Blindness

A blind person’s eyes are turned inward, toward the intuition, predictions, and otherwise inaccessible wisdom of the inner world.

Seer

Odin—the god of knowledge, death, sorcery, and poetry—is blind in one eye, having sacrificed it for the source of wisdom, “which is the unconscious” (Jung 1996, p. 58). As the All-Father, one eye watches over this world, while the other is directed toward the other world. The same is true for Osiris.

Another illustration of this idea is the blind prophet (Tiresias) or poet (Homer), who sees the depths of the inner world; one who is not bound by time and space and can thus predict the future and reveal hidden things. In other words, the seer—“the one who sees”—is blind because this individual does not perceive the ordinary world but rather the other world.

In a similar manner, the image of the blind poet or musician is common, for what comes from such a person has its source on the other side, which ordinary individuals do not see (that is, have contact with). The Secret of the Golden Flower suggests that the light the eye spreads is directed inward when the eyes are closed, which is why one is encouraged to sit with closed eyes during meditation to achieve enlightenment.  

Darkness

Blindness can, on the other hand, describe unawareness and vulnerability to fate. The idea that Jesus restores sight to the blind illustrates this—awareness and enlightenment. This theme is also sometimes used in rituals, where the initiate begins with blindfolded eyes and has the blindfold removed as a symbol of enlightenment.

Of course, blindness can simply express not seeing what one perhaps ought to see, or not knowing what one should know. If one dreams of being blind, it may suggest that, in the respect the dream describes, one is metaphorically blind; one may not see the truth as it is, possibly in contrast to others in the environment.  

Punishment

In various myths around the world, gods cause blindness as punishment for humans. At the same time, many deities restore sight to those who have become blind, such as Jesus, Indra, and Athena.

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