ARE YOU A VISIONARY?

The bottom line is that people are able to see things they would not otherwise have seen – or guess with confidence about what they were seeing – simply because they thought they could. In other words, this experiment seems to prove that “believing is seeing.” I find this conclusion astounding.

I always accepted the age-old axiom that “seeing is believing.” It is difficult to argue with an even experienced or witnessed; no amount of rational manipulation or fancy sophistry can alter the facts once you’ve seen them with your own eyes. But apparently we can manipulate what we are and are not able to see through psychological mind games.

According to a recent study published in the journal Psychological Science, people’s vision is affected by how they think about their vision. Think differently, and it could improve your vision.

Participants in the study were subjected to various kinds of tricks that convinced them that they could see exceptionally well, even though all participants had normal vision. The tricks employed varied depending on the experiment. In one test, army cadets were told that they were being considered for admission to a pilot’s course, which they knew only people with exceptional eyesight were offered. In another test, the order of the letters in an eye chart were reversed so that the smaller letters were on top, where people usually expect that they can see. In a third test, participants were given a motivational essay to read before the test, while others were told to perform eye exercises that would improve their eye test results, which was not true. In each case, others participated and performed the same tests without being told anything.

The results? Since the manipulation techniques used were experimental, the results were mixed. But, in several of the experiments, about half of the participants who were tricked into thinking they had better vision actually improved their visual acuity test results.

The researchers are quick to point out that it’s not because of any physical effect on the eyes or brain. The tricks “may be effective because they prime the belief that exercise improves vision,” they write.

“Mind-set may boost visual performance without sharpening vision itself,” comments psychologist Daniel Simons of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Experimental manipulations in the new study, such as reversing the arrangement of an eye chart, may have made volunteers more willing to guess when they felt a bit unsure,” Simons says. “Such guesses stand a good chance of being right.”

Let’s leave the debate about whether the participants’ vision actually improved, and to what degree, to the probability theorists and physicians. I would rather focus on the results: The bottom line is that people are able to see things they would not otherwise have seen – or guess with confidence about what they were seeing – simply because they thought they could. In other words, this experiment seems to prove that “believing is seeing.” I find this conclusion astounding.

By extension, we can apply the same rationale to metaphysical vision. Often, we plough through life, bouncing like a pinball from one bump to the next. Some bumps send us ricocheting off in a different direction, some cause us to get stuck for a while, some cause flashing lights and sirens to go off, and some win us the jackpot. All the while we are mindful of the fact that there is a black hole at the bottom of the game that we have to do everything to avoid falling into. But all we have are these two measly paddles to whack at the ball if it gets too close to the hole. The point is, that if you don’t see the big picture, it can sometimes seem like a ridiculous, sadistic, absurd roller coaster.

The question is, can we extricate ourselves from the blur of this reality – this game – long enough to catch our breaths, get our bearings, and catch a glimpse of the big picture – the grand vision of what it’s all about? If the results of the Psychological Science experiment hold true, then we can if we believe that we can. If you think you can live with clearer vision, then you will – or at least you’ll make good guesses (which is still better than bouncing around the game without a clue).

So how do we attain the objectivity and resolve necessary to believe in our own sense of vision? That’s what friends are for. And how do we compensate when we feel like we’re losing our vision, or struggle to find it in the first place? For that, you need a specialist in metaphysical vision, also known as a Rebbe.

Reprinted with permission from Exodus Magazine