Originally published 4/3/2014:
Image Credit: Melissa Thomas
Most folks have trouble separating the eye and sight. But if you think about it, sight really does not happen in the eye... it takes place in the BRAIN. On a rudimentary level:
In fact, most of what we appreciate visually is the result of a much greater VISUAL PROCESS.
Try this Experiment:
Clear your mind, and take in the room around you. Got it? Good. Now, before you take a second look, consider this word: BLUE Now look again... Did that change what you noticed? ~~ Now, before you take a third look, consider this word: YELLOW Now look a third time... Did that change your perception? For many of us, a simple priming of a concept (or color) will result in a change in what we take in. We do not SEE anything different or new, but we change what we PERCEIVE! We even change WHERE we place our attention!
Many people consider the eyes as the most critical factor in our sight. But as the above experiment demonstrates, what we see with our eyes can be readily modified! The eyes are the sensors through which information is collected for a much more complex VISUAL PROCESS. The seat of control for these sensors is THE BRAIN (in general terms).
In order to use our eyes EFFICIENTLY as SENSORS, the BRAIN sends neurological signals to the eyes regarding:
That's a lot of work! And all of this takes place in order to simply collect visual information which is CLEAR and SINGLE, for further information processing! In our next segment, we will consider what happens in the VISUAL PROCESS... with or WITHOUT the use of the eyes as sensors!
Samantha Slotnick OD, FAAO, FCOVD
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