This is a fascinating 500 year-old story, that explains how the eyes can emit a spiritual vapor of blood that bewitch and/or infect the eyes of a beholder with the like disease. This may not be far fetched, because we now know that eyes actually emit energy such as infrared rays. This is the reason for the red-eye in photographs. Also recently, Psychiatrist Colin A. Ross says that people can shoot energy beams from their eyes, and he has published data supporting this hypothesis in the journal, Anthropology of Consciousness, in an article titled “The Electrophysiological Basis of Evil Eye Belief.”

“The sense of being stared at is the basis of evil eye beliefs, which are regarded as superstitions because the emission of any form of energy from the human eye has been rejected by Western science. However, brainwaves in the 1–40 Hertz, 1–10 microvolt range emitted through the eye can be detected using a high-impedance electrode housed inside electromagnetically insulated goggles. This signal, which the author calls “human ocular extramission,” is physiologically active and has distinct electrophysiological properties from simultaneous brainwave recordings over the forehead.

Western science’s rejection of evil eye beliefs may be based on an erroneous rejection of a widespread component of human consciousness, the sense of being stared at, which may in turn be based on a real electrophysiological signal. The author proposes a series of future studies designed to determine whether human ocular extramission is the basis of evil eye beliefs.”(1)

I thought some of you would be intrigued by what Agrippa had written on this subject over 500 years ago. The chapter below is from “The philosophy of natural magic;” by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim and Henry Morley.

Agrippa had written – Fascination is a binding, which comes from the spirit of the witch, through the eyes of him that is so bewitched, and entering to his heart. Now the instrument of fascination is the spirit, viz., a certain pure, lucid, subtile vapor, generated of the purer blood by the heat of the heart. This doth always send forth, through the eyes, rays like to itself.

Those rays, being sent forth, do carry with them a spiritual vapor, and that vapor a blood (as it appears in swollen and red eyes), whose rays, being sent forth to the eyes of him that looks upon them, carry the vapor of the corrupt blood together with itself; by the contagion of which it doth infect the eyes of the beholder with the like disease.

So the eye, being opened and intent upon any one with a strong imagination, doth dart its beams (which are the vehiculum of the spirit) into the eyes of him that is opposite to him; which tender spirit strikes the eyes of him that is bewitched, being stirred up from the heart of him that strikes, and possesseth the breast of him that is stricken, wounds his heart and infects his spirit. Whence Apuleius saith, “Thy eyes, sliding down through my eyes into mine inward breast, stir up a most vehement burning in my marrow.”

Know, then, that men are most bewitched when, with often beholding, they direct the edge of their sight to the edge of the sight of those that bewitch them; and when their eyes are reciprocally intent one upon the other, and when rays are joined to rays and lights to lights, the spirit of the one is joined to the spirit of the other and fixeth its sparks.

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535/1538) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So are strong ligations made, and so most vehement loves are inflamed with only the rays of the eyes; even with a certain sudden looking on, as if it were with a dart or stroke, penetrating the whole body, whence then the spirit and amorous blood, being thus wounded, are carried forth upon the lover and enchanter, no otherwise than the blood and spirit of the vengeance of him that is slain are upon him that slays him. Whence Lucretius sang concerning those amorous bewitchings:

The body smitten is, but yet the mind

Is wounded with the darts of Cupid blind.

All parts do Sympathize i’ th’ wound, but know

The blood appears in that which had the blow.*

* Again, in speaking of the power of Venus, the goddess of peace, over Mars, the god of war, he says:

On thy soft bosom he—
The warlike field who sways—almighty Mars,
Struck by triumphant Love’s eternal wound,
Reclines full frequent. With uplifted gaze
On thee he feeds his longing, lingering eyes.
And all his soul hangs quivering from thy lips.

So, great is the power of fascination, especially when the vapors of the eyes are subservient to the affection. Therefore witches use collyries, ointments, alligations, and such like, to affect and corroborate the spirit in this or that manner. To procure love they use venereal collyries, as hippomanes, the blood of doves, or sparrows, and such like. To induce fear, they use martial collyries, as of the eyes of wolves, the civet cat, and the like. To procure misery or sickness, they use Saturnine things, and so of the rest.

SOURCE:

1. The philosophy of natural magic –  By Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, Henry Morley PAGE 155

2. The Electrophysiological Basis of Evil Eye Belief

Moe

Moe is the founder of GnosticWarrior.com. He is a father, husband, author, martial arts black belt, and an expert in Gnosticism, the occult, and esotericism.