Earthling Institute

Studies suggest that less than 50% of what we "see" is actually based on information entering our eyes. The remaining 50+ percent is pieced together out of our expectations of what the world should look like. The eyes may be visual organs, but it is the brain that sees. Even more dramatic evidence of the role the mind plays in creating what we see is provided by the eye's so-called blind spot. In the middle of the retina, where the optic nerve connects to the eye, we have a blind spot where there are no photoreceptors. When we look at the world around us we are totally unaware that there are gaping holes in our vision. It doesn't matter whether we are gazing at a blank piece of paper or an ornate Persian carpet. The brain artfully fills in the gaps like a skilled tailor reweaving a hole in a piece of fabric. What is all the more remarkable is that it reweaves the tapestry of our visual reality so masterfully we aren't aware it is doing so. This leads to a disturbing question. If we are seeing less than half of what is out there, what is out there that we are not seeing? 

 -Michael Talbot