Spirit on the Brain

From Lilienfeld et al.’s 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology (p. 34-5):

As the great Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget noted, this belief [that the eye emits rays or particles that enable it to see objects] begins early in life. Piaget even discussed the case of one child who believed that two people’s looks can connect and “mix” when they meet each other. Consistent with Piaget’s observations, 57% of elementary school children say that something comes out of the eye when people see…. This belief declines from the third to the eighth grade, but it remains widespread….

This “extramission theory” of vision dates back at least as far as Greek philosopher Plato (427–347 B.C.), who spoke of a “fire” that emanated from the eye during vision, which “coalesces with the daylight … and causes the sensation we call seeing”…. Later, Greek mathematician Euclid (circa 3o0 B.C.) described “rays proceeding from the eye” during vision….

Indeed, beliefs about the “evil eye” (mal ojo) inflicting psychological harm on others have long been widespread in many countries, especially Mexico and those in the Mediterranean, Central America, and the Arab world…. Both the Old and New testaments of the Bible refer to the evil eye, and ancient Egyptians applied eye shadow to ward off its sinister influence….

Pressure phosphenes, which we most often see after rubbing our eyes after awakening … may contribute to the belief that the eye emits tiny particles to detect objects. [Also,] the eyes of many animals that possess good night vision contain a “tapetum lucidum,” a reflective layer behind or within the retina. Many of us have seen the gleaming light generated by this layer, sometimes called “eyeshine,” in cats or raccoons at night.

Biblio: Lilienfeld, Scott O., S. J. Lynn, J. Ruscio and B. L. Beyerstein (2010), 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior (Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell).

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