There was a time in the '70s and early '80s when there was a craze over 3D or magic eye pictures. There was no internet then, so the pictures were in print. They would be available for purchase as art for the wall or in books. I was a child then, early teen, and these pictures amazed me. They seemed like nothing more than wallpaper. I could not see the images in them then and I still have trouble now.
The picture, at first glance, would appear as a chaotic or unruly painting, something that a child might produce for fun. They looked a little like what the television screen looked like when the signal was interrupted and the picture went wonky. There are blobs, dots, dashes and swatches of colour. I would stare and stare at the picture trying to unravel the mystery. I believe the first time I saw one was at the Ontario Science Centre when our class went on a field trip.
It was such a mystery to me because I could never see the picture. A descriptor would accompany the piece saying you would see something like a bottle, a city landscape, or a bear. I would look and look and could not see anything. There were tricks you were encouraged to use. Squint your eyes. Tilt your head. Look off to the side. I would eventually just walk away feeling frustrated and bored. I was also told to put my nose to the picture and then slowly pull back. Nothing seemed to work. I could not see the hidden image. I also could not understand it in my young mind. If it was not there, obvious to the eye as a picture, then what?
A simple one for you to practice on is a common logo. When you look at a Federal Express truck with its orange and blue symbol, do you see an arrow? It is buried in the logo. There are things around us every day that are not obvious and have subliminal ways of changing our lives. This is called “subliminal advertising”.
Marketers have realized the brain is faster than the naked eye. Back in the day, one frame in 20 at the drive-in movie produced a picture of a Coke and some popcorn. Studies showed a short time after, sales spiked. We do not always “see” what it is our brain is processing.
As I grew older I took the time to see the image inside the picture. It is a training and takes patience. What I learned was once you saw it, it is very hard to unsee it.
My grandson and I were looking at a hidden image book and looking for objects hidden in the pages. Once I saw the image it was hard to lose it. I have learned that once the fog is lifted from the mountaintop, the image is forever in your memory.
This thought of seeing what is there and yet, unseen for years, came full circle to me. I have seen and cannot unsee truth in my life. My rose-coloured glasses have been polished up and my vision is clearer than it has ever been before. I have seen the image in my life that has been buried deep in the 3D image and has only become clear now. In some ways, I am sad, because like the innocence of childhood, once it is shattered one can no longer claim our childish ways. We must face the bitter truth.
While things I see can be joy filled and happy, some things are a struggle. So may the things you see bring you joy and sorrow, because without one you cannot witness the other. Take time to see the unseen and add dimension to your life. Find the picture within the picture and then take the time to hold it dear.
Our mind works so mysteriously, if you want to see some ways, watch these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P8q_dCU3RI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNSgmm9FX2s
Cynthia Breadner is a grief specialist and bereavement counsellor, a soul care worker and offers specialized care in Spiritually Integrated Therapies with special attention as a cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner and trauma incident resolution facilitator. She volunteers at hospice, works as a LTC chaplain and is a death doula, assisting with end-of-life care for client and family. She is the mother part of the #DanCynAdventures duo and practices fitness, health and wellness. She is available remotely by safe and secure video connections, if you have any questions contact her today! [email protected] breakingstibah.com
