372 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
372 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2)
|
|||
|
|
Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
|
|||
|
|
Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
|
|||
|
|
PO BOX 1031
|
|||
|
|
Mesquite, TX 75150
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS
|
|||
|
|
on duplicating, publishing or distributing the
|
|||
|
|
files on KeelyNet except where noted!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
March 8, 1992
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Night.ASC
|
|||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
This file shared with KeelyNet courtesy of Keith Idell.
|
|||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
I am always interested in anything that expands human capabilities
|
|||
|
|
and human abilities. This artical in The Whole Earth Review (Fall
|
|||
|
|
1991) is extremely applicable to this end, that is; extending human
|
|||
|
|
perception. The artical is entitled "Nightwalking: Exploring the
|
|||
|
|
Dark with Peripheral Vision", by Nelson Zink and Stephen Parks.
|
|||
|
|
____________________________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It all began one afternoon a couple of years ago. We were talking
|
|||
|
|
about people who have the ability to see farther or more deeply or
|
|||
|
|
more clearly than the rest of us, those exceptional individuals who
|
|||
|
|
can easily master complexity and ambiguity and arrive at startling
|
|||
|
|
insights.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We began to speculate on the possibility that these people weren't
|
|||
|
|
just smarter or more creative than the average person but perhaps
|
|||
|
|
literally saw the world in a different manner. As we looked for
|
|||
|
|
direct connections between the literal and figurative meanings of
|
|||
|
|
words like sight and vision, it slowly became apparent that we were
|
|||
|
|
onto something. We reviewed the physiology of sight and discovered
|
|||
|
|
that neural structures exist within the eye and begin which
|
|||
|
|
facilitate a way of seeing that is radically dissimilar from the one
|
|||
|
|
we're accustomed to using. We confirmed that there is, indeed, a
|
|||
|
|
neurological basis for a distinct "second" type of sight, and that
|
|||
|
|
this way of seeing is available to all of us all the time. (Usually
|
|||
|
|
we are so absorbed with our focused vision that we're unaware of its
|
|||
|
|
power.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Perpheral vision.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Could peripheral vision possibly be related to Vision, to Insight,
|
|||
|
|
to all those capitalized powers of perception? Searching for
|
|||
|
|
references that might shed light on second sight, we found that
|
|||
|
|
while many individuals weren't particularly aware of how they
|
|||
|
|
accomplished their achievements, the reports contained eery
|
|||
|
|
similarities. We found a succession of texts from the Taoists of
|
|||
|
|
early China through the books of Carlos Castaneda that spoke of a
|
|||
|
|
certain kind of all-seeing gaze. It was often difficult to
|
|||
|
|
determine whether the authors were speaking literally or
|
|||
|
|
metaphorically, but it was perfectly clear in the case of Miyamoto
|
|||
|
|
Muksashi, the legendary swordsman of fifteenth century Japan, who
|
|||
|
|
had the clearest and most insightful description of the powers of
|
|||
|
|
peripheral vision we found.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Page 1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In The Book of Five Rings, Musashi refers to the two types of sight
|
|||
|
|
which he calls Ken and Kan. Ken registers the movements of surface
|
|||
|
|
phenomena; it's the observation of superficial appearence. Kan is
|
|||
|
|
the profound examination of the essence of things, seeing through or
|
|||
|
|
into. For Musashi, Ken is seeing with the eyes, Kan is seeing with
|
|||
|
|
the mind.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The difference is akin to that of style verses substance. Musashi
|
|||
|
|
gives instructions for developing Kan sight: "It is important to
|
|||
|
|
observe both sides without moving the eyes. It is no good trying to
|
|||
|
|
learn this kind of thing in great haste. Always be watchful in this
|
|||
|
|
manner and under no circumstances alter your point of
|
|||
|
|
concentration."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
While Musashi certainly didn't understand the physiology of sight,
|
|||
|
|
he was acutely aware of the difference between cone and rod vision.
