Windows to the Soul
Jackie Hillegers opens our eyes to the power contained in our ocular openings.
They say you can be fooled by a smile, but the eyes do not lie. Only 1/6th of our entire eyeball is visible, yet our eyes are still capable of transmitting such a powerful energy! From an icy glare (which can be felt), to a flirty stare or an eyeroll to show our annoyance; the eyes have a language free from words.
You can also gain an emotional insight into how someone is feeling – we see pain and sadness in one’s eyes, through their facial expressions and behaviour. When people try to mask their emotion’s they can alter their body language or try to fake a smile (to hide how they really feel), yet they often forget the eyes can tell a different story. In short – the eyes reveal what the body hides.
We only have to look into our dog’s eyes when we leave the house without them to see the sadness they portray (worthy of an Emmy). We feel so guilty leaving them alone, yet when we return, their eyes light up with a sparkle and they are full of excitement to see us…. and all is forgiven.
The old proverb or saying ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’ refers to the idea that we can see or understand how a person feels emotionally by looking into her or his eyes.
Eye contact can save a life by seeing or recognising a silent cry for help; you can tell a story of a life well lived through the eyes in a photograph or portraits; and you can pick up when someone is lying as pupil dilation or enlarged pupils can indicate deception.
This is because lying is more cognitively demanding than telling the truth as our brain works harder by searching through our mind and our thoughts for a believable story.
Audrey Hepburn once said “The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.”
The eyes can also have a cheeky, more romantic side to them – they are capable of scanning an entire room and locking eyes on a handsome stranger.
You can feel when someone is staring at you, so when two sets of eyes meet – they can choose to look away or if there is a mutual attraction you lock eyes and feel everyone else in the room fade away.
Your body releases a rush of oxytocin (the love hormone) and you know straight away if this connection is worth pursuing, even without a word spoken. This may sound like a fairytale but it does happen, hence the term ‘love at first sight’. It may feel like you are staring deep down into their soul and connecting with them on a more spiritual level.
Many a love song has also been written about eyes. Who can forget songs such as Bette Davis Eyes, Eye of the Tiger, Brown-Eyed Girl or the song that brings tears to my eyes, Bright Eyes.
Our eyes shine, glow or smile when we feel happy; we make assumptions about people within a few seconds of meeting them and decide if we will become friends with them; and we perceive people who make eye contact to be more trustworthy, intelligent and sincere, as we tend to believe what they are saying.
When not telling the truth a person’s eyes can often dart around or look at anything but you. According to experts a liar tends to look up to the top right of their vision and if someone is telling the truth they are more likely to look up to the top left side with their eyes.
According to the World Atlas the population by eye colour is:
- Brown – 70% to 79%
- Blue – 8% to 10%
- Hazel – 5%
- Amber – 5%
- Grey – 3%
- Green – 2%
- Red/Violet – less than 1%.
We have so much to be grateful for each and every day! Eyes help to capture beautiful photographic memories that can be stored in our minds for replaying later, or saving them for years to come. Memories can be bought back to the forefront of our mind through a familiar smell or a random flashback. When we close our eyes we see the memories exactly as it was, in intricate detail – in our mind’s eyes.
So… gaze deeply into intense moments of beauty and surround yourself with what takes your breath away.
Our eyes really are our silent guides for our future, and if we stop, look and listen to the whispers of the near and far we can meditate our way through life more expressively.
After all… the eyes are the windows to the soul.
Make Your Eyes Sparkle:
- Stay hydrated
- Get a restful sleep
- Eat dark green leafy veges and yellow/orange fruit and veges
- Put cucumber slices on puffy eyes
- Wear sunglasses
- Avoid screen overuse
- Minimise air conditioning
- Place warm teabags on eyes
- Use hydrating drops for dry eyes
- Laugh more, stress less
