One early morning before Christmas 2021, as I was gazing at the sunrise from my comfortable corner of the sofa in our “sun porch” (my corner on the world), I took the photo above. Later, as I examined it, I noticed reflected points of light that offered several possibilities as to the flow of light: 1) Is the light flowing from the east and attaching to the tree? 2) Are the lights falling stars from the morning sky? 3) Are the tree lights being reflected on the window glass? The photo is the Muse for this blog post.
The Mind’s Eye is a testament to the complexity of vision and the brain and to the power of creativity and adaptation. And it provides a whole new perspective on the power of language and communication, as we try to imagine what it is to see with another person’s eyes, or another person’s mind. Along the way, he considers more fundamental questions: How do we see? How do we think? How important is internal imagery—or vision, for that matter? Why is it that, although writing is only 5000 years old, humans have a universal, seemingly innate, potential for reading?
In the final paragraph of the book Sacks writes:
There is a paradox here -a delicious one- which I cannot resolve: if there is indeed a fundamental difference between experience and description, between direct and mediated knowledge of the world, how is it that language can be so powerful? Language, that most human invention, can enable what, in principle, should not be possible. It can allow all of us, even the congenitally blind, to see with another person's eyes.
Enter Joni Mitchell from 1967
"This is a song that talks about sides to things. In most cases there are both sides to things and in a lot of cases there are more than just both. His and a hers. His and theirs. But in this song there are only two sides to things… there’s reality and I guess what you might call fantasy. There’s enchantment and dis-enchantment, what we’re taught to believe things are and what they really are."
I've looked at life from both sides now From win and lose and still somehow It's life's illusions I recall I really don't know life at all I've looked at life from both sides now From up and down and still somehow It's life's illusions I recall I really don't know life at all
© June 19, 1967; Gandalf Publishing Co. (as "From Both Sides Now")
Enter Rumi and Emily Dickinson
“I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door. It opens. I’ve been knocking from the inside.”—Rumi
Much Madness is divinest Sense -
To a discerning Eye -
Much Sense - the starkest Madness -
’Tis the Majority
In this, as all, prevail -
Assent - and you are sane -
Demur - you’re straightway dangerous -
And handled with a Chain -
-Emily Dickinson
From my safe corner on the world, am I knocking from the inside trying to open doors, or am I outside wanting to enter into a new place? I presently feel content to comfortably remain in my space, but desire to be aware of multiple sensibilities. Language is the key to opening doors, and perhaps some Madness can be divinest Sense.
I leave you with a poem by Robert Frost.
The Secret Sits
We dance round in a ring and suppose, But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.
CPW
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