|
|||
|
|
We reviewed the science of vision and read that the retina of the
|
|||
|
|
human eye is composed of three distinct areas: the fovea, macula and
|
|||
|
|
peripheral region. Each area performs a distinctive visual function
|
|||
|
|
and contributes to the sense we call sight. Because these different
|
|||
|
|
functions operate simultaneously and blend into each other, they
|
|||
|
|
aren't normally differentiated.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The fovea is a small circular pit in the center of the retina packed
|
|||
|
|
with an unbelievable concentration (160,000 cells per square
|
|||
|
|
millimeter, an area about the size of the head of a pin) of color-
|
|||
|
|
sensitive receptor cells called cones, each with its own nerve
|
|||
|
|
fiber. The fovea enables the average person to see most sharply
|
|||
|
|
within a cercle less than an eighth of an inch in diameter at a
|
|||
|
|
distance of twelve inches from the eye.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Surrounding the fovea is the macula, an oval body of color-sensitive
|
|||
|
|
cells. Macular vision is quite clear, but not as clear and sharp as
|
|||
|
|
foveal vision, because the cones aren't as closely packed as they
|
|||
|
|
are in the fovea. We use the macula for reading or watching
|
|||
|
|
television, among other things.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Moving away from the central portin of the retina, the character and
|
|||
|
|
quality if vision changes radically. The capacity to see color
|
|||
|
|
diminishes as the color-sensitive cones become more scattered. Fine
|
|||
|
|
vision associated with closely packed cones, each with its own
|
|||
|
|
neuron, shifts to a coarser vision in which two hundred or more of a
|
|||
|
|
different type of receptor cell - the rods -are each connected to a
|
|||
|
|
single neuron. The effect of the connections between rods is to
|
|||
|
|
amplify the perception of motion and light while reducing the
|
|||
|
|
capacity for distinguishing detail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For our purposes, we began to think of the retina as divided into
|
|||
|
|
two areas: the fovea and macula, both with high concentrations of
|
|||
|
|
cones, and the periphery, where rods predominate - in short, cone
|
|||
|
|
and rod vision, responsible respectively for focused and peripheral
|
|||
|
|
vision. A quick way of understanding the extent of these two
|
|||
|
|
regions of sight is to extend your fists directly in front, side by
|
|||
|
|
side. Your fists cover the approximate area normally seen by cones;
|
|||
|
|
the rest of your visual field is largely rod mediated. Thus it's
|
|||
|
|
apparent that only a small percentage of our total visual field is
|
|||
|
|
clearly focused. Attending only to this region results in what is
|
|||
|
|
commonly called tunnel vision - figuratively and literally, as we've
|
|||
|
|
come to believe.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Page 2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It became evident to us that many of the special perceptions we
|
|||
|
|
sought came from the ability to observe the world and ourselves from
|
|||
|
|
a "different point of view," in a broader, unfettered context.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In time the obvious struck us, that the experience of insight, rapid
|
|||
|
|
learning, invention, creativity, intuition, and perhaps even
|
|||
|
|
personal change have a direct connection with second sight, a sight
|
|||
|
|
dependent almost completely on the brain's capacity for processing
|
|||
|
|
peripheral vision.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We decided to try to develop a technique which would effectively
|
|||
|
|
stimulate which would effectively stimulate this special way of
|
|||
|
|
seeing. After some trial and error we originated an exercise and
|
|||
|
|
designed a simple piece of equipment which seemed to enhance our
|
|||
|
|
access to decond sight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On the bill of a baseball cap we mounted a metal rod welded to
|
|||
|
|
a binder clip, extending about a foot in front of our eyes. On the
|
|||
|
|
tip of each rod we glued a small bead of plastic resin about the
|
|||
|
|
size of a baby green pea. This created a fixed point on which to
|
|||
|
|
focus. We reasoned that with our focused vision on the bead, any
|
|||
|
|
physical activity would necessitate the use of peripheral vision.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We chose hiking.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We drove out into the countryside near our homes in northern New
|
|||
|
|
Mexico, found a place where we wouldn't be interrupted, donned our
