Dr. Oliver Sacks on The Mind's Eye

In The Mind's Eye, physician and author Oliver Sacks tells the stories of people who are able to navigate the world and communicate with others despite losing what many of us consider indispensable senses and abilities: the power of speech, the capacity to recognize faces, the sense of three-dimensional space, the ability to read, or the sense of sight.
Dr. Sacks recently visited the American Museum of Natural History to discuss his book and how he too has struggled with several perceptual conditions, from face-blindness to a loss of stereo vision due to ocular cancer.
Dr. Sacks' talk was recorded live on Oct. 17, 2011.
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[@SH-fi6jc]

"I am the woman who mistook the doctor's bag for her handbag..." I am a man, yet this is so deep an allegory with the Doctor's book... God bless this man's soul...

[@therealzilch]

Oliver Sacks was one of our treasures.

[@yossariancomplex]

An incredibly interesting man with incredibly interesting stories. He's a joy to listen to.

[@pisceandreams5893]

This is the main thing in this World that many don't know about. Everything is about this eye. So many people think their is something wrong with them, and they suffer from depression and anxiety and lack of LIFE. I'm telling you for a fact that if you stop drinking unfiltered tap water that just doing that will make you feel better. I have found that everything has to do with what is already inside of us all along. When you come to this realization you will be in such amazement that you will be laughing at this whole thing. It is like the world was an illusion and now you can see everything! But it doesn't just happen overnight. I won't go any deeper for now,,but if anyone wants to talk I am here. Much love to you all!!

[@bethechange243]

The fact that he asks not to take photos and ppl keep taking photos is like unbelievable

[@mariekatherine5238]

Really. So disrespectful!

[@yodaydyxz1752]

Dr.Oliver Sacks deserves an Oscar.

[@MintyMindedThinks]

16:20 The story of this women gaining stereographic vision and her experience in her first 3D snowfall is why I love the study of the human mind. I love imagining that feeling.

[@stevebez2767]

Taylor LaMinty double Dutch,doodle gang plank stage astray but fell owe gal loon goes rind the OOT sized?

[@huntersearles1674]

I know this comment is 8 years old.... but i've just discovered after 25 years of life i have a mental condition called "Aphantasia". I had no idea until a day ago that people could ACTUALLY use their mind to produce images and visualize things. It gave me an anxiety attack when my wife told me she could see my face in her mind like i was staring in her face right in front of her. I can stare at a photo of my newborn son for hours but I close my eyes and I cant picture him. I always assumed this was normal. I have been trying to learn as much as possible about what a regular human brain can do. Is there anyone I can talk to about this? I deeply want to know what its like to be able to visualize things in your head.

[@huntersearles1674]

please help

[@amiosa35]

ahhh, this man is a gift to us!

[@blueelectricsmoke]

One of the most fascinating people alive in my opinion. I know he' s shy so I'm glad that you were able to have an evening with him (and share it with us).

[@stevebez2767]

blueelectricsmoke Nuerally new rally paradie Dell Boy?

[@mariekatherine5238]

I discovered Dr. Sacks first book on Migraine on the shelf of my analyst. I ended up reading it before he did. One side of my family gets them, also, there are a number of unusual people coined “eccentric, black sheep, absent-minded professors, autistic,” and now, “on the spectrum.”” Oliver Sacks may have passed on, fascinating in itself, but his mind outlives him, how long, time shall tell. I can relate to some of the phenomena as I’ve had migraines with visual distortions, very poor depth perception, partial color blindness, synesthesia, and I don’t remember faces very well.

[@jfreeman2927]

I work with ghosts so please know that Oliver Wolf Sacks continues to inform the group mind.

[@michaelwoodsmccausland915]

Oliver Sacks is a Dymndthsky! Shine Bright! The mind is an amazing canvas of memories! MWM

[@samala51]

Oliver is quite the incredible human being.

[@caramason56]

An inspiring, hilarious, and brilliant man 😊❤️😊❤️

[@Hollis_has_questions]

It’s MY favorite museum, too! But I haven’t been there since the mid-‘60s. I recently came upon an online question: What is your favorite amusement park? I answered without hesitation: The American Museum of Natural History. I miss all the books you would have written, Dr. Sacks. (And I too think that smoked salmon is a food group.)

