Vision to me has always been a funny thing. As someone who didn't need glasses until around elementary school, I wish I could say I remember what it was like to not need vision correction. Without my glasses, my terrible, terrible vision can only do so much. Anything outside my pathetically small range of vision (which is less than a foot) looks like a wonderful surrealist painting of colorful blobs and shapes. As a visual artist and writer, my vision is important to me. Though I save very little of my vision for religion, I cannot deny the very significance which religion relies on sight.
In
Darśan, Diana L. Eck highlights the importance of vision and visuals in Hinduism and the religion. From sculptures to mosaics to buildings, the physical appearance of different religious aspects are fundamental to the understanding of Hindu culture. She says, "The very images of the gods portray in visual form the multiplicity and the oneness of the divine" (28). In order to experience the divine, one must be able to see the multitude of art and architecture the religion has to offer.
Without being able to see the immense design and being able to take in the overwhelming visuals, much of the experience is lost. As art and visuals are a way to express love and devotion to religious figures, it makes sense as to why there are sculptures, epitaphs to be read, temples and paintings depicting different Gods and religious figures.
However, vision isn't just important in the religious aspect, but in the classroom. During our class discussion on vision, we talked about how vision in an educational setting can affect the type of experience you get. In addition to this, there's a common saying for teachers to tell students, especially younger ones in elementary schools and preschools, "All eyes on me". This idea that paying attention equates to visuals is not uncommon in American classrooms. Somehow teachers can "prove" that their students are paying attention, and often they call out those who do not. Somehow having a room of 20 or more students looking at the teacher proves to them that everyone is paying attention, whereas someone could be spacing out but looking at another person simultaneously and no one would be none the wiser.
Why is seeing also connected to pay attention? i know that looking at someone obviously looks like you are listening more than if you're just staring off into space. However, I think most people's ears still work even if they aren't making direct eye contact. It's strange that there is this assumption that you have to be looking at something to be able to use any of your other senses.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a good point about how teachers assume that people are paying attention when they are looking up. That's always bothered me as someone who doodles when listening. However, I never really noticed how having to make direct eye contact or act as if you are looking around at a painting makes you seem as if you are interested and connected.
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