Smells and Bells

For Indians, they believe that, being seen by the eyes of the gods is the equivalent of receiving a blessing from them. How do they find the power of being seen so strong? When we stare at someone, we believe that they will not be aware of it although it does happen often, particularly with mothers "mothers have eyes in the back of their heads". The people in India at one point in time must have been aware of this power that "mothers" have. They may not have understood exactly what happens energetically between someone looking at someone being looked at, but the phenomena must have occur often. As the interaction is intangible, it must have seemed something like magic or from a higher power which allowed for this intangible "magical ability" and could be the reason why they attribute the act of "being looked at" as so powerful. Although Professor Nelson and many neuroscientists explain this phenomena as being a result of things such as...

In Rolf Nelson's lecture today, we discussed synesthetic perceptions, a topic we have touched on many times previously. I think our fascination with this topic is because synesthesia is a concrete example of how our perception can differ from other's and from reality. But who is to say that one reality is correct over another, especially when perception is so flawed and changing?  In Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India , perception is used as an intense form of worship. We learn of sight as a connection with others and the divine. The act of looking at a depiction of a deity is a way of linking oneself with that god, and vice versa. Essentially, I see the god, and the god sees me. This exchange is vulnerable and opening, and Hindu culture and religion equates this sight with honesty. The Brahmanas state that "the eye is the truth" (Eck 9), because the god sees the authenticity and reality of a person. Eck presents that "In India, as...