theeyeshaveit

The eyes have it

by Bob on January 24, 2008

This is such a cliche pun: "the eyes have it", of course punning on the voting result announcement, "The ayes have it" as opposed to the nays.

But it is so true. Eyes say a lot especially in person.

It was written that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. Or alternatively, a window to the soul. This has to be largely true.

One of my students once observed that I didn't look into her eyes when she spoke but at her lips. She said in her country they looked at the eyes more than the lips. I guess some people are trained to look at the lips so we can better understand mutterings of people we are listening to. But she woke me up and I try to look at the eyes sometimes when spoken to.

The ancient Egyptians seem to have known all about this and had the "Eye of Horus" or alternatively the "Eye of Ra". The eye had an overpowering knowledge and effect on people.

There is also the symbolism of the "Eye of Providence" or the "All Seeing Eye". Something is looking over us or even we are in touch with each other as a larger organism much akin to the Greek Gaia but more. Dr. C.G. Jung knew that with his theory of Synchronicity. Also the ancilary work of Upton Sinclair in his 1930 book which Albert Einstein thought had merit, "Mental Radio".

Well it's important to realise something we hardly ever really truly think about.

Eye contact casually between stranger or even friends on the street as we are bustling along on our merry way.

Time can stand still for an extended moment even if we are walking quickly. We make eye contact with someone else and it's like we are in a time warp and can actually say a lot with our eyes, eye-to-eye, even have a ten second romance whilst passing on the street. It happens. It's also something deeper than one might think. It's also very touching and tender unless it's the "evil eye" or a look of disdain from another. That is upsetting as opposed to pleasurable.

Body language registers too, but the eyes have it. They really make a conversation visually and without words that can't be done in words.

The "Evil Eye" is an old concept which is very powerful. There are even amulets to keep away the evil eye and counteract them.

And in his brilliant tale, "The Little Prince", Antoine de Saint Exupéry wrote something very profoundly interesting in the light of this thought on eyes:

"Here is my secret. It is very simple: one sees well only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes. The essential things in life are seen not with the eyes, but with the heart."

But we must return to the world of enchantment and think about those wonderful visual exchanges between people walking in the street. And these wordless exchanges are not very simple at all. It's a whole timeless conversation in the space of ten seconds by the wall clock. But it seems to us like suspended animation and time dilation. They are precious interactions.