|
|||
|
|
caps and set out. In the beginning, disoriented and functionally
|
|||
|
|
blind, we made our way cautiously along an old jeep trail. Soon we
|
|||
|
|
noticed that our feet seemed to know what to do. We stepped over
|
|||
|
|
and around obstacles on the ground without consciously being able to
|
|||
|
|
see them. It became apparent that our non-conscious minds could see
|
|||
|
|
the ground directly on front of us perfectly well.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Within an hour our field of vision began to clear, and we both
|
|||
|
|
became engrossed with the phenomenon of seeing double. Walking
|
|||
|
|
behind, one could watch two identical people moving up ahead,
|
|||
|
|
walking side by side, each making identical movements. A sort of
|
|||
|
|
Zen paradox arose as to which was the real one. We later understood
|
|||
|
|
that the solution to this and other "reality" paradoxes was an
|
|||
|
|
important part of learning to use and trust second sight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As we walked we began to notice that other senses such as hearing,
|
|||
|
|
balance and touch naturally expanded and became more acute, as if
|
|||
|
|
we'd gradually become conscious of the peripheral regions of these
|
|||
|
|
senses too. Concurrently, the perception of "weight" shifted lower
|
|||
|
|
in our bodies, to the hips and on down to our feet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After a couple of hours of walking along the road we began to
|
|||
|
|
experience a deep sense of relaxation. We noticed our hands had
|
|||
|
|
warmed considerably, an indication that stimulation of the
|
|||
|
|
parasympathetic nervous system was somehow related to the experience
|
|||
|
|
of second sight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Each time we have walked (probably a hundred times by now), a sense
|
|||
|
|
of deep calm has been experienced. It took a while to understand
|
|||
|
|
what was going on, but our theory is this: Walking while relying
|
|||
|
|
only on second sight requires that the conscious mind trust the non-
|
|||
|
|
conscious, and this inter-mind trust is the essence of relaxation
|
|||
|
|
itself.
|
|||
|
|
Page 3
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On the next few outings we picked steeper grades and rougher
|
|||
|
|
terrain. We found we could easily control fatigue and pain by using
|
|||
|
|
an application of will - focusing attention on the tired body part,
|
|||
|
|
for instance, and moving the discomfort off to the edges of
|
|||
|
|
awareness, virtually the same process as moving our attention about
|
|||
|
|
in the great field of peripheral vision without moving our eyes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In our reading we had been reminded that in darkness, peripheral
|
|||
|
|
(rod) vision is far superior to focused (cone) vision. Night vision
|
|||
|
|
relies almost entirely on rods, which because of their neural
|
|||
|
|
connections and physical makeup are very sensitive to light. Rods
|
|||
|
|
need about thirty minutes of dark or dim red light to activate
|
|||
|
|
fully, and then, it is claimed, they have the capacity to detect a
|
|||
|
|
single photon - the equivalent, in clear air, of detecting the flame
|
|||
|
|
of a candle that is ten miles away.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In the dark, cones are for the most part visually useless, and so we
|
|||
|
|
figured that walking in the dark woukd force us to become even more
|
|||
|
|
dependent on peripheral vision. It was time to up the ante.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We modified the headgear by painting the beads with luminescent
|
|||
|
|
paint and increased our daily intake of Vitamin A (necessary for the
|
|||
|
|
formation of visual purple, a substance which enables the eyes to
|
|||
|
|
adjust from bright light to darkness) to 50,000 IU for a week to
|
|||
|
|
make sure we weren't deficient.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We picked an area where we hadn't walked before and started out
|
|||
|
|
around sunset. For the first hour of walking we noticed all the
|
|||
|
|
familiar inner shifts and sensations. And then something strange
|
|||
|
|
happened: we entered the night. We really don't have better
|
|||
|
|
description. When it became apparent that we could see perfectly
|
|||
|
|
well, the night became alive. Rabbits hopped by, nighthawks and
|
|||
|
|
bats flew past to check us out. Our steps got lighter, walking was
|
|||
|
|
approaching the status of flight. We felt like we'd fully entered
|
|||
|
|
the experience of second sight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Other senses expanded even more than we'd experienced before.
