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The brain works in mysterious ways, everyone knows this, but there are two specific things about vision I have learned this week that have lead me to question the implications of the mysteries of the brain: 1) The retina is organized backwards with the photon receptors being one of the last layers that photons of light penetrate. 2) The location where the optic nerve connects to the retina, no light receptors exist, and there is a blind spot in the world we perceive that our brain fills in, independent of influence from our “I” function.

Getting to the retina is organized backwards. Nobody knows for certain why the retina is organized this way. Wouldn’t we want these photon particles of light to first hit photon receptors? But then from other things taught to us, it seems like the brain is evolutionary organized in the most parsimonious, and logical ways. For instance, we learned about how action potentials are the sole currency for transforming information of all types throughout the nervous system. Evidence of this nature illuminates the simplistic methods the brain utilizes in order to carry out complex function. This gives me the confidence to think, because we do not understand why the retina is organized backwards, it is likely due to a limit of our methods of research and understanding. I think the retina is organized backwards for logical reasons that we are not yet capable of understanding because I feel like everything in the brain was thoughtfully and purposely arranged. But I also understand I could be wrong. We could still be evolving. Maybe a million years from now, the photon receptors will be the first layer in the retina.

Learning about how the brain fills in the blind spots of where we lack photon receptors, independent of our “I” function, this to me, is another piece of supporting evidence of the other part of our nervous system independent of our “I” function that is also in control. We touched on this part of our nervous system like when we talked about how we know how far away things are from us without thinking about it. But I think it is amazing yet scary how much control this part of the nervous system has. To fill in blind spots, is essentially altering reality. What we are perceiving is a rendition of what the brain is allowing us to see. Would we rather want to see blind spots so we are aware of the true limitations of our body? Echoing what other people have said, how far does the control of this part of the nervous system extend? On the other hand, I don’t think it is too dangerous that it is only filling in a small spot with matched patterns of the surroundings. It is not really altering our reality but allowing us to have a unified sense of picture. Is this really a bad thing? After all our eyes are constantly moving, so what is in the blind spot at one point, is not in the next instance? Are we really not perceiving all of reality? That the brain fills in these spots, is this a good thing or a bad thing? I think for the most part good, Id rather have a unified picture without holes in it.