Intense visual impact

This morning, on my bike I had to stop at a railroad crossing. There was a thick mist that left me about two meters of vision and it was dark, very dark. Suddenly I saw the three yellow lights of the train emerging from the dark suddenly racing towards me, it was such an intense sight. It’s hard to explain but it was awesome and a bit creepy, it gripped me, triggered something inside. So I started thinking about what sights are the most intense. What makes for a strong visual impact?

There are different types of triggers, I feel fear and eroticism may be two of the strongest. They specifically often have a physical effect, from blood rushing to specific parts of the body to adrenaline pumping through your veins. Maybe eroticism is more of a male thing, considering the popularity of porn under males, or maybe women don’t like to admit it. However, there are certain images that somehow seem to grasp something in your mind. Many of them seem personal but may actually be quite universal. One of those strong images I know for instance is that of your lover looking up at you during, well… you know, receiving a…uhm… well just fill it in for yourself. Another one in the same category is a naked or barely dressed female body. The image can be so strong that it seems to influence your perception, making you focus more on a single subject, even seeming to lose part of your peripheral vision.

Fear and discomfort, quite the opposite of previous examples may be even stronger. Receiving a letter with really bad news, getting back an important exam you failed, your mind seems to zoom in and block out the rest. I experienced a similar thing when I saw the WTC tragedy on the news. A similar thing happened when I saw a cat get run over by a car, time slowed down and my mind zoomed in collecting details. Like this, some of the tarot cards can have that impact; obviously Death and the Devil, but ten and four of swords as well can have such an effect. Different cards can have that effect on different people, I have met someone who got scared out of her mind when she saw the hanged man. I always have to remind myself of this when doing a reading for someone. To some people seeing the Rider on the pale horse has quite the impact and if you’re not careful this can set a mood for the rest of the reading that is hard to turn around. Since few people enjoy a gloomy reading these things can actually cost you clients.

I think that in many ways our eyes are our primary source of information, which is why you have to take extra care when confronting people with certain images on all sides of the spectrum. I know certain people are scared witless when the image of a “grey Alien” is flashed on the TV, likewise I know I lose all focus and concentration when my wife wears certain tight fitting or revealing garments… which is basically 90% of her wardrobe. Which is why I can only simulate any form of intelligence when I’m not with her…

You make me dumb honey and I love you for it…