Eyes in communication

Down the ages people have recognized the eyes as a means of communication and have considered the look as having special significance. Looking, according to legend, has always been associated with powerful emotions and in certain situations it was forbidden. In the Bible we have the cases of Adam, who was afraid to look God after he had sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, and Lot’s wife, who turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back to see the city destroyed. In Greek mythology, Orpheus lost Eurydice because he did not keep his bargain of turning back to look at her. In our own culture, the 2000 year old Thiruvallavur Thirukkural has two chapters(71 and 110), ‘ Understanding the Other’s Mind’ and ‘Ascertaining Each Other’s Intentions’, where the importance of the face and the eyes in communication is emphasized. Urdu poetry too is replete with verses on the topic.