The Practice
Thanks to some “new age” spiritualists, I bring you an old, but new to me, practice of pseudoscience. There is little room for interpretation on this one. There are no muddy studies to pour over, no controversies to weigh, just an ancient practice that physically harms you.
Sungazing is a practice that includes gazing at the sun for nourishment or as a spiritual practice.
The impetus for such a practice is to “feel connected to the universe” or some New Age jargon. But, as we will see, all the connected feelings in the world are not worth your vision.
The Claims
Proponents of sungazing claim increased energy levels and decreased appetite; as with other forms of “inedia“, however, this claim is not considered credible due to the lack of scientific studies confirming it. Sungazers also claim their eyes are capable of converting sunlight into energy for their bodies. They claim the methodology is similar to photosynthesis. Sungazing is also part of the “Bates method”, an alternative therapy intended to improve eyesight. However, ophthalmologists do not regard the method as useful or safe, due to a consistent lack of evidence and confirmation.
These kind of rituals have found a home in the new age mindset. New agers take the findings and theories of modern science, and extrapolate them far beyond that which is either feasible or proven (like “quantum consciousness” or something equally pseudosciencey sounding). What this results in is people believing they can photosynthesize, or stare at the sun and not eat, and putting themselves in harm’s way to satisfy an ancient ritual.
New age proponents have taken ancient Indian ideas of spirituality and transferred them to a more scientific, although still wrong, understanding of stars. It should also be noted that there have been skeptics who have challenged these practitioners to prove that they can receive all of their nutrients from the sun. With one million dollars on the line, a crony was caught sneaking Burger King to the sun-gazing challenger.
A Quick Aside:
As an aside: If you ever hear the word “consciousness” in a spiritual discussion, with no reference to neuroscience or the like, a whole shit-storm of pseudoscience is about to hit you. Scientists don’t even fully understand basic consciousness, what makes you think that some guru has stumbled upon the explanation for a “quantum” or “universal” or “higher” consciousness while the enterprise of science has stalled?
Quantum nonsense, I assure you.
“Spirituality” in Science
Don’t get me wrong, I feel connected to the stars/universe as well. I feel a profound awe take hold of me whenever I struggle to visualize the size and scope of the universe. However, this does not scale up to mean that your brain waves are one with the universe or some nonsense like that. Yes, we are all made out of the same “star stuff” (I love Carl Sagan), and the same energy, but this does not mean we can use this connection, or even interact with it. Just as an intuitive notion of physics can be consistently shown to be inadequate, so too can your intuitive feeling of connection to energy. You can be mistaken about the reality of your own experience.
Science can sometimes seem cold and stoic, but new age spiritualists should turn to more realistic inspirations. I find amazement and inspiration in everything that science has elucidated. Think about the complexities of the atom, the diversity of the microbe, or the mystery of the deep ocean. Just because our minds are not magical does not mean that they are not still a fantastically complex product of billions of years of natural selection (which they are). Just that fact is amazing in itself, and it conjures in me a “spiritual” feeling of complexity, insignificance, and wonder.
But that doesn’t mean that to appreciate the sun that I should put my retinas in a microwave!
Let’s do a cost-benefit analysis shall we?
The Dangers
I had the pleasure of getting this story from a guy on Facebook. I saw his conversation with another new ager:
…They say to stare at the Sun for 10 seconds or more, but if you get good at it, you should increase the amount of time. It’s hard though because it hurts your head after awhile.
What annoys me is that there is not even a recognition of the absurdity! Of course your head hurts, you are staring directly at the sun! Even new borns know not to do that! So of course, it must not be working, increase the time.
Obviously, the practice of sungazing is physically dangerous. Looking directly at the sun for even brief periods of time may cause blindness or severe damage to the eye. Solar retinopathy, damage to the eye’s retina due to solar radiation, and blindness to varying degrees and persistence frequently result from sungazing. Although vision loss due to this damage is generally reversible, permanent damage and loss of vision have been reported. Most eye-care professionals advise patients to avoid looking directly at the sun. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation, produced by the sun, is associated with damage to the eye, including pterygium and cataracts ( and you do not want those).
Another claim made by proponents is that since much of the gazing is done during periods of low light, that it is less dangerous, but this is a dangerous mistake. Yes, the decrease in visible light will decrease the stress on your eyeballs, but it is what you cannot see that really hurts you. Just as you can get sunburned on a cloudy day due to the invisible ultra-violet rays, UV light passing through clouds in even low light scenarios are still harmful to your eyes.
I am also aware that there are people who have been sungazing for many years and no harm has come to them, but I think that we can draw an apt analogy here. I know, for a fact, that there are many smokers out there who have smoked for basically their whole lives, and have seen no adverse health effects. But does this mean that smoking is not dangerous? Of course not, and the same can be said for sungazing. While some fortunate few are lucky enough to have their eyes spared, this does not imply absolute safety for the rest. Are you willing to risk your sight for that chance?
