Psychoanatomy of the eyes

Theory of bioenergetics

Eyes = fear, sadness, power & human contact.

Double function of the eyes - vision and contact
When two people’s eyes meet there is a sense of psychological contact with the quality of the contact varying depending on the look in the eyes. A hard look can be like a slap in the face and a soft look can be like a caress.

One can look into a person, through a person or over a person. Eye contact can be one of the most intimate forms of psychological contact between two people. There can be a sense of feeling or touching the inner essence of the other. That can be exciting, even erotic or it can be frightening and disturbing. It’s about psychological closeness and the eyes can be a reflection of the the person’s comfort or discomfort with that.



Eye contact is particularly important between parent and child. Without eye contact the child can feel a profound sense of being cut off or disconnected from the parent, especially before the child has the ability of speech. The parent communicates so much of their feeling about the child, to the child through the eyes. From loving, affectionate and accepting to angry, hateful and rejecting. And the eyes don’t lie. Words and to a lesser extent body language can be controlled and censored. It is very difficult, if not impossible to censor feelings reflected through the eyes. If you want to know what someone feels about you look into their eyes.

The quality of eye contact between mother and child has considerable effect on the psychology of the infant as well as the functioning of its eyes. If mother has feelings of love and warmth in her eyes the infant responds with a look of pleasure itself and the eyes become soft and relaxed. If the child sees anger and hate in mother’s eyes it will respond with shock and develop a wide eyed frozen with fear look in its eyes. If this becomes habitual and repetitive in the infant its eyes will be maintained in wide eyed shock look. Wide eyes enlarge the field of peripheral vision but reduce central vision and eye dysfunction can result that involves central vision. Myopia and the need for glasses at a young age

The eyes can be a good measure of ego strength. Those with a strong ego can look straight into the eyes of the other. Looking at the other can be an expression of assertion. The unassertive will tend not to do this. The eyes can be used to obtain power in relationships. Sometimes known as “staring the other down”. Dropping the eyes to the floor can be a sign of submission as is found in bowing in Japanese culture.



Whilst the eyes are connected with the psychology of fear, ego strength and power they are also intimately involved in crying and sadness. Crying is the expression of sadness. The inability to cry or the “Don’t show sadness” injunction is held bodily in the eyes and thus visual or eye problems can result over time.

The amount and range of feelings the eyes can express can be a measure of psychological health. In addition one cannot be considered psychologically healthy if they cannot make or sustain eye contact with another person

Psychosomatic dysfunction involving the eyes

The need for glasses at a young age - childhood to early adulthood. Can result from preverbal experiences of the child. Fear of mother’s expression in her eyes or unresolved preverbal sadness.

Myopia - commonly occurs between the ages of 10 - 14 and can sometimes be attributed to bodily changes and the need to psychologically deal with sexual maturity.

Astigmatism, cross eyed, cataracts, conjunctivitis, dry eyes, sore eyes, habitual closing of the eyes whilst in conversation, facial tics involving the eyes (hemifacial spasms).

Problems with human contact are reflected in eye problems. Very thick glasses or the rim of the glasses can be used as a barrier to eye contact which is used to keep the person feeling safe thus reflecting trust issues in relationships. That can be either, “I don’t trust you” or “You can’t trust me”.



The habitual unnecessary use of sunglasses is interesting behaviour. It can result in a complete lack of eye to eye contact. That can be to hide feelings of sadness and fear or a sign of considerable discomfort with human contact. It can also be a reflection of a desire to obtain power in relationships and is a sign of a poor ego strength.

“I don’t feel strong enough to let you see who I really am”.

If the sunglass wearer is communicating with others who are not wearing any kind of eye covering it can allow the person to feel a sense of power or control, “I can see you but you cannot see me”. Again reflective of a sense of impotence or powerlessness in the person covering their eyes with sunglasses.

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