How we see what we see

What have you observed? What have you seen, heard, smelled, tasted, felt, or observed with any other sense? I suggested, at the end of the last lesson, that you seek evidence. That evidence is not only of the Creation but of its Beginning and also of the existence of G-d, the Creator. King David wrote:

The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands. (Complete Jewish Bible, Psalm 19:2)

In my list of suggested activities, the first question I asked was: “How is it possible that you can see what you see?” The answer to that question is found in the first thing that G-d is recorded as saying in the first chapter of Genesis (B’resheet or “In the Beginning”) in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles:

Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4)

We see because G-d created light

It is important to understand what light is. Light is actually waves that travel through space, air (gases), and most liquids at specific frequencies. There are frequencies visible to human eyes, and there are frequencies not visible to human eyes. Some frequencies not visible to humans can be seen by birds, dogs, cats, and other creatures. For example, dogs and cats see two colors, but the colors are weak, like pastels. Birds see five to seven colors that humans see but better and with the addition of portions of ultraviolet light, which humans cannot see. Spiders see green and ultraviolet light. Insects such as bees see blue, yellow, and ultraviolet light. Fish see two colors. Snakes and other reptiles see some color and infrared frequencies, which humans also cannot see.

There are many waves that travel through the mediums of space, air, and liquids, but most of those waves are not received or “seen” by human eyes. We are able to “see,” because our Creator created “light,” which includes the visible spectrum that we humans can see. Without those specific frequencies of light, we would not be able to see.

We see because objects reflect specific frequencies of light

Light reflects off of objects. G-d created our eyes with the ability to receive those reflected frequencies we call light and translate them into electrochemical signals. He also created a portion of our brain to receive and “understand” those electrochemical signals from our eyes and retranslate them into images in our brain. We perceive those images as the “reality” of the physical Creation.

Yehoshua (“Jesus” for you Romanized Christians) said:

Yes indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen. (John 3:11)

Apostle Paul wrote to the Jews in Rome:

For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities — both his eternal power and his divine nature — have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made. (Romans 1:20)

Whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, in many languages, humans tend to use some words for multiple concepts. It might be perceived this is due to laziness, which in some cases it might be. However, humans very intelligently have also seen similarities between different things. Sometimes, those similarities have not been actual but more imagined or perceived. Thus, a number of words have different meanings, based on what they are referring to. For example, Apostle John wrote about Yehoshua, the Only Begotten Son of G-d:

In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it…. ⁹ This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world. (John 1:4-5,9)

In the above verses, we see that “light” is a reference to enlightenment, insight, or revelation, which refer to understanding with the intellect. Yehoshua said to his talmidim (12 close students):

But you, how blessed are your eyes, because they see. . . (Matthew 13:16a)

It is interesting that both concepts of “light” are processed in our single brain, although in different areas within our brain. Most likely you’ve heard the expression, “Do you see what I’m saying?” Here, again, understanding mental perception is likened to visual perception or “seeing.”

Is this coincidence? I think not. Because G-d has tied everything together. Apostle Paul explained:

For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities — both his eternal power and his divine nature — have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made. Therefore, they have no excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Next Basic Lesson: How we hear what we hear.