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November/December 2007 Alternative Health
Sacred Sight: The Number Two and Vision

by Doug Marsh

Doug Marsh

Sacred numbers and sacred geometry touch our lives in many ways, including our eyesight.

The number one, geometrically drawn as a circle circumscribing a central point, metaphorically represents unity, the one that forms the many in the divine order of the cosmos. The profound principles of the circle are embedded within the human eye, from the eyeball's round shape, to the ever-gazing circular iris and pupil.

If the number one represents unity and wholeness, how does a second number emerge? The root word for "nature" means "to be born," and the number two emerges through a birth-like process. Symbolically, this process begins as the circle divides and replicates itself - just as a living cell does. The one projects forth as a reflection of itself.

The sacred principle of number two is polarity. Paradoxically, there is both a separation and an attraction that binds the two, yearning once again for wholeness. It's the yin/yang principle of Taoist thought, the perpetual rhythmic alternation of all life and the universe. The human body has a left side and a right side, a feminine side and a masculine side, an intuitive side and intellectual side. The modern left brain/right brain theory suggests the eyes are extensions of the brain's two hemispheres. Although each eye sees things from a slightly different angle, they must work together seamlessly.

The concept of two in eyesight has further spiritual significance beyond the apparent. In Plato's Timaeus, eyesight is described as a two-way process; the eye mediates between the inner realm and the external world of objects. The fire of the soul was said to emit a gentle light from within, flow through the eye and meet the outer daylight. Like falls upon like, coalesces and forms the perception of sight. In this philosophical view, the eye acts as a portal, the proverbial "window of the soul."

The portal is actually a symbol that arises geometrically from one circle beginning to replicate into two. The fish-shaped vesica piscis is the area of overlap between the linked circles. It has been venerated throughout history by various cultures and nations and dates back to pagan and mystical religions. The early Christians considered it the link between heaven and earth, a bridge between spirit and form.

Consequently, much medieval art symbolically depicts Christ within the fish-shaped area. In ancient architecture, particularly in cathedrals and holy temples, the vesica piscis was used extensively in the design of doorways. They were portals which permitted entry from the mundane world of reality into spiritual space.

Applying the metaphor of a portal to the eyes, one is immediately drawn to the distinct vesica piscis shape which the upper and lower eyelids produce. Within the eye itself, the same pointed oval shape is found when studying the anatomy of the lens from a side view. The lens is the part of the eye where light rays emitted from an external object refract in such a way to form an image on the retina (the inside back of the eye).

New York ophthalmologist Dr. William Bates pioneered the concept of natural vision improvement almost a century ago. He discovered that visual perception is more than simply a biomechanical process of camera-like parts in the body. The inner and outer aspects of eyesight are linked, as the mind and emotions have a great impact on how well we see external objects.

During 30 years of clinical observation, Dr. Bates studied various ways in which people strained to see. He concluded that imagination, memory and sight coincide, and that when one is imperfect, all are imperfect. He encouraged visualization as a healing technique long before it became in vogue. Perhaps a good mental image is to imagine the gentle light of your soul meeting the external light in the vesica piscis of your eyes.

The Western scientific mindset artificially separates objective reality and subjective reality. This creates a tendency to overemphasize the external world of objects, freezing them into a supposed condition of permanence. Greek philosopher Heraclitus apparently equated such an unbalanced view as being stung by a scorpion. This "scorpion vision" paralyzes us from seeing the eternal rhythm.

In a related vein, Dr. Bates cautioned against the forced concentration of staring, claiming it is an attempt to imagine things as stationary. The forced attention of staring immobilizes the natural, healthy movements of the eye, and this straining actually has a boomerang effect. Instead of objects coming in more clearly, the objects become more blurred. An essential habit of healthy vision, therefore, is to maintain relaxed seeing by continuously shifting.

Doug Marsh is the author of Restoring Your Eyesight: A Taoist Approach, a natural vision improvement book published by Inner Traditions/Bear & Company. Visit www.taosight.com.