|
|||
|
|
Balance became much more sensitive. Later we developed a very slow-
|
|||
|
|
waking kind of Tai Chi just to enjoy this exquisite sense of
|
|||
|
|
balance. Our skin started to feel peculiar, more "solid" perhaps,
|
|||
|
|
and we found we could walk comfortably in quite chilly air without
|
|||
|
|
any clothes. Probably due to our increased ability to concentrate
|
|||
|
|
and the air qualities of night, hearing and smell were vastly
|
|||
|
|
improved. As we became proficient at seeing in the dark, we found
|
|||
|
|
that we could run down arroyos and climb steep banks in the dead of
|
|||
|
|
night, all the while focusing on the luminescent beads. With the
|
|||
|
|
calm of Nightwalking, we discovered that anxiety and fear of the
|
|||
|
|
dark, so common in our culture, are effectively eliminated.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fear, anxiety and even physical pain are seemingly associated with
|
|||
|
|
focused vision, while peripheral processes engender relaxation and
|
|||
|
|
delight, a state we have half-seriously dubbed Sense-Surround.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A friend heard what we were doing and tipped us off to Alexandra
|
|||
|
|
David-Neel, who for some years studies and toured in Tibet. In
|
|||
|
|
Magic and Mystery in Tibet, she describes her encounter with and
|
|||
|
|
investigation of Lung-gom-pas, Tibetan spiritual walkers of
|
|||
|
|
extraordinary ability. According to David-Neel, "The walker must
|
|||
|
|
nerther speak, nor look from side to side. He must keep his eyes
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Page 4
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
fixed on a single object and never allow this attention to be
|
|||
|
|
attracted by anything else. When the trance state has been reached,
|
|||
|
|
though normal consciousness is for the greater part suppressed, it
|
|||
|
|
remains sufficiently alive to keep the walker aware of the obstacles
|
|||
|
|
in his way and mindful of his direction and goal." We felt in good
|
|||
|
|
company.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Nightwalking became one of the most consistently relaxing and
|
|||
|
|
exhilarating experiences either of us had ever had. The reports,
|
|||
|
|
ancient and modern, turned out to be true - employing second sight
|
|||
|
|
did facilitate a distinct change in perciption and sense of
|
|||
|
|
wellbeing. Not only were we learning to travel freely in the dark;
|
|||
|
|
it was becoming apparent that this capability connected us more
|
|||
|
|
directly to the non-conscious. Far from being a storehouse of fear,
|
|||
|
|
we found it an incredible protector, dedicated to our safety and
|
|||
|
|
happiness.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Just to make sure we weren't doing something that might cause undue
|
|||
|
|
eye strain, we thought it might be wise to take an optometrist on a
|
|||
|
|
Nightwalk. We contacted a respected Santa Fe pracitioner who
|
|||
|
|
initially sounded sleptical but agreed to join us.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Not only did he give us a clean bill of health, but by the end of
|
|||
|
|
his first walk he was speculating about the possible value of
|
|||
|
|
Nightwalking in treating myopia.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We began wondering whether Nightwalking would prove as exciting and
|
|||
|
|
useful for others as it did for us. So we planned a training which
|
|||
|
|
was divided into four sessions of about three hours each, covering
|
|||
|
|
varions terrains and their attendant challenges.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first group of a dozen trainees assembled shortly after sundown
|
|||
|
|
in the dry stream bed of the Rio de oa Truchas, on Bureau of Land
|
|||
|
|
Management land between Santa Fe and Taos. Hats and rods were
|
|||
|
|
passed out along with simple instructions: Watch the rod tip and
|
|||
|
|
keep it up near the horizon, walk slowly and start to notice the
|
|||
|
|
scenery to the sides as you pass by. With a sense of mystery and
|
|||
|
|
excitement this first group set out, walking single-file into the
|
|||
|
|
twilight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Musashi had given instructions for a particular kind of stance to
|
|||
|
|
practice while using second sight. We had fiddled with it early on
|
|||
|
|
but found that the stance came naturally while engaging in second
|
|||
|
|
sight. We wondered if people would automatically adopt this stance
|
|||
|
|
as they became more proficient at Nightwalking. They did, and we
|
|||
|
|
