Photo: @micaelamalmi_photography.
What do you see when you look into someone’s eyes? It is said that our eyes are the windows to our soul. We see the internal beauty of another person when we look deeply into their eyes. As a side note: the synonyms for “internal” are: inside, home, center, interior, heart, core. There is an undeniable communication revealed through our eyes; we share a part of our being, our heart, and connect to one another.
We also see life unfolding all around us; the beauty of nature, a loved ones smile, reading/writing, looking at our computer screen, and navigating our daily activities… we see life!
These mesmerizing windows are truly fascinating miracles bringing us sight and vision. They are the second most complex organ after the brain, and they are the only part of the nervous system exposed to the external environment. Right now, over two million components are coordinating in order for your eyes to process what you are reading. This intricate optical system also receives light signals in the retina, which regulate the suppression of the hormone melatonin and dictates how well you get your zzz’s at night.
Photo: @micaelamalmi_photography.
As one of the five senses, the human eye determines light and depth perception, and it differentiates between 10 million shades on the color wheel. Incredible, right? Also each eye has six very specific, tiny and mighty muscles controlling its movements. On average we blink 17 times a minute subconsciously, but we also have the ability to voluntarily blink as well. It gets more interesting… our eyes are unique to each of us even more than our fingerprint (which has 40 specialized characteristics), the iris within the eye however, has 256 characteristics! This is one reason why retina scans are being used more these days for security purposes, and literally you are seeing someone’s identity when you look into their unique set of eyes!
There are numerous definitions associated with the eye as a verb, and there are too many idioms to mention like, “the eye of the hurricane.” The symbol of the eye in various cultures is a source of protection warding off evil. And wait, we have three eyes? Yep, we also have a third eye. You can’t “see” it but it’s located between the eyebrows. The third eye is the spiritual eye, also known as Ajna chakra and is an energy point in the body according to Hindu traditions. We look, watch, and observe the physical world with our two eyes and the third eye reveals insights about the future and connects us with our intuition.
How often do you really, really, truly look into someone’s eyes, and make eye contact? Not in a creepy way, of course, but in the “I see you” way. Pause and look up from your phone, even if it’s for a brief moment with someone in the checkout line, you’ve acknowledged their presence, you’ve made a connection with them. Perhaps they feel a hint of appreciation, I know I do.
