Oliver Sacks The Mind's Eye Analysis

Oliver Sacks’s “The Mind’s Eye” is a nonfiction essay recounting the author’s work with people who have adapted to becoming blind in different ways. Sacks’s overarching argument with this essay is that the human brain has a great deal of plasticity, meaning that it is not simply “hardwired” (Sacks 330) like previously believed, but can actually change and adapt to its situation or environment. This concept of progressing current beliefs and understanding is echoed in Sherry Turkle’s writing on advanced artificial intelligence or AI, “Selections from Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other.” Turkle’s essay challenges society’s idea of “alive” in light of the progression of “sociable robots” (Turkle 460).

These essays allow a unique opportunity to reflect upon how humanity perceives the world around us. A recurring theme in Turkle’s work is a reference to “hybridity” (Turkle 474), the combination or mixture of two or more things usually thought of as separate. In Turkle’s case this was the combination of biological and mechanical in terms of “life”. This idea is similar to the complex processes of the visual cortex, since it deals with different senses rather than just sight, as presented in Sacks’s essay. As shown in both texts, limiting oneself to a single way of thinking about something eliminates the value of other viewpoints, whether it be “life”, eyesight, or another topic. A more hybrid viewpoint allows for a more open-minded way of perceiving the world. This allows for one to get the most out of life, consider everything, and learn from those around us rather than being locked into a single mentality. A hybrid, open-minded perception that is receptive to learning is the most ideal way to experience the world.
The use of a hybrid mindset allows one to combine multiple areas and focus the important concepts rather than actively subjugating them to certain boxes.

Turkle discusses hybridity as it relates to children and their toy Furbies being biological or mechanical: “If you focus on the Furby’s mechanical side, you can enjoy some of the pleasures of companionship without the risks of attachment to a pet or a person” (Turkle 474). The author’s choice of the word “focus” is associated with being active. Leaving the Furby in the mechanical category requires an active contribution from the child, focus on one side signifies consciously neglecting the characteristics of being “alive” that they could experience with a Furby. This example of purposefully neglecting hybridity dismisses the possibility that Furbies might be alive and thus limits the scope of one’s perception. A limited perception denies new experiences and opportunities for growth which is why having a “hybrid” mind is beneficial. Oliver Sacks presents an example of new found hybridity when he discusses scientific breakthroughs about how the visual cortex processes information: “Mental imagery, they found, activated many of the same areas of the visual cortex as perception itself, showing that visual imagery was a physiological reality as well as a psychological one, and used at least some of the same neural pathways as visual perception” (Sacks 340-341). Sacks’s tone appears to be almost surprised as shown by the

emphasis on “as perception itself”. The traditionally held concept was that the visual cortex dealt with simply vision, so, people actively separated other mental processes from sight due to this common idea. The study was surprising because it found that mental images and other senses also involve the visual cortex and challenged this traditional belief. This new evidence created an environment for hybridity to thrive and be able to better understand how something as complex as how the human brain operates. A hybrid view allows one to consider all the possible relationships rather than just accepting what we think we know. This unique viewpoint provides an opportunity to critically think, expand our knowledge and grow as not only a person but as a society as well. In both texts the use of a hybrid mindset breaks down conventional societal barriers and allows for independent thought. These advantages of a hybrid perception reinforce that it is the ideal worldview.
An open mind is important to all worldviews because it allows one to be impartial and open to new ideas and experiences and not be quick to judge others. From a memoir with a blind French resistance fighter named Jacques Lusseyran, Sacks quotes about a new open-mindedness derived from blindness: “I stopped caring whether people were dark or fair with blue eyes or green. I felt that sighted people spent too much time observing these empty things…. I no longer even thought about them” (Sacks 334). Lusseyran’s use of negative diction like “empty” shows that the excessive emphasis of superficial, often physical qualities are detrimental and time wasting. Sacks choosing to include this quote from a man who has experienced racism, which is one form of bias based on the superficial, first hand from the Nazis suggests that this almost forced open-mindedness from blindness is a beneficial and important trait. Turkle provides her own example of an open-mind when she shares a student’s reaction to the treatment of Nexi, a realistic humanoid robot from MIT: “‘It was very upsetting’ she said. ‘The curtain-and why was she blindfolded? I was upset because she was blindfolded’” (Turkle 478). Turkle includes this reaction to start a philosophical debate about consciousness. While that debate is worthwhile, I argue that the student’s reaction signals an open mind. A student without an open mindset would not have had a reaction so profusely emotional and with such concern for the robot’s well-being, but rather would have had no issues with Nexi’s storage since it is just a robot. The student had enough of an open mind to consider that Nexi may be more than just AI and have feelings as well. The act of simply considering this idea is evidence that having a tendency to be open-minded paves the way for more compassion and consideration among individuals, regardless of their superficial outer appearance, robot or human. These emergent characteristics of those with an open worldview create an avenue to improve our ethics and morals as well as end ignorance associated with superficial qualities such as race, gender, and perhaps human. Having a hybrid view lays the stepping stones for developing an open-mind without superficial barriers. Together these examples showcase how an open-mind is best suited to experience the world.
Learning is a key part of experiencing the world, this basic process prevents mistakes from being repeated, allows for personal growth, and leads to more new experiences.