[@Gaur1983]

Dr Sacks should seriously have asked the audience to write their questions down for him.

[@stevebez2767]

Gaur1983 wood not be Kwiiiik judge do ok Dutch paradoxes paradyme paraded metaphoric call ink blot patient word as a sick owe non use dog tar get range pre script non dictatored dog mad God def end Perl one stitch one no nine sky pop yell play gods of thy real horrershow nones?

[@jefolson6989]

@@stevebez2767 hard to argue with that point.

[@kaiakonsap]

Thank you! He is just lovely

[@akhilis89]

Inspirational talk and good sense of Humour.

[@joy96815]

Truly enjoyed this!

[@glistenhorns]

thanks ever so much for posting this treasure

[@AtheistKharm]

LOL omg when he admitted to regaining stereo vision from smoking pot I almost died laughing.

[@linrkirk]

to hear these thoughts, thank you

[@scottfine4169]

Just watched Awakening on Sundance. My gosh, what a sad but absolutely wonderful movie!!

[@JiveDadson]

The book is better. The movie added a bunch of sappy, irrelevant fiction.

[@Hollis_has_questions]

***** why do they (hollywood) always do that? it invariably makes the movie WORSE.

[@katiekat4457]

Scott Fine I went and watched it too! I was so sad and sometimes so happy. Mostly sad. It really sucks that the drug was new and they didn’t know how it worked yet. The doctor really screwed him by jumping the dosing so high that it messed up his mind and brought on the severe movement side effects. I know the name of them but I can’t spell it; extra-parietal symptoms but how could the doctor know. If only they knew the drug stops the stiffness and added the movements. What’s worse is those movements are very painful, extremely stressful on the mind, and exhausting. They can become permanent even when the med is stopped. Sorry if I’m blabbing on and you knew all this. Anyways, it was a great movie. What an awesome caring doctor, and what a shitty thing to happen to someone. I had never heard of this sleep disease until a heard Dr. Sacks talk about it in another speech. I love movies based on true stories. Have a good one

[@christinestill5002]

I'm sure he's saying "Thurber-like drawings" (my captioning keeps saying "Ferber-like". I've been a fan of Dr. Sacks' books for years before I stumbled on this. Great.

[@AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory]

Thank you for pointing that out! Should now be fixed.

[@rhondah1587]

I know people who have sight in only one eye and they do not have problems such as not being able to judge where someone's hand is or a glass is. My mother has had surgeries on one eye and then another and she says she still has enough depth perception to drive without any problems while one eye is bandaged.

[@natentreyable]

Thank you

[@JiveDadson]

Starts at 3:15

[@xxtiaan]

well thats interesting (and reassuring), I never realised he did that and Ive watched a bunch of his stuff.

[@ASausageDog]

i had a brain injury.. full right peripheral vision loss, epilepsy, sight and sound hallucinations a whole load of other major problems but the worst part was the loss of my minds eye and the devastation it caused.. ive got that back now so having crossed the division and back i have a good insight of the two words of vision or none.. getting it back was not easy.. emotions build up.. minds eye is key and they need dealing with, iam incredibly lucky to have that back i have a level of appreciation for that ability like nobody i know has or even recognize its significance at all.. thats the magic part, those who dont have the use have a VERY different way of living, existence and way of functioning.. very dark world :( respect your ability to create visions voluntarily ,) colors are good for your mind soak them up it needs them, even if you cant visualize

[@johnfeliceCeprano]

A truly creative intelligence

[@mariekatherine5238]

I have very poor depth perception, always have, apparently. I can relate to pouring wine in his friend’s lap and missing an outstretched hand. In P.E., I always hated tennis, softball, even ping pong. I’d get ready, then swing at the ball, only to miss so often that I’d look to see the expected hole in the racquet, bat, or paddle. I’m a chronic doodler. My drawings are “flat” without proper perspective. I’ve had them corrected by others, but I see little difference. In fact, I usually prefer my own as that’s how I see the world.

[@samanthalynnnex3]

I would love to see your drawings and how you see the world. You seem, so nice

[@StLennyBruce]

41:21 Wow. My head totally exploded.

[@pbat118]

StLennyBruce why?

[@lionsze]

No photography was mentioned at the beginning. The speaker already noticed and said no photography himself once and explained why. And ppl still kept doing it and he had to say it again. Huge distraction to him. So disrespectful.

