Most people who walk at night feel the need to take a torch with them. Not many take the time to let their night vision develop. I learnt about night vision when I served in the Army. This was a while back before the ubiquitous supply of night vision goggles. It’s all to do with rods and cones; the two different types of light receptors in our eyes. Rods allow us to see in low light conditions and Cones kick in when the light is bright. It takes about 5 to 15 minutes to get the full night vision effect and it is surprising how much you can see. Things are even better with moonlight. The military joked about going on a NEWD (Night Exercise Without Darkness) when the moon was out. The problem at night is a sudden bright light. Night vision goes instantly and all we see is what is encircled in the light. Everything else becomes dark. The walk across a footpath at night with a torch is limited to what the torch beam picks out. The same walk without a torch allows us to see the landscape around the path, albeit with less detail.
If I use my explanation of night vision as a metaphor for how we journey through life, then we are presented with some interesting observations. First question; do you think you are striding through life with full day time consciousness or stumbling along in the dark?
I feel as though I am in the dark, maybe with some moonlight to illuminate the way. I say this because I am aware that there is much I do not see or perceive. My connection to higher consciousness is patchy at best and I must listen carefully to any intuition that comes my way. If I was fully awake, this awareness would be at my fingertips. If I am travelling in the dark, then I have a choice – do I let my night vision develop or do I turn for the torch?
If I only take the torch, I sacrifice the wider context of my life. I might be able to shine a light on one aspect of my existence, but I am blinded to the landscape that exists beyond. This might be called tunnel vision. I suspect many people have never thought of turning off their torch and live their whole lives in a spotlight.
If I refuse the torch, I gain access to the wider landscape. It may be dim and murky, but at least I know its there. I can start to perceive the forest as well as the trees in front of me. If I sit quietly and simply perceive, then I find my other senses come to life. My eyes might be limited but my more intuitive senses have a chance to fill in the detail.
The answer for me is to use both options. I make time to sit quietly and contemplate. I wonder what is happening behind the obvious. This applies at a personal and a wider level. I notice that I am feeling for example, confused/agitated/happy and simply wonder. I observe the media and see how I feel about what they want me to believe. I reserve the right to make my own mind up. Once my night vision has kicked in, I can choose to turn my attention to what feels worthy of more investigation if I want. I repeat the process regularly.
My invitation to you is to leave your torch in your pocket once in a while and take the risk of letting your night vision develop. Who knows what you might become aware of if you give yourself the chance.
Image by JCW1967