Common Sense
I am not saying that you shouldn’t be spiritual, do whatever you want. But if you are going to worship the sun, don’t stare directly at it! Aren’t there other stars that you could worship that wouldn’t cook your eyeballs? How about Sirius? What about Arcturus, I hear it’s pretty.
Science-Based Life 
Personally, I like the ayurvedic concept of Sun as a source of healing energy. On the other hand, it is true that many enthusiastic followers of such spiritual opinions as you mention, put themselves in a great danger. I also enjoy sunny days spent on the beach, and feel kind of re-charged then. But I am always careful not to get sunburnt. Finally, your article reminded me of the Sungazing House, an excellent piece of green real estate, I was mesmerized by recently.
Honestly you shouldn’t have posted this. This is not new age beliefs it is ancient beliefs and history repeats itself. the real way of living is coming back. You say that feeling of being connected to the universe is a delusion then I feel sorry for you. All is one and one is all. U need to meditate and and on your questions and let the universe talk to you. Peace 13 love
“Ancient beliefs” does not imply that a practice works. The argument from antiquity is a logical fallacy where we argue that because something is old, it works. This line of reasoning is flawed.
I said no such thing about feeling connected with the universe. I sure do, I just don’t sacrifice my eyes for a practice that will not do anything.
For claiming that this is not a New Age thing, you sure have the lingo down.
If you damage your eyes from sun gazing, it’s not the sun’s fault, it’s yours. If you get sunburned in the sun, it’s because of an imbalance of omega fatty acids. I can almost guarantee that you have never tried sungazing for yourself, and yet you draw ‘scientific facts’ without any proof of your own. I have personally been sungazing for a long time for minutes at a time. There is a time when the sun has no ultraviolet light passing through the atmosphere. This is during the first and last hour of the day, you can test this with a UV index for yourself. If it has ANY health benefit at all, is that it’s healthier than TV.
Right, if you have a misguided belief that staring directly into the sun will help you in some way, that is your fault. I contest the tenets of the belief itself as being harmful.
Your supposed cause of sunburn is incorrect. Sunburn is caused by UV damage; having a “balanced” amount of omega fatty acids will not stop you from burning.
Anecdotes mean almost nothing to me. One person claiming something works by experience is not proof that is does.
What is this time when “when the sun has no ultraviolet light passing through the atmosphere”? This assertion is demonstrably false. The sun doesn’t just stop putting out radiation nor do clouds or other atmospheric factors block 100% of it. It can be greatly reduced at the times you mentioned, yes, but not to zero.
How is sungazing healthier than TV?
You are so wrong. I just searched in Google for others who practice looking at the sun. I’m almost 60 and have been looking at the sun since I was 3 years old. (before people like you , told me it was dangerous…. So am I blind now? Certainly not. It is not something to be demonstrated, and was something that I never ‘boasted about’ because I always felt it was not to be shared. I do however not tell my kids the ‘sun is dangerous’ because that is a perpetuated lie… Just like people over 4 or more decades have told me I’m an idiot for welding without a mask…I’m still just doing it and my eyes are well above average as far as sight…Rethink your philosophy woman, you don’t know as much as you think you do.
Just because others practice sungazing, doesn’t make it safe. A simple analogy with smoking could be made to illustrate this point (some people smoke for years and are perfectly healthy, though smoking it terribly unhealthy).
With all do respect, it is rather foolish to weld without a mask for 40 years, as far as I know.
Hey Darryl, just a question for you. What is the proper way to sungaze, for someone who has not done it, but wants to. I’ve heard you only need to look at it until you get to a consecutive time of 44 minutes. One other question, what has sg done for you, since you have been doing it for a long time? I am just curious because I want to start this.
so you have to insult people and call them a women because you don’t agree with them. What nonsense. Everybody on here who has been saying they stare at the sun, only does it for a minute or two at a time, and doesn’t when the sun is weakest. Its always bad for you but obviously if its weaker it wont harm. Stare into the sun mid day in texas for twenty minutes and you will be blind as a bat
I agree with you. First make your research well and then post something. I do SG and it helped me in a lot of aspects. I love it and don’t wear glasses anymore and see great. I am not blind. Btw. SG comes from India about 2 600 years ago. There are scientific proofs since they tested HRM but they don’t want us to know about it. I don’t encourage anyone to SG or not to. It’s everyone’s decision. I personally love it and will practice it for the rest of my life. My husband doesn’t believe in it and doesn’t practice it. And I fully respect it.
Staring constantly at the Sun has a potential to harm your eyes. I can respect anyone’s right to believe what they what, but I won’t advocate something that has a potential for harm.