[@jennymisteqq695]

After someone must’ve taken a picture, he had to repeat himself “no photography, please”. I wondered how the people seated around him reacted. You know they would feel the need to convey their disgust of him to him. I know I would try my damnedness to do so.

[@katiekat4457]

I see out of both eyes and I guess I see depth because I know where everything is and I don’t miss judge things. But, I feel like i’m missing something. I didn’t feel like it before he talked about it. But I don’t see things in this wondrous way. My steering doesn’t look magically popped out at me. It just looks like where a steering wheel should be. I have seen 3D movies where it looks really cool as thing protrude from the screen but in real life it does feel so great and cool. It just feels normal and in no way awe inspiring. When I put one hand over an eye things don’t look flat to me. I’m not walking around like that either though. But when I cover an eye it pretty much looks the same. I assume its because my brain already has my 3D bedroom and things already memorized. When I remove the covered eye the room and the things in it don’t pop back into 3D. It looks the same. I feel like I have normal vision and I know I see depth correctly. So my question is, am I the only one that lacks crazy-awe-inspiring-live-to-look-at 3D vision? Am I the only one walking around unimpressed? I can understand how the lady felt because she had never had it. But Dr. Sacks’s wonderful 3D vision I do not have. I mean no disrespect but does anyone know if he has a drug habit? I feel like I’m missing something. I have never heard anyone describe plain old regular 3D vision they way he does. So please tell me. Am I the odd one out? Because I could look into those exercises that I don’t need.

[@finalfantasy8VIII]

I don't see 3D amazingly popped either. Most people probably don't, since we are habituated to stereovision. If I close one eye, I still manage to read depth correctly, its a bit trickier but maybe only 10% more, with either eye. Its never 'flat', I can't even imagine what I struggle that must be.

[@ethano512]

take LSD

[@osexio]

Love it

[@stevenclauss3589]

I am just thinking to myself, whoever I am, do I feel like a game of Chess, and my best opening Chess analogy is?

[@youtube_acct_42]

I love Oliver Sacks. So interesting to read and listen to. However the Q&A section is advised to skip as he is partially deaf and his interpreter isn’t explaining the questions well. So he responds to something not asked.

[@conorhughes6018]

Oh god, the girl's interpretation of what were some pretty decent questions was what ruined the Q+A :(

[@Bjarku]

Yeah. Beautiful but she did a pretty awful job turning complex questions into meaningless simple ones and it clearly annoyed the audience

[@Jakker271]

What has beauty got to do with anything? It's not an easy job and she did the best she could. That's all anyone can do. Their looks are irrelevent.

[@alistandco]

I dont think she did the best she could.

[@roughpatches]

She needs to relay overly long winded questions bruh give her a break papi

[@NJSMKMMS]

The neglect of his right side shouldn't surprise him. It is commonly known that people who have suffered stokes and have hemiplegia also have neglect of parts of their body that they cannot see. It happens, also when people cannot feel parts of their body. Logically they know that part of their body is still there but very often will neglect it any way.

[@stevebez2767]

NJSMKMMS stroke was that generalized claim too read or listen too mass media and quote back too such as coherent paragraph digest claims,always prooven fruitless and offering non not realms too unabombers nonsences which crowd glower art sub Ob non sick owe arse?

[@katiekat4457]

Steve Bez Do you yourself a favor and look up commonly confused words. Especially focus on “to” “too” & “two”. Too meaning also or very. Example i like good grammar too. You’re grammar is too bad for me to let go by. Please get yourself to a source that can teach you what you need to know. Use two sources to make sure you get to see more lessens before it’s too late and too bad. That wasn’t the only word you messed up. If you don’t care then just ignore this because the way you come off in your writing should only be something you care about. I don’t care. I’m just telling you in case you don’t know but would what to know because whether you like it or not people judge you on the way you right and treat you accordingly. Obvious KZbin commenters don’t matter other than they would take your point as serious. But honestly other You Tube commenters don’t know you so no big deal. BUT what about the people that do know you. Sure they love you but it doesn’t mean that they don’t have the impression that your uneducated or dumb. You won’t tell you. Even when you say be honest. But again if you don’t care then it’s not big deal. Honestly I’m just trying to help. Especially if English is not your first language, or you are single and want to be excluded from some people’s ideal, or if you just want to better yourself. Your writing will just get much worse as you get older. My used to be perfect but I’m sure there’s mistakes in mind. Anyway, I really am just trying to help so please don’t sent a message back. Or you can and then I will have a more complete picture of you. Sorry this is so long. But if you did bother to take the time to read this way too long comment then you are probably smarter then how your message looks. Have a good one. And no, I’m not the grammar police. There is a reason I do this but it’s a long story...lol

[@dianedevery3711]

My Beloved had Left Side Neglect, a symptom of his brain cancer (GBMF).

