EYELESS PERSONS SEE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 95, 17 February 1947, Page 5

EYELESS PERSONS SEE

PUZZLING PHENOMENON

CELLS IN SKIN CAN DISCERN LIGHT AND SHADE

Anyone who has associated with blind people, and discussed their handicap with them, will have discovered that here and there is one for whom the affliction exists in considerably less degree than for his or her fellows.

We find that these, people, even if their eyes have been completely removed, insist that they aye not in complete darkness—that they are able to distinguish buildings, trees, or vehicles as a shadow or the shape of the particular object concerned. Naturally it does not seem strange that they should find it unnecessary to look towards a particular object in order to. “see” it, because they have no eyes with which to fix their direction. But the fact that they have any light perception at all is very mystifying. It is not, however, always imaginary, and these genuine cases are in possession of a faculity which has puzzled man for a very long time. If there are bodily functions which we do not understand, and also nerve-paths or skin-cells to which we cannot attribute a purpose, we are at times tempted to link one with the other and manufacture our explanation for both. Fortunately scientists do not allow themselves this luxury or there would be no certainty in anything. Strangely enough there are a few isolated cells in the skin the function of which is uncertain, and which were once given the- name of “ocelli.”

“Ocellus” is a Latin word suggesting as its meaning an “eye,” and these cells were probably so named because of a similarity to the lightsensitive cells found in primitive organisms which, although without true eyes, possessed these cells to enable them to distinguish between light and dark, and to detect the shadow of an enemy falling upon them.

You may feel sceptical of assuming any connection between these skin cells and the ability of certain blind people to display an elementary form of vision, but it is at present beyond anyone’s power to suggest an alternative apart from clairvoyance, which can be ruled out in all the cases which have been put to a scientific test. Read When Blindfolded

Take the case of Kuda Bux, for instance. This man had for many years demonstrated his ability to read anything or describe any object put before him whilst he was blindfolded. His adeptness at this could have been matched only by the scepticism of some who witnessed his performance. He was quite sincere, however, and agreed to undergo the most rigid scientific tests to prove that he was not a charlatan.

A world-famous scientific body in England undertook to make the tests & some very famous men were employed to carry them out, combining their brains to anticipate any loophole or trick. They closed his eyes, covered them with sticking plaster, and then with dough, then thoroughly bandaged them and cover his head with a black hood, so the possibility of nor-' mal vision playing any part in the tests was entirely eliminated. He was placed in a room and the objects or printed matter taken in to him were covered up so that they were invisible to the person taking them in.

In this way, telepathy was considered to be ruled out, but to make sure of this, other reading matter was sent in in the same way and the nature of it was unknown even to the senders.

In spite of all the precautions taken, Kuda Bux showed amazing accuracy in reading the print and identifying the objects submitted to him, so it was quite impossible to argue against his claim to possess “.eyeless sight.” Quite a number of other people have submitted themselves to these tests, and although Kura Bux showed greater speed and success than they did, they certainly possessed the faculty to a degree.

No Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance can be ruled out of the tests in two ways, by dimming the lights or by covering the objects, but when this was done the incidence of successful tests dropped immediately. The most sensitive sites for this “eyeless vision” seem to be the neck a’nd upper chest and the backs of the hands, but the reasons for this can only be conjectured. A number of blinded war veterans were trained to use this faculty in France after 1918, and even some

of those who showed no ability at the commencement of the training were coached to a sma.ll degree of “vision.” But for some unknown reason officialdom clamped down on doctor in charge of this training and it was stopped. Claims by individuals that they can walk or drive a car safely whilst blindfolded are not always idle, for such things have been known, and no doubt will be again