Periorbital Condition and Vitality: Speculation Show and Tell

[SecretGrotto]

Periorbital puffiness and periorbital dark circles are noticeable under the eyes of many people, and to me there seems to be a relationship between the condition of the fine skin under the eye and the level of health and vitality of a person.

 

I have noticed that since I started preserving or treasuring vitality, by abstaining from sexual arousal, the skin under my eyes have become firmer and 'hugs' my eye firmer underneath. Ever since this observation, I have tried to see if I could notice a correlation between a person's potential lifestyle and the condition of their periorbital skin.

 

It almost seems like the periorbital skin is an indicator of the level of vitality that is hard to fake, and sometimes it is a dead giveaway if a person is not wearing makeup. I'm surprised how difficult it is to get the periorbital skin to a pristine condition, mine has improved somewhat but I have a long way to go.

 

At the risk of wrongful speculation, I would like to still visually explore this correlation in a show and tell fashion featuring a known person (current or historic) and how their lifestyle possibly explains their level of vitality.

 

In the realized masters the overall skin condition is obviously very good, but the periorbital skin under the eyes of Yogananda is pristine even on the day of his mahasamadhi (if I have that correct) as shown below. Yogananda's energization exercises are basically Qigong, and there are many accounts of his Qi feats and feats of strength. More to come.

 

 

[SecretGrotto]

Jesse Eisenberg, vegetarian and cat lover, loves to act because he is/was socially awkward, possibly preserves more vitality because of it.

 

[SecretGrotto]

Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi - The King of Yogis - The Yogi's Yogi

 

[Aetherous]

If you smile, problems under the eye aren't as noticeable....especially if you do a big smile. But then if you do an expressionless face, it's very noticeable. Check it out in the mirror.

These issues could simply be due to spleen dysfunction...not transforming dampness correctly would cause the edema of the under eye puffiness...then the dark circle thing could be due to qi deficiency. The spleen manifests in the skin and muscle surrounding the eye.

This is just my basic understanding and a half educated guess.

[thelerner]

Great faces, I like looking at close ups of deep meditators.

[i am]

I've had puffy eyes since I was little.

 

Im a goner!

 

Seriously though I've always wondered about it. My guess is that it has something to do with a low level allergy I'm not aware of. It also runs in my family.

[i am]

Btw, what does cat lovin' have to do with anything? I'm genuinely curious...

[Nikolai1]

The shape of Yogananda's eyes completely changed during his life. when you look at young photos of him they're completely different.

 

[Nikolai1]

http://thetaobums.com/topic/31986-the-third-eye-spiritual-eye/

 

In the above thread I discussed physical changes that occur within the eyeball as a response to spiritual practice. I talked about how the cognitive movement away from sharply defined concepts is reflected in the behaviour of the eye, which then ceases to narrow its focus on specific discrete objects of interest. This results in the dispersal of the fovea - which is a dense cluster of light-detecting cells on the retina behind the pupil. One of the noticeable characteristics in people who have achieved this is a brighter, more reflective eye. Less incoming light is absorbed by the fovea and the eye appears to sparkle from within.

 

A further cognitive change is an increased spatial relativity. The spiritually developed person recognises that near and far are conventional concepts that have no objective reality. Such a person may stare at their own hands and experience them as massive and distant (as a complement to the usual view). The sun and stars may seem like mere baubles hanging over their garden.

 

This viewpoint is also reflected in the physicality of the eyeball. It means that the ciliary muscles that surround the lens are less likely to be squeezing the lens in the attempt to focus in and that that is supposed to be 'near'. The shape of the whole eyeball is changed as a result and becomes more spherical.

 

I would say that Secret Grotto is experiencing a change in the shape of his eyeball which pushes against the periorbital skin differently and makes it look more closely 'hugged'.

[SecretGrotto]

If you smile, problems under the eye aren't as noticeable....especially if you do a big smile. But then if you do an expressionless face, it's very noticeable. Check it out in the mirror.

 

These issues could simply be due to spleen dysfunction...not transforming dampness correctly would cause the edema of the under eye puffiness...then the dark circle thing could be due to qi deficiency. The spleen manifests in the skin and muscle surrounding the eye.

 

I am prone to worrying and I have been told that I have/had some lower torso blockages, and I do think I have damp. So with more Qigong I hope my spleen will clear up energetically.

 

Matt Preston has a self-declared love for sweet foods, so maybe some spleen issues could explain this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Btw, what does cat lovin' have to do with anything? I'm genuinely curious...

 

Hehe, just ties in with the vegetarianism I suppose, just thought I'd throw it in there.

 

 

 

The shape of Yogananda's eyes completely changed during his life. when you look at young photos of him they're completely different.