Yes indeed! I had forgotten as a child I used to stare at the sun with no sunglasses or anything and my parents would yell at me… This Nov. 3rd I was tryin to be safe and had a camera recording the eclipse and I was watching the camera image… the sun was so bright that morning the camera didn’t pick up anything! I packed up my things and was about to leave when I turned around and with my sunglasses on I said out loud… “fuck it I don’t give a shit if I go blind I just gotta see it for myself!” I looked and there it was I sat there for 20 minutes watching the eclipse! I am one of the few! A fact I had forgotten! I now take time to get in my sunshine when ever I can… only about 15-20 minutes at a time! It really is very beautiful and captivating to watch! I am so very blessed to be able to see such a magnificent thing!!! Love&Respect-XoXoX-(LB
Your “Common sense“conclusion was brilliant! lol
To do this correctly one is supposed to gaze at the sun when the uv index is at zero, which is up to an hour after sunrise and and hour before sunset. Although this is not always consistent, one must check the uv index for their area before performing this.
I have been sungazing for a few months now and am up to 24.minutes and 40 seconds. Before I started, my eyes were so light sensitive that I couldn’t leave the house or drive without sunglasses. I now never wear sunglasses because my eyes love the light. I also have severe fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and PTSD along with major depression. I have no more depression now and I am overcoming the post traumatic stress disorder. My panic attacks have almost ceased altogether and I am finding myself so much more centered. The fibromyalgia is the best its been in four years. I rarely seem to be plagued with pain as I was before. I still have food allergies which sets it off sometimes and this is one reason I began sungazing, to eliminate food allergies through the ceasation of food intake. My eyes are better than they ever were before. I am totally addicted to the positivity that sungazing brings into your life and I would encourage anyone who can gain self mastery enough to complete this program of sungazing, to do it, it is well worth the results.
Or your eyes have been damaged?
All the other benefits may well occur due to the physical benefits of being outdoors and relaxating.
Since giving up spirituality and studying science I’ve never been happier. I feel more alive and energized, and I have a much more positive outlook on life. I also made the decision to get laser eyes surgery and my vision is perfect 20/20.
I exercise daily and eat a well balanced diet, and I haven’t had problems with my asthma in years, plus my body is amazing by a mens health standard.
Since I don’t see the sun as anything other than a star, I enjoy ‘sun gazing’ at night when the sky is more beautiful and less damaging to my newly repaired eyes. And since I don’t sun gaze during the day, my eyes aren’t completely desensitized to light, so I can appreciate the entire night sky.
Whatever scientific evidence any sun gazers claim to have read, you need to post that with your response, because I can assure you, as a scientist, I have thoroughly researched as hard as I possibly could, and have yet to find a single legitimate tudy taken on the current topic. Some bullshit about NASA too…It’s sad you have to lie to yourself in order to believe in something.
If I were to gamble with my vision, I would research all the boundaries of a clam, understanding both sides of the argument… and visit an optometrist. It’s actually offensive and incredibly ignorant that you’d profess to know more than someone who dedicates their life to the structure and function of the eye. If an optometrist tells you its bad for your eyes, then its fucking bad for your eyes…let it go.
I was compelled to search for people who do this. I started in 1956. Before anybody told me not to. I am now 58 and was just outside getting a hit of sun. I start by looking through my fingers and then increasing the size of the space to let the sun through until I can look directly at the sun. It works best when it is at the top of the sky. Another interesting fact I’ll share is that i have also been welding without a mask or shield for about 40 years. It is also common in China. I use a pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes from spatters of metal. I’ve not told many people about the sun, as people who are told to fear something like they do the sun, get fearful of people who do stuff like this. And fearful ignorance is dangerous. My eyes are well above average as far as sight goes. …Just thought I’d share this for research….
Yes I just began Solar Viewing about 2 weeks ago. I feel as though it is my responsibility to share this ancient knowledge with those that are ready for it. The person that wrote this article (like most of the population unfortunately) is riddled with fear. Everything comes down to fear. ME personally, I would not draw conclusions based on fear (as I have done in the past) because it gets you nowhere. The author should try this practice for themselves before ridiculing something they do not understand whatsoever. Let the light heal you.
Not “fear”, science.
I don’t believe he ridiculed anyone. He’s trying to stop people going blind.