[@jimnutter6901]

This discussion is a lead in to Aphantasia.🌹j.

[@xxtiaan]

did he just have a big tick when talking about tourettes at the end?!! its sad evey other time Ive watched him speak he seems really engaging and together, this time he seemed kind of frail and old, at least he can still enjoy a joint now and then I guess.

[@teenygozer]

How in heaven's name did Stereo Sue drive without 3D vision?! She first realized she was seeing in 3D when she went out to her car!

[@kellydalstok8900]

She wasn’t able to see in 3D for most of her life, so she was quite used to dealing with this handicap.

[@mariekatherine5238]

The same way I drive without it! You don’t miss what you don’t have. I’m 73 and have been driving since age 15.

[@rhythmictiger]

It's funny I've always had a bit of a fear that I won't be able to recognise people I know well yet I've never actually had that happen. Perhaps in a past life 😜

[@angharadllewellyn2192]

Too bad the audio is inaudible.

[@BernadetteHubbart]

Does anyone else have this…I’m fairly face blind but my younger sister is a super recogniser - does anyone else have the two extremes in their immediate family?

[@mariekatherine5238]

Yes, my father (RIP) and I didn’t recognize faces. We relied on other features such as hair, glasses, a particularly unusually shaped nose, birth mark, manner of dressing, body movement. Dad had excellent stereo vision which made him a great marksman in the Navy. My mother and I lacked stereo vision, very poor depth perception, and near-sighted. However, my younger sister and Mom (RIP), never forgot a face. I got the deficits of both, but having never had either, it hardly matters. I automatically compensate. Once, my father scratched his right eye on a thorn bush and had to have a patch for two weeks. The loss of his stereotypic vision rendered him unable to drive, so I ended up driving our station wagon pulling a 20ft. camper through NYC to Burlington, VT to attend college. I’d never once drove the station wagon much less towed a trailer.

[@SimonShortfinger]

i had the same flashing light on my left eye on the left side that the Dr. was himself experiencing after i got a hard hit on the head, this flashing stopped after a few hours, never looked it up and its many years ago and never had similar problems again besides my myopia, i have 2.2 on one eye end 2.0 on the other havent used glasses in a few years cboz of economy and my old ones broke

[@stevebez2767]

simon shortfinger it's the continuance of u.f.o ? Since 1910 from relative speaks with englishman(Huxley) the tea cup over flow def?! Cyclic cipher algor riff hum Monica call Dorothy on the left hand cyder bark Ingle ling mad? Exacting accusation via hit equals non coherent fixation of an aloud complaint,with which you punish(phrase words too continuing waste of your own cycled non noise) in stead of says that demote comedy slap stick keystone defs?

[@windowclock]

1:11:11 I loved that woman

[@marctwain8273]

02:21/1:23.25 statemente- very nice beginning (surfing in 2011) 👏🏿🙏🏻🪃 😉

[@Andrea-73]

He sounds slightly like Julian Clarey

[@roughpatches]

As much as I admire Oliver Sacks, I can't help but imagine his last words including "uuummm" and "ayeeeeeeee"

[@AtheistKharm]

Probably for the same reasons everyone in the audience is laughing. It's a bit surprising someone as prestigious as Oliver Sacks smokes pot. To be honest though, in retrospect (9 months later) it didn't seem as funny to me. I think I got a big kick out of back then because I watched the entire video and it is very slow and kinda dry in the humor department. So that little bit at the end was a good bit of comic relief.

[@NJSMKMMS]

Aya Bear ?

[@katiekat4457]

What a horrible assistant. If the questions are too long then it’s easy. Have them say one sentence then Hailey repeats that part then the questioner says another question. And make the questioners ask shorter questions. Hailey is doing wrong by Dr Sacks. Why is she his assist and have no clue what this man is all about. He certainly has written many books she should have read, and he loves to talk so she has no excuse to no nothing. Jesus, she just listened to the talk. I could have interpreted better than she did. I felt so bad for that man that she messed up his question and then Dr. Sacks dismissed him so rudely because of it. I do like the way the next woman put Hailey in her place but it didn’t improve her any.

[@HugoFilipeAndroid]

Absurd. Humbly should have written the questions and read it to Oliver. It would not take more time and it would be better for all. That man that was interrupted surely has it as a scar... Of course he loved Oliver and hopefully he was able to speak with him after.

[@SmartVisionMethod]

the mentally trained competitor using your minds-eye by tony mc mahon mind-brain coach .the world greatest athletes give testimony to the power of their minds-eye to visualize the finishs every time they perform every player understands all too well the unfortunate performance of poor emonational control makes the ultimate difference ..[all these skills can bb learned and mastered at mental training improving life skills .].

[@stevebez2767]

Anthony McMahon why can't you use them instead of dictating lists of such nonsence attitude sucks out?

[@ctakitimu]

what happens if all the competitors\athletes visualise their finish?

[@davidwilkie9551]

An overlapping story of identification of objects in reference to memory associations of parallel coexistence, time-timing light-sound Synaesthesia of/by coherence-cohesion sync-duration resonances, ..in inside-outside presence of AM-FM Holographic Principle. The Observer's POV, I Am, is in superimposed correspondence of Time Duration Timing modulation, frequency alignment concentric orbital-orbits strata, conscious awareness of real-time here-now-forever continuous creation connection cause-effect. From Dr Lynne Kelly's book, The Memory Code, path associations of memory are optional and arbitary and scientific consensus is not possible holistically in this probabilistic Uncertainty.

[@Honker66]

what a way to find out about plug-in problems, I must talk to my neurologists again

[@TheMarkoanton]

george carlin ???

[@chrislecky710]

Remote viewing.. Aphantasia is merely another derivative of. Some peoples level of ignorance is truly historic. You honestly think the limits of human experience begins and ends with what your personally capable of. lol,,,,, oh dear.

[@linrkirk]

are you talking yourself out of a courner ? lol

[@marctwain8273]

06:12/1:23:25 why must i Think to Musk? i should better shut my mouth!

[@SamSung-nf6tr]

Explain why someone like this suffers with severe health issues & men like Trump, Barr & Putin are healthy.

[@StonedRidah]

whats so funny about that?

[@LAStars-sratS]

For such an accomplished man, you would think he could conquer his obsession with the word “um”.

[@MohamedMohamed-tr2rz]

It indicates a pause in thought. He thinks before he speaks. You should try it

[@LAStars-sratS]

@@MohamedMohamed-tr2rz you are the nasty spirited one here although you believe it is veiled. You live by excuses, you die by excuses.

[@martinsmith-rodden3174]

At his level of accomplishment and clear genius, I don't care if he punctuates with snorts and barnyard animal impressions. I can look past the quirks. But that's just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@Gzorz]

nnnnnno photography please.

[@martinsmith-rodden3174]

So, who had to break it to him that the whole thing was videotaped? 🧐

[@Gzorz]

Because he's meant to have super saiyan eyesight.

[@brucezar9517]

Goofy guy

[@Sarah-do9lj]

The woman helping to interpret the questions is utterly useless!!!!

[@sparkeeNY]

great... but the "umm"s are killing me

[@nailsthatglow]

The pretentiousness here killed my ability to watch this.

[@logancoe4187]

Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um.

[@logancoe4187]

@Rebecca Leeman i think it only bothers me because when i was in elementary school and someone would read something aloud to the class, anytime they would say "um" or "uh" my teacher would go "UM!" or "UH!" until you stopped doing it. It was savage but definitely stuck with me 🤣

[@Nerdcoresteve1]

I better turn off this video since I'm watching it on my phone and phones "interfere with lifelong learning" How utterly ridiculous to claim that having a pocket computer with access to most of the world's knowledge would interfere with learning. Y'all are using your phones wrong.

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

He is such a poor speaker I’ll read the book instead

[@Andrea-73]

Starts at 3:06