 

Yeah. I have also read that his face used to change all the time depending on who he was with, to reflect something of his company. One of the mysteries of the enlightened ones.

 

There is also a subtle asymmetry in his face, especially in the first picture in this thread, a yin-yang, father-mother expression of his complex nature. Shivabalayogi's whole body also had very peculiar asymmetry, as he expressed both Shiva and Shakti at the same time.

 

 

This viewpoint is also reflected in the physicality of the eyeball. It means that the ciliary muscles that surround the lens are less likely to be squeezing the lens in the attempt to focus in and that that is supposed to be 'near'. The shape of the whole eyeball is changed as a result and becomes more spherical.

 

I would say that Secret Grotto is experiencing a change in the shape of his eyeball which pushes against the periorbital skin differently and makes it look more closely 'hugged'.

 

A very interesting viewpoint, pun intended. Thx.

[i am]

Ah, so I can't claim "cat lover" on my spiritual resume? Oh well

[SonOfTheGods]

I think some of the factors might be heriditary. I have seen young children with bags under their eyes and their parents have them as well. There is also a secondary line of baggage under the common ones that are linked to intestinal disorders.

Sometimes bags can be from water retention, too much sodium, etc.

[三江源]

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Edited July 22, 2014 by cat

[i am]

Yes I agree.

 

Lots of people have better skin that me...and I'd call myself healthier than a lot of them. Vitality, though, however we define that, I'm not sure about.

 

I don't know what my level of vitality is...

 

I'd be interested to see how my eyes change, or not, with better health and more cultivation.

 

My last health screening had my doctor saying words like "better than perfect" and "great health" to explain my results. But she also always points out my eyes, which she guesses are puffy either because of allergies or genetics.

 

I've been thinking for a few years now that I should get some kind of food allergy test. No, I don't procrastinate at all...

 

Sorry this is a bit off topic! I should be finding photos of people with good & bad eyes and seeing how this theory holds up...

[三江源]

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Edited July 22, 2014 by cat

[juliank]

I dont know about this periorbital theory but I have always looked at claimed spiritual masters eyes for a certain internal resonance or affect with my own. There always seems to be an internal luminosity, penetrating strength and kindness that seems to seep out. I know that this is a purely subjective intuition but its one that has had some influence on my own readings of their legitimacy.

 

When I first read Gurdjieff's works I knew that I had encountered a man who had gone deep in the spiritual realm but I also sensed a certain deformity in the soul of the man who I was reading. I could never get past it and later during that time I was invited to join a Gurdjieff group to which I declined for the same reason. Much later when I searched for his face did I get my answer. Again purely subjective but I can't help it and it colors my perceptions to this day.

 

 

Humans whose faces speak to me on a level that makes me wish I could have gotten a chance to meet them.

 

[Aetherous]

Ramana's eyes in that picture are great.

[SecretGrotto]

Much beauty, ease, clarity shining through the eyes of the photos of the spiritual adepts in this thread.

 

Making me curious to ask... Can anyone recall the eyes of a loved one - family, friend, colleague, or lover - who also radiates abundant love and clarity through their clear set of eyes?

 

I am thinking of a colleague, a Christian Lutheran, who doesn't wear her religion on her sleeve. She carries a compassionate warmth and clarity to her being. Her collected presence In the office is subtle yet very positive. And she's got the clearest eyes out of all of us.

 

We had a converted church minister who's eyes shone with Love for God, then while working in his garden he was reaped from this earth. I like to think that his unexpected heart attack removed him from that life to one fast-tracked for enlightenment.

 

Before his conversion he was adamantly against religion and would kick ministers out of his house in anger, but somehow he convert to an antithesis. He always preached about the love God had for us, and I could clearly see in his eyes his very real experience of that Love.

[三江源]

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Edited July 22, 2014 by cat

[de_paradise]

I have a similar Ramana pic on my wall, as his intention was to teach with his eyes: outpouring of empathy for everything around. Before taking a walk, I glace at the pic and put myself in Ramana's perception. It can be a powerful practice.

 

Also the eyes can be "opened" larger as channels of emitting energy, and this might make a difference in people's perception of the eyes, especially when you do a empathetic type of gaze.

 

Not sure about the skin, interesting theory though.

 

I once met a Lebanese guy who had amazing shining blue eyes, except he was clearly a tosser, and tried to insinuate that he was the second coming of Christ while drawing attention to his eyes. I suppose people had looked at him with interest all of his life, and some people just have a natural iconic spiritual look to them, and sometimes turn into con men of some sort.

[SecretGrotto]

Regretfully: Anton LaVey. No comment, it is painfully obvious.

 

[SecretGrotto]

Tim Tebow, apparently a virgin: