CAN EYEBALL MOMENTS BRING CHANGES IN CONSCIOUSNESS !
The Science and Spirituality of Eye Movement Directions: Upward, Rightward, and Leftward Gazes and Their Effects on Consciousness
Introduction
The movements of the eyes—whether upward, rightward, or leftward—have captivated spiritual practitioners and scientists alike for centuries. From the meditation halls of India to the clinical protocols of modern psychotherapy, the direction in which the eyes move has been deeply linked, in multiple traditions, to shifts in consciousness, states of meditation, modes of memory retrieval, and even emotional healing. Both spiritual frameworks, such as the Silva Mind Control method , Body Mind Programming(BMP) , and the Indian yogic focus on the ajna (third eye) chakra, and scientific paradigms, ranging from neuroimaging to psychological theories like Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and BMP, have proposed and investigated how eye directions may unlock, signal, or even produce alterations in body, mind, and awareness.
This comprehensive report will synthesize diverse spiritual interpretations, the current state of scientific research in neuroscience and psychology, and offer an integrative analysis of the meaning, mechanisms, and potential effects underlying upward and lateral eye movements. A special emphasis will be placed on upward gaze as a facilitator of altered states (whether defined as alpha/theta brainwave states or intuitive/spiritual awareness), and on lateral (rightward/leftward) eye movements in relation to memory retrieval, ‘mental time travel’, and the processing of traumatic memories. The report culminates in a table summarizing key directions and their associated effects, followed by an integrated discussion drawing together the many layers—mystical, neuroscientific, and therapeutic—that together illuminate how the simple act of moving the eyes may reflect, and shape, the depths of consciousness.
I. Spiritual Interpretations
1. The Silva Mind Control Method: Upward Eye Movement and States of Consciousness
The Silva Mind Control Method, developed by José Silva in the 1960s, is a widely practiced meditation technique focusing explicitly on the role of upward eye position in achieving the so-called alpha brainwave state. Central to Silva’s teaching is the instruction to gently close the eyes and direct the gaze upwards—typically at a 20-degree angle above neutral—for the induction of meditative, receptive mental states. Kriyayoga and BMP (Body Mind Programming ) also talk about moving the eyeballs upward .This upward movement is not arbitrary; practitioners are told that even the physical act of rolling the eyes up triggers the shift to the alpha brainwave state, which is considered the “gateway” between conscious and subconscious awareness.
The practical details of this technique are precise. Practitioners are instructed to either close their eyes while envisioning this subtle upward gaze, or pick a spot 20-45 degrees above eye level (such as on a ceiling) with open eyes, focus on it until the eyelids feel heavy, and then allow them to close. The aim is entry into a “Level” of consciousness characterized by profound relaxation, heightened creativity, and a lowered inner guard. This has been described as leading to a “deep and durable inner peace,” as well as enhanced visualization abilities—the so-called "mental screen" that serves as the backdrop for BMP visualization exercises.
Silva practice also involves lateral eye movements as a secondary element: for example, when visualizing events on the “mental screen,” users may be encouraged to mentally slide past or future scenes across the screen from left to right, symbolizing shifts between remembering, projecting, and changing realities.
2. Indian Spirituality and the Spiritual Eye (Ajna Chakra)
Indian yogic traditions have long associated upward or central gaze (whether eyes are open or closed) with the activation of higher consciousness and intuition. The locus of this awareness is often the ajna chakra, known as the “spiritual eye” or “third eye,” situated between the eyebrows. Meditative practices from Kriya Yoga to Kundalini and beyond encourage practitioners to focus their attention at this spot, sometimes accompanied by a natural or intentional upward turning of the eyeballs, described as Bhrumadhya Drishti or Sambhavi Mudra.
In these frameworks, the upward gaze is not simply mechanical but considered a gateway to transcendent intuition, spiritual light, and union with the divine. Swami Yogananda described seeing an “opal flame,” a mandala or luminous star at the inner point, which, upon deep concentration, can become a “door” to cosmic consciousness. Sadhguru and other modern yogis also locate intuition, perception, and expanded awareness in the energetic seat of the third eye, claiming that its attunement fosters radical insight, reduced mental chatter, and ultimately enlightenment.
Ajna chakra activation is further connected with practical techniques: yoga postures (such as child’s pose, headstand, or eagle pose), specific pranayama (breath control), and focused visualization all encourage inward/upward eye focus as means to “open” the chakra and penetrate higher realms of awareness. The physiological correlate sometimes associated with this practice is the pineal gland—a neuroendocrine structure deep in the brain widely mythologized as the anatomical “third eye” because of its role in regulating sleep and circadian rhythms.
3. Traditional and Global Spiritual Perspectives
Beyond yoga and the Silva and BMP Methods, upward and lateral eye twitches and movements have spiritual meanings in traditional cultures across Africa, the Caribbean, and East Asia. For example, right eye twitching is considered a sign of good fortune in some Chinese and Indian folklore, while left eye twitching is often a warning in African and Caribbean traditions. Both are tied to intuition, ancestral messages, and subtle energetic shifts in the environment, including notions of evil eyes, energy blockages, or impending change.
Practices such as focused candle-gazing (trataka), affirmation, and correspondence with lunar or cosmic cycles are also found in New Age and alternative spiritual interpretations of eye movement, indicating how broadly the motif of the eyes as a spiritual portal has resonated across civilizations.
II. Scientific Research
1. Brainwaves, Eye Position, and Conscious State
Alpha and Theta Brainwaves and Upward Eye Movement
The impetus for upward eye movement in the Silva Method and similar practices finds partial support in research on electrophysiological brain states. Numerous studies have found that deep meditative states are accompanied by increased alpha (8–14 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) activity, typically recorded over the frontal and parietal cortex during electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. Increases in alpha and theta power have been identified as reliable neural markers of “relaxed alertness,” creativity, enhanced memory retrieval, and even self-healing abilities. These brainwaves are associated with reduced external sensory input, increased introspective focus, and, in advanced meditators, with long-term beneficial neural plasticity.
Some contemporary studies specifically explore eye position and brainwave activity. For example, the “resting upward position” of eyes during meditation has been linked to increased alpha rhythms and, in more skilled practitioners, synchrony of gamma frequencies—oscillations above 30 Hz that correlate with highly integrated consciousness. Meditation-related practices employing upward gaze appear to facilitate not just psychological calm, but physiological changes: decreased default mode network activity (the neural substrate of mind-wandering), increased activity in regions responsible for interoception (e.g., the insula), and positive neurochemical shifts, including rises in serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin, all contribute to the subjective sense of inner quietude and expanded awareness.
Ocular Response Function: Mapping Eye Movements to Neural Activity
Recent advances in neuroscience have introduced sophisticated methods to track simultaneous brain and eye activity, directly addressing the influence of eye position on the neural signal. The “Ocular Response Function” (ORF) framework, utilizing magnetoencephalography (MEG) and high-resolution eye tracking, enables spatially and temporally precise modeling of how oculomotor features—vertical and horizontal gaze, saccades, blinks, pupil dilation—correlate with activity across the brain.
ORF research demonstrates that even during task-free rest, each type of eye movement produces specific, predictable patterns of brain activity. For example, shifts in vertical gaze (upward movement) show unique encoding in cortical and subcortical regions associated with attention, arousal, and sensory processing. Mapping these relationships allows not only prediction of neural responses from eye signals but also the decoding of eye movement patterns from brain data. These insights suggest that the upward or lateral direction of eye movement may be entwined with distinct neurobehavioral states, further supporting the link between eye position and shifted consciousness.
2. Eye Movements in Dreaming, REM, and Hypnagogic States
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep and Dream Consciousness
One of the most robust scientific findings regarding eye movements in altered states comes from the study of REM sleep. REM is characterized by rapid, often lateral (side-to-side) eye movements, atonia (muscular paralysis), activated brainwaves resembling wakefulness, and vivid dreaming. These REMs, originating in brainstem structures and propagated via ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves, are thought to reflect the scanning of self-generated visual imagery in dreaming, a sort of “active sampling” of the inner world. Empirical data suggest that the direction of REM in sleep sometimes corresponds to the direction of gaze in dream scenarios, supporting the notion that eye movements may recapitulate mental content even in unconscious states.
Moreover, lucid dreamers—people who become aware they are dreaming—have exploited deliberate lateral eye movements as “eye signaling” to communicate with external observers during REM, establishing a direct empirical bridge between subjective conscious states and eye movement patterns.
Eye Movements During Hypnagogia and Unconsciousness
The hypnagogic state—the liminal phase between wakefulness and sleep—features characteristic eye movements, including slow upward or rolling movements, as well as increased prevalence of hallucinations, “mini-dreams,” and altered consciousness. These phenomena are associated with changes in thalamo-cortical gating (the brain’s sensory gateway), increased alpha/theta oscillatory activity, and a withdrawal of focus from the external world. The association between upward gaze, hypnagogia, and lowered filters on consciousness offers a physiological basis for the spiritual assertion that upward eye direction enables access to subtler, more intuitive forms of awareness.
3. Lateral Eye Movements and Memory Access: Evidence and Applications
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Eye Accessing Cues
NLP, developed in the 1970s, proposes a detailed mapping between eye movement direction and the activation of different mental faculties—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and digital/inner dialogue. The canonical model suggests:
- Upward left: visual recall (remembered images)
- Upward right: visual construction (inventing/imagining images)
- Lateral left: auditory recall (remembered sounds)
- Lateral right: auditory construction (imagined sounds)
- Down left: internal dialogue
- Down right: kinesthetic (feelings, tactile stimulation)
This model asserts that leftward gaze is associated with recalling known, past information, while rightward movement relates to constructing or projecting possibilities and future scenarios. NLP practitioners widely use these cues in coaching and therapy, aiming to access memories or reshape beliefs.
However, scientific validation for these claims is mixed. Some studies, including controlled experiments, have found that complex cognitive tasks (memory, imagination, mental arithmetic) reliably provoke more eye movements in specific, non-random directions, but many standard predictions of the NLP model do not always hold across individuals or handedness. Nonetheless, a body of evidence confirms that eye position and memory retrieval are intertwined. Experiments demonstrate that “looking at nothing” in the visual field can enhance recall, that scanpaths during memory recollection replay those from initial encoding, and that leftward gaze (for right-handed individuals) is often associated with easier memory retrieval.
Autobiographical Memory, “Mental Time Travel,” and Lateral Eye Movements
A growing field of research examines how recalling past events and imagining future scenarios--forms of “mental time travel”--are expressed in eye movement patterns. Autobiographical memory retrieval involves increased fixations and saccades (rapid shifts of gaze), reflecting visual mental imagery and scene reconstruction. Constructing future events tends to trigger fewer fixations and saccades, possibly due to the lack of concrete visual details. Nonetheless, both require specific lateral movements as the visual system seeks cues for memory access.
Studies such as those by El Haj and colleagues confirm that lateral eye movements are more pronounced in past (versus future) thinking and that these reflect conscious attempts to reconstruct stored scenes and information.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a psychotherapeutic technique that explicitly uses lateral (side-to-side) eye movements to facilitate the processing of traumatic memories. Clients recall distressing events while following the therapist’s fingers or a moving target, a process theorized to reduce the vividness and emotional intensity of traumatic memories. Neuroscientific explanations range from “working memory taxation” theories—which propose that the dual task of maintaining a memory and tracking a stimulus exceeds working memory capacity, reducing the impact of the memory—to activation of an orienting response in the brain, or even amygdala suppression (the brain’s stress center).
Recent systematic reviews and controlled trials support EMDR’s equivalence to cognitive behavioral therapies for PTSD, with moderate evidence that lateral visual or other bilateral tasks (e.g., tapping) contribute to reduced emotionality, though the specificity and necessity of eye movement per se remains under debate.
Eye Movements in Clinical and Cognitive Science
Eye movements have been found to offer diagnostic insight for a wide range of cognitive and affective phenomena: changes in eye movement patterns and “scanpaths” can reveal cognitive decline, emotional state, and the functioning of memory circuits, particularly the hippocampus. Even in populations unable to verbally report memory (such as infants, non-verbal patients, or advanced Alzheimer’s), anticipatory gaze can mark the presence of hidden memory. Integration with neuroimaging and eye-tracking continues to open new vistas, making gaze a powerful window into non-conscious cognition.
4. Eye Movements in Hypnosis
Hypnosis is another domain where eye movement—and particularly gaze fixation or upward gaze—has been employed for inducing altered states. Classic techniques involve asking the participant to stare at a fixed spot, often slightly above eye level, leading to eyelid heaviness and trance induction. Modern neuroscience observes that, under hypnosis, certain networks—such as the prefrontal cortex and limbic system—change their activation patterns, corresponding to increased suggestibility and focused attention. While no single eye position guarantees a trance state, gaze fixation remains a standard induction tool. Furthermore, some hypnotic techniques make use of symbolic lateral or vertical eye movements to foster change or deepen trance.
5. Eye Movements in Meditation and Traditional Medicine
Multiple meditation practices, from open-monitoring mindfulness to focused gaze concentration meditations (as in Heart Chan or Tibetan Dzogchen), use eye position—often upward, sometimes fixed or slightly unfocused—to direct attention inward, enhance concentration, and trigger shifts into altered states. Eye-tracking research demonstrates that trained meditators display more efficient, stable, and less erratic eye movement patterns, which are associated with reduced distractibility and improved attentional control. In turn, focused gaze can be measured to provide objective data on meditation proficiency and cognitive effects.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, eye movement, gaze, color, and vitality are diagnostic clues for overall health, energy balance, and the state of inner organs. Eye exercises, acupressure, and prescribing specific gaze directions are traditional interventions for both physical and energetic health. For instance, TCM links healthy upward and mobile gaze with proper liver qi flow, and Ayurveda attributes darting eyes to vata imbalances and intense gaze to pitta domination.
III. Psychological Theories and Clinical Applications
1. Eye Movement and Cognitive Access: The “Eye Accessing Cues” Model
The NLP “Eye Accessing Cues” model suggests that the direction of gaze correlates with which sensory modality or representational system is being used internally—whether the individual is visualizing, remembering, constructing, feeling, or self-talking.
While this model is widely utilized in therapeutic and coaching contexts, scientific scrutiny has yielded nuanced findings. Large-sample, eye-tracking and behavioral experiments confirm that eye movements correspond reproducibly with certain cognitive processes—visual memory recall, mental scene construction, working with internal dialogue—but the relationship is more variable and context-dependent than the deterministic mapping suggested by early NLP theory. Nonetheless, the direction and patterning of gaze do offer a real-time index of mental activity and can facilitate both introspection and communication.
2. Gaze and Emotional State, Nonverbal Communication
Eye direction, fixation, and movement patterns are not only markers of cognitive processes but also nonverbal cues conveying emotion, attention, deception, and social engagement. For example, upward gaze might indicate reflection or inspiration, lateral or darting eye movements can reflect discomfort or searching for information, and steady gaze can connote intense focus or connection.
Emotion influences eye movements as well: happiness often results in more direct gaze and “smiling eyes,” sadness in downcast gazes, and anxiety in erratic or rapid movements. Cultural differences shape interpretation: in some societies, direct gaze is seen as respectful and honest, while in others, avoiding eye contact is a sign of politeness or deference.