An interesting concept is the idea that what a person thinks and believes – those thoughts one focuses on, creates his/her reality. If this be true, then it stands to reason that while the sun can damage our eyes, maybe for those who do not believe this to be true when practicing ‘proper’ sun gazing can prevent their eyes from being damaged by the sun. However, as most people are unaware of how thoughts create reality, there are those who think they are focusing their thoughts correctly, but do not realize they are doing the opposite, and therefore, they (though they think they believe the sun will not damage their eyes) end up with eye damage. When they end up with eye damage, because they thought they were practicing creating their reality with their thoughts, will attempt to refute those who say proper sun gazing is harmless. The clue is to be thankful NOT for the things a person does NOT want; but rather, to be thankful for the things he/she DOES want. Being thankful for NOT getting something, instead actually creates it in that person’s life. Now if a person checks out the tv series “Futurescape” aired on the Science channel, he/she will realize that what is really going on in our present day of time is WAY beyond and includes subjects from lifesaving nanobots to the ability for computer software to read a person’s thoughts, even when on a global collective level and much much more.
Hi to everyone the above mentioned theory may be right for a common man but if u r speaking about spiritual facts I can make u meet a person h can get all ur. Questions answered he has been sungazing for more then 30 years and that too during the peak hours for 2 to 4 hours on a daily basis that’s his prayers.
this post is so full of fearful propaganda that it cannot be taken seriously or even at all, I found little to no information here.
is sungazing dangerous? yes
but so is eating if done wrong; one could choke, burn their tongue or stab themselves with a fork risking infection and lets not even bring up contamination or poison.
the first 45 mins after sunrise and 45 mins prior to sunset the uv index is 0. The uv is what harms your eyes. plus use common sense, if your eyes hurt, stop. if your body is one with the universe then you should listen to it too. Thats just for starters
Do you know that the UV index is 0 at these times or did you just read that from other sun-gazers and are just repeating it without checking if it is true?
You know, the UV index is calibrated so that 0 is night-time i.e. no sun.
It is also calibrated for safety of skin exposure, not directly into the retina.
Also, UV levels depend on a number of factors besides time of day: Ozone Layer thickness, time of year, latitude, altitude, reflection (e.g. water).
None of the articles I’ve seen promoting sun-gazing ever seem to mention these things.
Uh dude, you can check the UV index, here http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/skinprotection/index_large.html and you’ll see that most of the time the UV index gets to zero 45 minutes before the sun goes down, look for yourself dude!
Yes I know, Jared. I’m asking if the person I was replying to did the research or is just relying on hearsay (that should have been obvious).
Someone who has researched properly would know that a zero on the UV Index does not mean “zero UV”. The index is calibrated based on risk of sunburn on the skin i.e. not risk to the retina. I think this is proof of the maxim that a little knowledge can be dangerous.
There is another clue to the point I was trying to communicate in what you said, “most of the time…”. Most people will not consider that the UV levels are variable based on a number of factors (given in my comment). They will probably not check the UV levels or index before sun-gazing.
Each person is different biologically and what is safe for others is not safe for all. Some may have weaker or already damaged retinas, but not know that, and be tipped over into permanent damage. Others have undamaged, healthy retinas but not experience any awareness of damage (even though there may be some). Some may do the necessary UV and health checks (or just get lucky) and not experience any damage. I’m afraid I’m just not so sure most sun-gazers fall into the latter fact-checking, precaution-taking category, sorry.
Wow…the author of this is getting thrashed left and right like a boxing match with Tyson….I like everyone else can say that truthfully he has did very little to no research at all! and if so one-sided research to support a solid conclusion he already arrived at…I am a skeptical/analytical person by nature so before i started Sungazing 2 months ago, i remind you…IN NO WAY it could be a placebo thing for me….let me tell you the truth:
I am generally a healthy person but have spiritual/emotional (or psychological) blockages I been wrestling with for many years; Right before my eyes they are uplifting more and more evryday….and a new found strange confidence is apparent as well as strangers saying its some type of glow about me….
remember the powers that be taught us to fear the very power source that give lifes to this solar system…a hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset is PERFECTLY safe and i can stare at the sun EFFORTLESSLY..Im up to 5 minutes, and my vision ironically is getting sharper!!
a knife can be used for dinner properly but used to kill…potassium is excellent for the heart but TAKENED IN WRONG DOSES can give you a heart attack
same ith sungazing….when done with the proper ancient instructions (not like a idiot at 2pm with UV rays pouring in) is tremendous health/spiritual benefits! :)
You are basically meditating – the effects of which have been well-documented by science. This is nothing to do with the sun other than the fact that the sun is the focus of your meditation (and, of course, general health effects of being outdoors in the fresh air and increased vitamin D).
I disagree that the author is being “thrashed”. I think he just got tired of the baseless assertions and anecdotal, untested claims that really carry no weight on a science blog.
Show us some scientific studies and us skeptics might take more notice.
Kyle, I would really like to see some firm facts and scientific research or evidence for your stance. The proper technique for sun gazing is to practice during the first and last hour of sunlight when the UV index is 0.
The onus is on you to provide proof to back up your sun-gazing assertions.
The effects of sun damage on eyesight and skin are well-documented.
