EYES ARE THE MIRROR (MIRRORS) OF THE SOUL — “A person’s thoughts can be ascertained by looking in his or her eyes.  The proverb has been traced back in English to ‘Regiment of Life’ . But the proverb was known much earlier.

The eye as a symbol has been around almost as long as man has been drawing. Different cultures and societies have incorporated the eye as a symbol of knowledge, providence, and divine direction. The eye is a powerful symbol representing not only the search for wisdom but also the need for protection from a higher power that watches from above.

Many cultures have used the eye as a symbol. In ancient myths, the eye is associated with a higher vision. According to Gerald Massey, author of “Ancient Egypt – The Light of the World,” “The eye was a great emblem of great magical and protecting power.” The eye of Horus symbolized the moon and the eye of Sut symbolized the sun.

In India, the Eye of Siva is known as an all-seeing eye. During the Renaissance, the eye was a symbol for magic. According the Charles Vail, author of “The Ancient Mysteries and Modern Masonry,” in Masonry, the all-seeing eye symbolizes the “sight that annals time and space”. In other words, the eye represents “higher clairvoyance”. In the Lodge of the Masons, the eye also symbolizes the “Omniscience of God.” On the American dollar bill, it represents a guiding and protective force.

The significance of the symbol of the eye remains in the function of the eye and the importance what and how we view things.  Vision is a fine-tuned process. All the parts of the eye — and the brain — need to work together so a person can see correctly.

From the moment you wake up in the morning to the time you go to sleep at night, your eyes are acting like a video camera. Everything you look at is then sent to your brain for processing and storage much like a video cassette.

No doubt you have stood before the mirror, as have I, watching pupils react to changes in the intensity of light—dilating to let more light in, constricting to reduce the light allowed to reach the sensitive retina of the eye. A self-focusing lens is at the front of each eye. Nerves and muscles synchronize the function of two separate eyes to produce one three-dimensional image.

Each eye weighs about 7.5 grams and contains over 120 million special photoreceptor nerve cells.  Eyes are connected to the brain, ready to record sights seen. No cords, no batteries, no external connections are needed; our visual apparatus is marvelous—infinitely more priceless than any camera money can buy.

The word “Eye” has many meanings from an organ that detects light to the symbolic eye with its many metaphors that link to conscious awareness. Reality is a consciousness hologram virtually experienced through the eye of time. The physical eye has a pupil symbolizing we are pupils/students in a university or universe.

The human eye gives us the sense of sight, allowing us to learn more about the surrounding world than we do with any of the other four senses. The eye allows us to see and interpret the shapes, colors, and dimensions of objects in the world by processing the light they reflect or emit. The eye is able to see in bright light or in dim light, but it cannot see objects when there is no light.

We use our eyes in almost every activity we perform, whether reading, watching television, and in other countless ways. Now days, good vision is critical and essential to conducting activities of daily living easily. It is important for language, and affects developmental learning, communicating, working, health and quality of life. It is very important to take care of your eyesight. Imagine not being able to read the newspaper, see if you are going to be hit by a car, or drive a car. Without a healthy vision you will be forced to rely on others to cross the street or go grocery shopping, becoming many times very inconvenient.

The ancient proverb “the eyes are the window to the soul” may in some ways be validated by cognitive neuroscience. Everyone has a different structure of lines, dots and colours in their iris.  Pupil diameter is gaining currency as an index of mental effort (“cognitive workload”) as well as arousal.  Patterns in the iris can give an indication of whether we are warm and trusting or neurotic and impulsive, research has found.

Each morning we must thank God for the miracle of vision. How much are our lives enriched by the ability to see? Imagine for a moment that you were totally blind. How much would you be willing to pay to have your sight restored? I think most of us would give everything we possess.

God gave us eyes to see the things 
He placed throughout the land;
To appreciate the beauty that
 He made with loving hands. He gave us eyes to see the sun,
 The moon and all the stars;
 To stare in awe and wonder
At creations near and far. God gave us eyes to see the trees,
The petals on a flower;
 And with these eyes we all can see 
God’s majesty and power. God gave us eyes to help us seek
A husband or a wife;
 He gave us eyes to see a child,
The miracle of life. With these eyes, it’s possible
To see all that He’s done
 To make the world a perfect place
 For daughter and for son. But these eyes have obligations
 To fulfill for fellow man;
 To see the pain and hunger 
And to ease it if we can. To see when someone’s hurting 
And to help their sorrow end;
 To see their need for nourishment,
 To see them as a friend. God gave us eyes to recognize
The need to spread His Word;
 To see the need to witness
And embrace all we have heard. God gave us eyes to see it all, 
But our eyes were just a start…

Some might choose the view of the Grand Canyon at sunrise—others, the beauty of a mountain lake, river, waterfall, or desert.  Some might select a peacock with its tail in full fan or a handsome horse. Others would nominate the beauty of butterfly wings, or a hummingbird seemingly suspended in midair while feeding.  These magnificent sights are wondrous beyond measure. They are all “great deeds” of our divine Creator.

It’s no accident that the main function of the sun at the center of our solar system is to provide light. Light is what drives life. It’s hard to imagine our world and life without it.  The sensing of light by living things is almost universal. Although small in size, the eye is a very complex organ.

Have you ever looked into someone’s eyes and have the feeling that as if you can read his or her mind?  The eyes are the most direct contact we made with people and they express our feelings most sincerely.   This is why we call the eyes as “The Windows of the Soul”.  If something’s not right with your eyes, then nothing’s right with the world.

Our eyes are very delicate so it is important that we treat them with respect and kindness.

Live and Learn. We All Do.

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