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Deep Seeing

The more we see something the better we see it, each time taking new details and variations in the overall state. Visually educated to more specific knowledge of something builds sensitivity to impressions at more subtle levels. Looking builds visual understanding. The larger meaning of seeing always includes the depths, insight goes beneath the surface. When we feel someone “really sees” us they “get” us to use the current term. It can’t happen without a certain level of attention. Feeling that level of attention is feeling visible and known to the world, having a witness to our being. Rupert Sheldrake thought the act of attention created a connection that could be felt which he describes in his book “The Sense of Being Stared At”. We give the most attention to is what we most care about, and care and attention makes anything flourish. Plants are said to grow better with proximity, touching or talking to them. It’s not just the water and sunshine but the attention itself. To really see is an act of love. The I Ching is certainly not the only ancient text that says something to the effect, “If you want to know what a person loves, look where they direct their attention.” This is where the overlap between love and fear is most evident. Fear is the thing that grabs attention away from what we love for as long as the sense of threat persists, a fact exploited by commercial media to manipulate our emotions and attention. Recently, I heard a man on the radio lamenting how beset with notifications people are now, how hard it can be to give full attention to anything. Art is quiet and undemanding. What we seek out shows us something that expresses us in some way Art is a pleasurable way to extend personal understanding of feeling since that’s where you find it boiled down to its essence. Portraits can reveal essential qualities in complex and often conflicted expressions. Looking into the eyes of a Rembrandt self-portrait shows an understanding of the human dilemma that speaks directly to the heart. There is tremendous depth and variation in centuries of portraiture available for developing sensitivity to facial expression. Mindful attention is fully present. To be fully present with someone feels good to everyone involved. Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity to practice mindful attention to people in person and appreciate our connections to others.