The onus is on the one making the claim. Kyle is making the claim the sungazing harms the eyes. Where is the proof for that claim? Kyle is taking it on faith, based on what he/she has been told, that looking at the sun damages the eyes. There are actually studies that have been done by doctors on the effects of sungazing and the results are that there is not only no damage but an actual strengthening of the eyes and improvement in vision. Where are the studies showing that properly performed sungazing is harmful. Until I see those studies the claim is just an unproven theory, not a fact, and tantamount to a faith-based belief.
Linda, first of all, if you are going to use “studies” to prove your point, CITE THEM. Anyone can claim that “doctors” have “tested” their ideas, but an actual study published in a scientific journal is a different matter entirely. Also, Kyle’s anecdotal belief that it harms him is about as much proof as the claims from the “true believers” that it does no harm.
You my friend… Haven’t a clue!!!
sometimes i lay down with a crystal quarts on my forehead and let the pineal gland soak it all in. also when i look down at my cheeks when the sun is on my face i see little rainbow dots that are like targets, it really interested me. i guess thats how the eyes work. Also when i stare at any light i can blur my focus and the light starts to come out at me, whats that all about? something to do with the cones in my eyes?
And as for you trying to scare people, dont people are going to do things regardless, and you say you have concern for people who harm but i doubt you make articles about smoking, texting while driving, watching t.v., drinking fluorinated water, geting mercury filllings. These last ones are a lot more serious then staring at a sun. And by the way although the sun is strong on the eyes, the sun is also 100 times more important than most other things we inhale eat drink or take for nutrients, we are apart of the sun, we came from the sun so how could you say it could hurt us :,(.
And wouldn’t there be less chance of damaging the eyes in winter since the sun is lower in the sky? and i know you cannot get vitamin d from the sun in the winter which is why most americans are vitamin d deficent.
There aren’t many people claiming that those things are so good for you.
You know what the saddest part of this post is? There is not a shred of fact. I am about to sungaze for the first time in about an hour, and have been tearing over article after article of proven case reports of people improving their lives sungazing, documentaries from people who do it, and an article from NASA saying that the practice is plausible with scientific proof behind it.
Kyle Hill… do some actual research before you compare it to smoking. Really? Smoking? Your big simile is a complete other part of the body where smoke and tar is inhaled into the lungs? You said the true damage is something you can’t see. Pretty sure I can see smoke. On top of that you didn’t even specify what kind of smoking. Hookah? Cigs? Yea those damage you but a big bag of weed never hurt anyone. Don’t get me wrong- I have my suspicions and this seemed ridiculous at first, but your “opposing side” really has no actual tangible proof… Everything can be bad for you if taken in too much. Did you know you can be killed by water: the most notorious chemical for sustaining life in our immediate area of a few lightyears and probably the most amazing chemical in the multiverse? It’s called drowning.
Sadly this is the first article of the entire day/night I could find that is against the practice, and you don’t even have a doctor’s name or a works cited. Please think for a second, and avoid flaunting the word “science” before you make a further ass of yourself.
I almost feel like I can’t slam you enough… but that will have to do for now ;)
Muah =) Let me know how it feels to get rolled.
Please post links to any proper double-blind laboratory studies (anecdotal documentaries don’t really cut it).
The effects of sun damage to eyes and skin is already well-documented. It should not be necessary to post those links.
The burden of proof is on those making remarkable claims. https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/burden-of-proof
Kyle is only saying there is no evidence to back up the sun-gazers’ assertions. He is asking, given the knowledge about sun-damage, is it worth exposing yourself to the risk.
Probably looking at a sunrise or sunset won’t harm you. I’m not so sure about the one hour time frame but 15–30 mins is probably OK. The benefits reported from this are probably the also well-documented health benefits of meditation, relaxation out in the fresh air and add to this a possible placebo effect (which is often very powerful) and you have yourself a very reasonable explanation for any beneficial phenomena experienced.
Actually SUNGAZING REALLY WORKS
But don´t get me wrong. It’s a neo-shit based in something old to make people believe on it as homeopathic and alternative medicine does, and all of them have proved don’t work for real disease, but it works as a placebo for people who thinks it has a real healing power, and that helps to decrease some of the symptoms of a real disease (because pain has a psicologic factor).
God and spiritualism is an old placebo, sorry but that it´s the true.
