:
Seeing is Believing: The Power of Visualization by Angie LeVan, MAPP
Psychology Today Magazine
Interesting article about imagery and healing:
Dr. Gerald Epstein. “THE IMAGINAL, THE RIGHT HEMISPHERE OF THE BRAIN, AND THE WAKING DREAM”
Olympians Use Imagery as Mental Training by Christopher Clary. NYTimes 2014
Visualize Like An Athelete by NBA Coach Phil Jackson
Next Post: “Engaging the Senses”
Part 3: The Sense of Touch
About This Series:
This five-part posting will take a closer look at each of the senses that are part of our greater learning and growing experience. Each of the five senses plays a significant role in how we process the information of our human experience and these lessons serve as the foundations of our use of sensation in ephemeral and spiritual experience. Each contributes a specific energy and working collaboratively they offer the keys to memory, expansion of consciousness, engagement in the physical world and doorways to the inner planes of wisdom.
There are collaborative posts speaking to the Spiritual overlays of each of the senses in the Sacred Vessel Blog that may be accessed the week after this posting.
Magickally Human 