Underground Knowledge — A discussion group discussion

Excerpt from GENIUS INTELLIGENCE: Secret Techniques and Technologies to Increase IQ:


Peripheral vision is what we use when something catches our attention “out the corner of our eye.” It is the opposite of central vision, which is literally the center of our vision (looking directly ahead). Most people in the modern world use central vision all day long with narrow field activities – such as looking at computer screens, reading books and watching television. This is akin to tunnel vision.

By contrast, our ancestors (especially Early Man) had stronger or better-attuned peripheral vision as they were primarily engaged in outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, fighting and traveling. To survive, they needed to scan entire landscapes to spot enemies and predatory animals and the like.

In cinematic terms, our modern vision would be a close-up or extreme close-up whereas Early Man’s vision was akin to a panoramic wide-angle shot.

The problem with central vision is it has been shown in studies to be directly linked with beta brainwaves and the left hemisphere of the brain – in other words, 'stress city'.

When you are looking at the world (literally) with peripheral vision, you immediately enter alpha brainwaves and the right hemisphere of the brain. This is much more relaxing and allows the subconscious to come into the equation for super learning.

For example, you may recall in chapter 4 we mentioned how the world’s greatest speed readers use their peripheral vision to take in entire pages at a time instead of one word at a time.

In his book Exuberant Animal: The Power of Health, Play and Joyful Movement author Frank Forencich says, “We can be sure that long-term overuse of hyperfocused vision, coupled with atrophy of peripheral sensation, will lead to extensive re-wiring of the brain. We can even speculate on a possible link between balanced vision and intelligence. Chronic, tightly focused vision can do amazing things, but it only taps a fraction of our visual-cognitive capability. Monotonous visual inputs may very well lead to static, stereotyped thinking.

“In contrast, a balance of focused and peripheral vision keeps the stimulation moving and taps a far greater percentage of our processing power. Just as chronic overuse of central vision may limit intelligence, active stimulation of our panoramic vision may actually increase it. The message: dumb yourself down with chronic centrally-focused vision; smarten yourself up by relaxing your eyes and letting the periphery in.”

Although ophthalmologists seem to agree there’s no real way to improve or sharpen peripheral vision, there is scientific research that suggests there are ways to at least improve peripheral awareness and the processing of peripheral images.

A few techniques to develop peripheral vision include:

• Widening your vision to something closer to 180 degrees and becoming aware of everything to your extreme left and extreme right.

• Defocus the eyes to counter the hard focus that occurs in central vision.

• Practice eye exercises – especially ones that include a lot of wide-sweeping eye movements.

• Play team sports like soccer or basketball, which force you to constantly use your peripheral vision.

The importance of peripheral vision in soccer is emphasized in an excellent article on soccer intelligence on StackActive.com. Here’s an excerpt…

“The world’s smartest and most creative soccer players read the game and play ahead of their opponents. They possess excellent soccer intelligence, which allows them to predict how and where a play will unfold. They stay one step ahead of their opponents to attack weaknesses and set up effective scoring opportunities or defensive plays.

“Spatial awareness allows you to play with your head up, keep control of the ball and have a mental map of the game around you. You can constantly scan the field to assess the position of players, giving you more time to make a smart decision or be a step ahead of the play.

“Spatial awareness allows players who aren’t super athletes to compete with faster and stronger players.”

>>> “Among the mental skills the article lists that affect spatial awareness is peripheral vision. <<<

“Peripheral vision lets you see teammates or opponents outside of your direct line of sight. Improving your peripheral vision allows you to see players and movement further from center while still maintaining your focus on the ball or play. You can make “no-look passes” or evade an attacking defender from the side or behind.”

Peripheral vision is like dreaming - a relaxed, expansive field of thought / view. Concentration leads to stress and limited vision but that is the world of thinking and action as opposed to the wandering pioneer (the gypsy in our souls).

Can we have peripheral vision while sleeping? Because there are some scenarios that I recreate in my head, I close my eyes and give them a deep thought. Whenever I write, I try to create the place and every thing around the place in my head. This I think is also broader view, although not real.

According to some people who have died and come back, they not only have peripheral vision but 360 vision. This ties in with the idea of knowing when somebody is looking at you (feeling eyes boring into the back of your head) and Carlos Castaneda's belief in a force field around us. This also connects with synaesthesia, where people sense but not in distinct streams that we recognise sight, sound, touch, taste and smell

I really like that idea of intelligence that comes with including all types of vision, and I do those exercises.

My experience with peripheral vision relates to seeing auras. I see them at first most easily in the periphery. If it's sensing the auras, it doesn't matter, as I can have my eyes closed or not even be in the same location. But if I'm seeing the colors with my eyes in the normal sense, the periphery is the sweet spot.

I have to keep those "muscles" in practice to see the colors easily and well. If I spend my time working on my novels and teaching fiction, my ability to see auras lessens greatly. Peripheral vision enhancement makes me experience the unity of the field, with strong intuition, and a natural inclination toward avant-garde arts. It amplifies my parasympathetic dominance,

Long term focused central vision makes me better at interacting for my career with most people who are not into such concepts but prefer to make their writing filled with the tense drama of duality. It amplifies my sympathetic dominance.

I call it dispersed as opposed to concentrated attention. Peripheral vision is where we see as you say auras and other psychic events, when our conscious defenses are down. Concentration is for perceiving the material world.

Nice. The meaning being concentrated as in a smaller aperture.
Though, for me, I personally have to mentally concentrate harder to see the aura and other psychic events.

The concentration is upon a part of the whole always. See post that included Don Juan point about intent. We come into this world in a dispersed mental state and leave it in the same condition. In between is the journey inwards then drifting back out again. At least that is how I see it

My site below gives illustrations of this process (last 8 images). Http://flyingsaucery.weebly.com

It's like a conveyor belt. We are ushered in on one end and inexorably head towards the other end, until we fall off and plummet once more into the unknown

it's interesting that sports. ..soccer was mentioned. I grew up playing soccer and back in those days I was always the best one on the team and the first to be picked when playing at school or in the neighborhood. One day after a game, some girl I had never seen before approached me and asked me to teach her how to play. I had never before thought about my techniques or movements. Ever since that day I never really played as well. ..anyways, you got me thinking that perhaps I never had to use my brain to think up moves but rather by using peripheral vision, my body automatically responded. After that girl brought it to my attention and I started thinking about it, it somehow blocked my ability to maneuver the ball as naturally as before.

Yes Lisa, consciousness sabotages action.

Talking of sport - analyzing things to death is what turns sportsmen into coaches, managers and pundits

Introverted energy is thought / analysis as extroverted energy is action

It is the nature of psychic power that it cannot really be understood - it can only be experienced (utilized). To think about it, is to kill it as a potential ability

The Effect of Illumination on Peripheral Vision

This person at the ophthalmologist's office was testing my peripheral vision. She asked me how many fingers she was holding up. I said three, but that included her thumb, which some defect in her hand made her hold up in addition to the two fingers. I was technically wrong, as the thumb is a digit, not a finger. I passed the test anyway.

Scout wrote: "This person at the ophthalmologist's office was testing my peripheral vision. She asked me how many fingers she was holding up. I said three, but that included her thumb, which some defect in her h..."

And the moral of the story is?