I have an IQ over 190, I am a very rational and logical person, and I also abhor “New Age” mumbo-jumbo- as well as many other “Leftist” beliefs and dogma, as I consider myself to be primarily conservative. I totally agree with most of what you have stated in your article- but- I practice Sun Gazing. The way I see it is there are a lot of other activities we humans do that are much more dangerous- like motorcycling riding, and eating saturated fats- for instance- and those activities don’t even benefit us like Sun Gazing does. And all that crazy mumbo-jumbo about not eating is bunk. I broke my neck in 2008 and after that I read an article about Sun Gazing, and I tried it at Sunset. I was blown away by the effects it had on my mood. Sun Gazing totally dragged my ass out of psychic darkness- I was suffering from PTSD- my accident left me with 5 titanium plates in my face. Sun Gazing totally changed me from being a grumpy bastard to being friendly and personable. Sun Gazing is the ultimate “medication” for depression or anxiety. The human body reacts to Sun Gazing from a concert of many physiological reactions- physical- chemical reactions- from millions of years of evolution under the Sun. We are hard-wired for receiving the Sun. Just look at how all of creation reacts at Sunrise. We were all “created” by the Sun- literally- scientifically- without the Sun- we would not exist. Our whole body was “designed” by the Sun. The pineal gland and human brain react intensely to light. I have pictures of the insides of my eyes- just like the pic you put here in this article- and they could not find ANY damage to my eyes at all- and I have been practicing Sun Gazing for 4 years- for hundreds of HOURS. Sun Gazing simply “floods your psyche with light” and puts one in a supremely good mood. All worries vanish, and the effect lasts for days. From reading this- obviously you have never actually practiced Sun Gazing- so what makes you think you are qualified to critique something you’ve never experienced? You’re intellect? My intellect can run circles around your intellect bud. In regard to Sun Gazing- I am willing to take that risk- and willing to accept the consequences- the effect on my mood and psyche are TOO GOOD. Also- for most people- I don’t recommend Sun Gazing. Most people would do well enough just getting outdoors and get Sunlight into their eyes. You can also just stare at the sky or clouds if you are afraid of Sun Gazing. I prefer Sun Gazing though- the effect is very very intense- and it puts me in such a good mood that it is totally worth it. Also- I have noticed that gazing is a natural enhancer of creativity and intelligence. Most of my greatest ideas come to me when I am gazing. One more thing- you should consider this- why did every culture on Earth practice Sun Gazing? The answer for me is obvious- because of the intensity of the effect it has on the human psyche- plain and simple- IT WORKS every time- regardless of what you believe- because of a PHYSIOLOGICAL reaction the human body has to Sun Exposure from millions- if not billions of years UNDER THE SUN. Have fun with that “superior” intellect of yours bud! I SUN GAZE within 30 min of Sunrise and Sunset.
P.S. Hira Ratan Manek is completely ass- totally full of shit- and a liar. NO ONE can go without eating and to put emphasis on this bullsh*t is ridiculous, dangerous, and has NOTHING to do with Sun Gazing. A few of the “New Age” FOOLS trying to follow his teachings have DIED of starvation! He also recommend very tiny amounts of time Sun Gazing- as if he is really trying to AVOID people from REAL Sun Gazing (protecting the secrets- as usual). You will never gaze for a certain amount of time- and then be set for life- as if there is a “Sun Gazing bank account” that gets full enough that you can live off the interest for the rest of your life or something! This is pure sh*t- you MUST gaze for longer periods of time- and the effects WEAR OFF- so you must continue practicing if you want continued effects.
I GAZE FOR 15-30 MIN A DAY- AT SUNSET- WITHIN 30 MIN OF THE SUN HITTING THE HORIZON- AND I DON’T HAVE DAMAGE TO MY EYES.
Hira Ratan Manek is spreading disinformation about Sun Gazing- don’t listen to a word he says- he is a fraud- a liar- and trying to prevent you from Sun Gazing- not initiate you into the real practice of it. He is hiding the real from you.
Nobody’s gonna read this bro. You lost me at “I have an IQ over 190″…. like fuck. Could you be anymore of a dbag
A million dollars says that for every long-term sungazer who can still see their computers, there are 2-3 that cannot see well enough to read.
Sungazing was helping me to get rid of my depression and get more calmer,i was improved my sleep alot with that and feel more reaxed and more,my friend you have so wrong,so many people get cured wit that look at all post on youtube how people get cured include me,i get better and better with that!!!and i am very happy that i was starting doing sungazing!!!!
” You can be mistaken about the reality of your own experience”.
How true indeed & let us hope you and other science zealots can eventually learn to think outside the square!
I think Kyle, that your willing acceptance of all things science needs to be truly put to the test because your statements clearly indicate a consensus based arrogance that opposes any one who dares to challenge the views of the pulpit pounding academic priests of the modern age.
“UV light passing through clouds in even low light scenarios are still harmful to your eyes”.
It may be harmful to your eyes if not accustomed to exposure, just as skin may be harmed for the same reason. That is why when embarking on such a practice as sun gazing, a safe protocol of increasing the duration by around 10 seconds a day allows the eye & body to adjust to exposure. The 30 minutes after sunrise & before sunset is safe because the angle of the sun means that the sun rays are impeded by a thicker atmosphere and, reflection due to angle of incidence also comes into play.