3. Eye Gaze, Attention, and Mindfulness
Gaze direction is a sensitive indicator of attention, both exogenous (captured by the environment) and endogenous (internally directed). Mindfulness meditation, as measured in eye-tracking studies, increases the stability and precision of attentional control. Regular mindfulness meditation leads to faster and more accurate shifts of visual attention, and reduces distractibility across the lifespan.
Focused attention on a fixed or upward point, as practiced in meditation or other spiritual exercises, corresponds not only to subjective experiences of calm and presence but also to neurophysiological changes—shifts in brain network activation, synchrony of alpha and theta waves, and increased activity in structures governing self-regulation and emotional balance.
4. Eye Movement Therapies: EMDR, Somatic Practices, and Trauma
EMDR’s use of lateral eye movements has inspired broader exploration of the interaction between physical movement, neural mechanisms, and emotion. Bilateral stimulation (side-to-side movement) has been found to suppress amygdala activity, lower emotional arousal during memory retrieval, and provide therapeutic relief for trauma and anxiety disorders. Notably, similar lateral movements are naturally enacted during walking, suggesting that rhythmic eye movements may have general effects on stress and mood across species and contexts.
The leading theoretical model for EMDR is the “working memory” hypothesis: performing a demanding task (tracking eye movements) while holding a distressing memory in mind reduces the vividness and emotionality of the memory, facilitating adaptive reprocessing. Neural studies show that such bilateral tasks engage circuits in the superior colliculus and thalamus, and subsequently reduce activation in emotional centers like the amygdala.
IV. Table: Eye Movement Direction and Associated Effects or Interpretations
| Eye Movement Direction | Associated Effect/Interpretation | Domain / Source / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Upward (20°–45°) | Triggers alpha/theta brainwave states; entry to meditation/altered consciousness; activates “spiritual eye”; enhances intuition | Silva Method, Indian yoga, meditation, EEG |
| Center (Between Eyebrows) | Focus of “third eye”; bridges sensory withdrawal and higher awareness; locus of intuitive perception | Indian spirituality, Ajna Chakra |
| Upward Left | Visual recall of past images, memory retrieval | NLP, behavioral studies |
| Upward Right | Visualization/construction of new images or imagined scenarios; associated with future projection | NLP, “mental time travel” |
| Leftward (Lateral) | Auditory recall (past sounds); memory access; scene reconstruction; retrieval of autobiographical memory | NLP, neuroscience, EMDR |
| Rightward (Lateral) | Auditory construction (imagined sounds), planning or imagining future events; construction of novel scenarios (future thinking) | NLP, neuroscience, EMDR |
| Lateral (Bilateral) | Processing of traumatic memory; reduction of emotional intensity; simulation of natural movement (e.g., walking); amygdala dampening | EMDR, trauma therapy, neuroscience |
| Downward Right | Kinesthetic feeling/accessing bodily sensations | NLP |
| Downward Left | Inner dialogue/auditory digital | NLP |
| Rapid Eye Movement (REM sleep) | Vivid dreaming, internal scene scanning, consciousness study, dream signaling | Sleep science, dream research |
| Fixed Gaze (central/upward) | Induction of trance/hypnotic state, focus of attention, reduced distractibility | Hypnosis, meditation, mindfulness |
| Erratic/Darting | Mind-wandering, distraction, anxiety, vata imbalance (Ayurveda) | Psychological/TCM/Ayurveda |
| Soft Upward Gaze | Compassionate, gentle nature (kapha, Ayurveda) | Ayurveda, traditional medicine |
| Intense Forward Gaze | Intense, analytical focus (pitta, Ayurveda) | Ayurveda, traditional medicine |
V. Integrative Discussion and Analysis
Intersections and Distinctions Across Spiritual and Scientific Domains
The belief that upward eye movement grants access to “higher” states of mind is a striking point of intersection between spiritual doctrine and neuroscientific evidence. The upward gaze, apart from its symbolic significance in the yogic traditions, achieves measurable neurophysiological correlates—namely, shifts in alpha/theta oscillatory dynamics, parasympathetic engagement, and increased synchrony in brain networks tied to attention and self-regulation. Spiritual accounts of the “third eye” as a portal to intuition or divine light find echoes in modern neuroscience’s recognition of focal attention, thalamo-cortical gating, and possibly the role of the pineal gland as a light-sensitive regulator of circadian rhythm, affect, and perhaps subjective experience.