found we could tell if a particular person was using second sight
|
|||
|
|
just by watching their walk.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After the third session everyone could run over the rocks and gravel
|
|||
|
|
in dry stream beds in the dark using only second sight. By the
|
|||
|
|
fourth session members of the group could take the lead and find
|
|||
|
|
their way unerringly on the darkest of dark nights. After twelve
|
|||
|
|
hours of practice, virtually every one in the group could enter
|
|||
|
|
second sight at will, which had taken us about a year to figure out
|
|||
|
|
and master. After the training we queried participants about the
|
|||
|
|
lasting effects of the experience. Most of them reported shifts in
|
|||
|
|
their worldly perception and daily lives. Several commented on
|
|||
|
|
their increased ability to quiet "brain chatter." Virtually all
|
|||
|
|
walkers said their awareness of the world around them was broadened,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Page 5
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and they were less "stuck" in their heads. As someone in a later
|
|||
|
|
group aptly pointed put: "This is really about convergence. It's
|
|||
|
|
about taking a whole bunch of things that are semi-clear and
|
|||
|
|
converging them into a single crystalline vision."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TIPS ON NIGHTWALKING
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For people living outdoors, peripheral vision is critical for
|
|||
|
|
staying alive. It may be time to rediscover it. Here are a few
|
|||
|
|
tips. Fix yourself a modified cap and adjust it so the rod tip is
|
|||
|
|
directly in line with your nose at eye level. Focus on the tip as
|
|||
|
|
you walk around your house. Then try walking around the yard.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Avoid places where there may be traffic or drop-offs. In the
|
|||
|
|
beginning your vision will seem blurred. Pay attention to the total
|
|||
|
|
field of vision, far to the sides and up and down. Slowly you'll be
|
|||
|
|
able to perceive a fairly clear field of vision with only the center
|
|||
|
|
(cone vision) blurred, doubled in fact. As your field of vision
|
|||
|
|
begins to clear take it as an indication that you're switching over
|
|||
|
|
to second sight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Later you can begin to examine elements in your field of vision by
|
|||
|
|
simply moving your attention to them. Notice that we say attention,
|
|||
|
|
not eyes. Your eyes should remain constantly on the tip of the rod.
|
|||
|
|
This is really what second sight is about, using just peripheral
|
|||
|
|
vision and the mind to gather and process visual information. The
|
|||
|
|
first part will take about three hours, the second about the same
|
|||
|
|
length of time.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By keeping your eyes focused on the rod tip while walking, you will
|
|||
|
|
eventually break two strong visual habits - relying only on cone
|
|||
|
|
vision and moving the eyes to new points of interest. Find a place
|
|||
|
|
to walk in the dark which is out of the range of artificial lights.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Pick a night with little or no moon; take a friend.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Because of the rods' extreme sensitivity to light, you may see
|
|||
|
|
unusual light phenomena. Some of this is imaginary, caused by
|
|||
|
|
"overcharging" of unused optic nerves, the rest results from natural
|
|||
|
|
or bioluminescence. Over time Nightwalking sensitizes the eye and
|
|||
|
|
brain, so some of what you see may surprise you. We've become aware
|
|||
|
|
of light-emitting bacteria in rotting logs and along the veins of
|
|||
|
|
certain plants. Fireflies seem like strobe lights. Glow worms are
|
|||
|
|
blinding. A quarter moon rising on a clear night can bring tears to
|
|||
|
|
your eyes with its brightness.
|
|||
|
|
Enjoy, Keith Idell
|
|||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you have comments or other information relating to such topics
|
|||
|
|
as this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the
|
|||
|
|
Vangard Sciences address as listed on the first page.
|
|||
|
|
Thank you for your consideration, interest and support.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
|
|||
|
|
Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
If we can be of service, you may contact
|
|||
|
|
Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346
|
|||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
Page 6
|