Peripheral vision. It can come in handy sometimes. The other day, I had just pulled onto the I-90 freeway in Spokane, and outside of my normal 30% forward vision, I sensed, then saw another vehicle coming into my lane. Without me veering into the third lane on the left, I would have been broadsided. I was driving a miniscule Toyota Tercel.

I like the definition of peripheral vision: being outside of our normal gaze or “point of fixation.”

We humans have been designed to focus forward, similar to apes, monkeys and most predators, including birds and mammals, equipped with eyes in the front of their head. This gives them/us binocular or stereoscopic vision which enables the animal to have the visual acuity and depth perception needed for them pursuing fleeing prey.

“Prey” species have evolved to have their eyes on the sides of their heads to better see approaching danger from almost all sides, especially when their heads are near the ground while grazing. While no animal can completely swivel its head 360 degrees, many wildlife species can see behind them due to their eye location.

Remarkably, the world also features at least two species that have eyes located on Top of their heads, alligators and crocodiles, enabling them to remain submerged and hidden, whilst watching and stalking prey.

I believe our corner of our eyes perception increases when outdoors. During times in the natural world, we are not usually focused on what is directly in front of us. We want to take in the whole scenic view. We become “far sighted.” We are immersed in natural light, and there can be movement on all sides of us, when the wind blows, sunlight dances with shadows, or what has happened numerous times, we see an animal on our farthest peripheral line of sight.

I was hiking at Columbia Hills State Park, and a coyote somehow appeared at my eye corner. It was watching us from atop a rocky wall. When we focused our full attention on the curious animal, it shied away, only to appear again above us down the trail.

Apparently, having good corner-of-our-eyes vision is a good, healthy attribute. Poor peripheral vision can result in blind spots or a loss of side vision—which can be indicators of glaucoma and other eye disorders. Tunnel vision is sad on many fronts. Physically, it limits what we can see, and if it extends to our mind, it can limit our view of our enchanting world. The more we open our eyes, the more we extend our view to the deepest reach of our eyes, will lead us to beauty, understanding, and utter joy. ~