Likewise, the notion from NLP, psychology, and spiritual visualization practices that lateral (left/right) gaze accesses different temporal domains (past/future) or modalities (recalling/constructing) has empirical footing, if more nuanced and individualized than early models supposed. Gaze patterns during memory recall, encoding, and mental imagery are robustly reproducible and provide more accurate measurement of memory than verbal reports, even in nonverbal populations.
Bilateral (side-to-side) eye movements, whether deployed in EMDR therapy or occurring naturally during walking and navigation, show measurable effects on emotional regulation, memory reconsolidation, and suppression of brain centers associated with stress and trauma—offering both a scientific basis for lateral movement’s effects and a functional explanation beyond pure symbolism.
Clinical and Practical Implications
The convergence between these various traditions—Silva Mind Control, yoga/meditation, hypnotherapy, EMDR, and even traditional medical systems—suggests that eye movement can be more than a reflection of inner state; it may be a powerful lever for modulating consciousness, emotion, and cognition. Upward and fixed gaze techniques can facilitate meditative absorption, reduce distraction, promote healing states, and enable access to subconscious material. Lateral movements can be harnessed to process trauma, enhance memory retrieval, and support emotional rebalancing.
Mindfulness-based eye-tracking and attention exercises are now evidenced not only to boost attention and resist distraction but to do so across the lifespan, from young to elderly populations. This broadens the possibilities for their inclusion in therapeutic, educational, and self-optimization contexts.
Limitations and Remaining Questions
While the evidence supporting the psychological and physiological effects of eye movement direction is robust in several areas, nuances remain. Not all early NLP eye-access cue claims have survived empirical scrutiny, with wide individual and contextual variability. Similarly, some neuroscientific findings (such as the exact link between eye position and specific brainwave states or consciousness levels) are still under exploration, with plausible mechanisms but complex causality.
Furthermore, specific spiritual claims (such as the opening of the third eye to receive cosmic light) remain outside the domain of empirical measurement, though their subjective and cultural potency is undeniable.
VI. Conclusion
The evidence spanning spiritual wisdom, neuroscience, and contemporary psychology overwhelmingly suggests that eye movement direction is more than an inert physical gesture. An upward gaze can entrain brain, body, and awareness into states conducive to meditation, intuition, and healing. Lateral gaze directions are gateways to memory, imagination, and emotional balancing—used reflexively in mental recall, intentionally in psychotherapy, and ritually in spiritual practice.
As research methods become more sophisticated—integrating high-fidelity eye tracking, real-time neural imaging, and nuanced task protocols—the precise mappings and mechanisms at play will become clearer. For now, both the mystic turning upward of the inner eye and the clinician’s lateral gaze cues stand validated as expressions of the profound connection between gaze, mind, and consciousness, with practical import for well-being, therapy, and spiritual growth.
In sum: The direction of the eyes is not merely a reflection of thought, but an active interface between the body and the vast reaches of consciousness—scientific and spiritual insights alike affirm that by minding our gaze, we can learn to mind, and perhaps even transform, our minds. Great question—I'll dive into both the spiritual and scientific perspectives on how eye movements might relate to consciousness, memory, and mental states. This includes insights from Silva Mind Control and Indian spirituality, as well as any relevant neuroscience or psychology research. This will take me several minutes, so feel free to step away—I’ll keep working in the background. Your report will be saved right here in this conversation.
Raj Kumar Dham +91-9845287581
rkdham@gmail.com
Bangalore India
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