Couple that with the body’s ability to acclimate to prolonged exposure and you will have numerous testimonies to the safety of the practice.
I am one of those too since I regularly gaze for 15 minutes at a time, weather permitting.
Don’t simply believe that a published science paper is 100 percent irrefutable because a “Scientist” said so. There are countless results that have been tampered with just to fit hypotheses’ and the establishments vested commercial interest.
Do you believe like so many others that sun exposure is dangerous so you wear sunscreen, dark glasses & clothing in fear of the dreaded skin cancer because THEY told you so? (Gradual exposure is the key to safety as well as avoiding the midday sun just like the animals.) Yet these are the very things leading to an increase in numerous health issues due to the resultant lack of Vit D,( actually more of a hormone than a vitamin) The sun glasses make the wearer even more susceptible to skin damage because the eye/light pathway to the pineal gland is fooled into thinking that the sunlight is less intense and so confuses the skin melanin response.
“There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy”
Do you have any laboratory evidence of the retina adjusting to long-term UV exposure? I expect not. The eye can only adjust to short term changes in light i.e. the retina adapts to light and dark so you can see in a dark room when you come in from the light, and vice versa. The iris protects the retina from too much light by dilating the pupil. The so-called “adjustment” that comes from long term exposure to too much light is actually damage to the retinas as the cones are burned and cannot grow back. The skin has melanin (i.e. tanning) to protect itself from UV light (which is also not 100% safe as it takes some time to produce) but the retina does not have any similar protection.
The beauty of science is that it is never 100% irrefutable. That is the whole basis of the scientific method. You present your theory and it is tested by many who attempt to refute it by repeatable studies and by peer reviews. As yet, no testable/falsifiable theory/experiment for sun-gazing has been presented/conducted (that I know of). If it was, it could be repeated and peer reviewed. Why has no theory been presented that meets this testabilty/falsifiability criteria? (If it has, please present it). Kyle and other scientifically-literate people do not believe that any paper or scientist is 100% irrefutable but simply demand that when people assert new knowledge – especially if it is unusual or appears to contradict current theory – be subjected to the same process.
Most of the things you mentioned in your last paragraph – both the benefits and disadvantages of sun exposure (and lack of) – are knowledge that can be, and has been, established via the scientific method. I don’t see the author, or scientists advocating the extreme approaches you are attributing to them (i.e. totally covering up the body from the sun). Sunglasses at high noon and at times when it would shine directly into your eyes (esp. while driving) are a good idea. Wearing sunglasses constantly throughout the day is not. You know, cataracts and blindness in old age were common among our ancestors (even quite recently). Science has helped to reduce that – one source of this has been *sensible* protection of the eyes from very bright sunlight.
The part you mentioned about sunglasses making the wearer susceptible to sunburn is just wrong – even though it has been repeated in some blogs and even newspapers. I think you, and those publications you’ve read, are confusing melanin with melatonin. Melatonin is the sleep regulating hormone – wearing sunglasses has been proven to negatively impact sleep patterns. Melanin production in humans, however, is triggered only by the effects of UV light on the skin. I hope you will accept the word of a Cambridge Laboratory of Molecular Biology scientist on this matter (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/questions/qotw/question/3263/) but, if not, you can appreciate this intuitively by considering why people still tan on sunbeds while wearing UV blackout goggles and why you’ll still tan equally well if you lie on the beach with your eyes closed (as many people do).
Hi,
Thanks for this post, a good friend of mine recently started ‘sun gazing’ and told me about it the other day, so I went online to do some research with an open mind. All that exists is anecdotal evidence and references to a nonexistent NASA article. Everyone is so keen to inform us that mighty NASA looked into sun gazing and found it plausible, yet other unfavorable scientific of evidence (which actually exists, unlike the mystery NASA article) is instantly dismissed.
Many of the comments are disheartening and filled with confirmation bias.
I’m glad there are posts like yours, though unfortunately they’re usually buried under pages and pages of pseudoscience on search engines.
Well im going to do it bare foot and document it all!!! Im fascinated with finding ancient secrets that i believe have been covered up or lost!! Higher consciousness is my goal but showing the world that evolution is upon us!!
Ugg… YOU FORGOT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNIQUES OF SUNGAZING. Only look at the sun during the first hour of sunrise or sunset.
You make good points, but I don’t understand why people choose to call such a practice bullshit if they haven’t tried it themselves. Yes maybe it’s bad for your eyes, but so is the tv and the computer screens we are exposed to. I remember when my doctor said no more than 20 minutes of tv a day or else my sight would be affected, obviously not even my own doctor probably followed that rule yet people can spend hours in front of a screen and not a mere 10 seconds staring at the sun? My parents always said laziness is the mother of all sins. Well, I’m going to try this soon and record my results, I’m not expecting to be superman or anything, but like all human beings living through an experience, I’m simply going to be expecting the most unexpected surprises.