As Turkle works through her argument about the relationship between humans and robots, she comes to a revelation about humans: “We live in the robotic moment not because we have companionate robots in our lives but because the way we contemplate them on the horizon says much about who we are and who we are willing to become” (Turkle 460). Turkle uses this as a platform in which to argue her distain for human complacency, however I believe this is an excellent example of humanity being able to learn about ourselves through our relationship with robots. One can use the way we relate to advanced machines in order to learn about “who we are and who we are willing to become.” Learning about ourselves is a valuable lesson as introspection may offer a mirror image that we do not like, much like Turkle does not seem to be content with humanity’s contentedness. Having this information and using a hybrid mindset allows us to be objective and actively change who we are and mold ourselves to be better without conflicting societal beliefs. This type of learning allows us to reflect upon our actions and grow as individuals and avoid making mistakes that we may have regretted again. Sacks uses a direct example of learning between different individuals when he recounts one of the blind people he was studying, Arlene

Gordon, and her travels in Venice with her companions: “I ask them questions, then they look and see things they wouldn’t otherwise. Too often people with sight don’t see anything! It’s a reciprocal process-we enrich each other’s worlds” (Sacks 345). Arlene utilizes irony in her statement of “often people with sight don’t see anything” to emphasize the nuanced roles of vision and mental visualization in perception. Sacks’s uses this story to prove just how complicated the brain and mind are: a nonvisual cortex is able to be stimulated by someone who is able to use their vision all the while still not noticing things with their visional sight. This interaction is also a quintessential example of a learning opportunity. The sighted companions aid Arlene in being able to mentally visualize the scenes and in turn she makes her sighted counterparts think about what they are actually seeing and notice aspects they would’ve otherwise missed. Arlene is accurate in her statement of, “It’s a reciprocal process,” not only is traveling together mutualistic, but also the learning process. Learning from others’ worldviews is often a good way to step back and reevaluate our own as is shown with this instance. As it always has been, learning is fundamental and greatly beneficial. Learning paves the way to build upon a hybrid, open-mind and grow, making it integral to experience the world.
There are many ways to experience the world around each and every one of us and each of them have their own merits and flaws. In both essays Sacks and Turkle allow their readers to contemplate their own perception. Sacks ponders the importance of eye sight to an individual’s experience and how the brain can adapt to the lack thereof. Turkle argues about the definition of “life” as advancing technology seems to make it less and less clear. These texts offer insight into the complex concept of human perception. Through evidence found in both works we find that having an open-minded, hybrid worldview that lends itself to learning and growing are very beneficial to experience the world. This type of perception breaks the bonds of bias and tradition and allows humanity to progress forward whether it be in morality, ignorance, or simply learning and being open to different experiences. Since people are not limited by conventional thoughts and ideas an open and hybrid mind is able improve and fully appreciate all that the world has to offer including learning from other people, and more importantly, ourselves. With this rationale it is clear than an open-minded, hybrid type mind that appreciates learning is the ideal way to experience this world we share.