There is a documentary made called “Eat the Sun” about a guy that did what u r thinking about. I did it too, and made a book while I did it. I am a photographer so I value my eyes, but I can look at the sun for 25 minutes and read and see birds in trees as I could when I was a kid. It didn´t effect my eyes at all, looking into the sunset or sunrise, but it did effect my brain and my creativity or a sense in me that I didn´t know I had…the ability to see deeper into things, understand something quickly and on a higher level – as though my brain had been cleaned and serviced. But I still ate food. I stopped at 25 minutes after about a year of doing it. I felt like I was starting to understand things not yet understood by the people in my life, which consequently left me feeling a bit “distant”… so I stopped, and went back to “normal” life. I guess one day it will be common knowledge that we can be enhanced by the sun like a plant, and perhaps then everyone will be able to communicate on a different level.
Solar retinopathy cleared my highest chakra! Everyone knows not looking at the sun is discredited allopathic nonsence that no one paid heed to until the ’50s. I HAVEN’T SEEN ANY STUDIES SHOWING THAT SUN-GAZING IS HARMFUL (because I can’t see) Everyone knows you don’t ‘see’ with your eyes anyways, you see with your magic third-eye. Anyways, I’m so connected with the universe that I don’t have to study science or observe the world, I just know! I think my gut flora is telling me.
http://www.nature.com/eye/journal/v25/n1/full/eye2010149a.html
http://hrcak.srce.hr/51643
http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2013/bcr-2012-008402.abstract
http://bjo.bmj.com/content/94/10/1406.short
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1041624/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5505466
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2743270/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12569943
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19934824
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1209815
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3379911/
Now it’s your turn! See if you can find EVEN ONE study that says the physical parts of our body areneccesary! Even NASA knows humans don’t need food or air, just sunlight! Anyways, I’m off to go drink some Mercury, did you know that the ancient knowledge of this all-natural healing substance has been repressed? It’s true, ancient knowledge of aruvedic healing taught me to take Mercury as a medication. Did you know that the ancient healers that taught us this knowledge might have lived to be almost 40 years old! Can you imagine that! Ancient medicine is so much more superior!
It seems a really silly question to me whether sungazing is safe or not. As multiple people have said, of course it CAN be dangerous. How many people, though, have not seen the sun set? Of course it CAN be perfectly safe.
The slew of articles simply shows that it CAN be dangerous to gaze at the sun. to infer from these reoprts/studies that it is necessarily dangerous or harmful to look at the sun is faulty generalization, pure and simple.
I trust my instincts. We evolved them for a very good reason. There’s a reason my hand reflexively moves away from fire. There’s a reason I will not eat rotten meat.
The sun has always been around (for humans). If it were dangerous to look at the sun ever, nobody would ever be able to look at it. Of course, vritually anyone can look at the sun at sunset.
I used to wear sunglasses all the time and often struggled without them. I never wear them now, and I essentially never need them. The eye obviously adapts to some degree.
I’ve gazed directly at the sun a few times now within an hour of sunset, usually within a half an hour. My instincts just don’t scream at me to pull away.
On the other hand, I look near the sun in the middle of the day, and my instincts tell me loud and clear to look away.
As for the UV index, it is not zero within an hour of sunset. The question, though, is when does it become negligible. For some people in some places, being in the sun from 11 am to 1 pm non-stop can definitely cause sunburn. Does that mean that two hours of sunlight just before sunset will cause sunburn? Hardly. Use your head, and your instincts.
UV light in the morning and evening is non or almost non existent.. science can prove this, do your research and look for Hira Ratan Manek and the testing that was undertaken by NASA in regards to 100 days of no food and minimal water/butter milk consumption …. just because ‘SCIENCE’ cannot explain it doesnt mean it cannot be true ‘SCIENCE’ is the new religion complete with closed minded dogma… ‘the mind must be like a parachute to work.. OPEN
While looking for the testing that was supposedly undertaken by NASA of Hira Ratan Manek, make sure to only rely on first hand information, not second or third, because anyone can say anything on the Internet.
(The NASA testing never happened, by the way.)
You can also find exposés of HRM eating food (and later admitting to it) but claiming initially that he did not.
OP read that link and see for yourself where Quantum mechanics came from. Schrodinger cites it in his books. So when you doubt about the claims and call it new age, you my friend are not well read. Funny that a 4000 year old culture explained certain aspects of QM
http://www.krishnapath.org/quantum-physics-came-from-the-vedas-schrodinger-einstein-and-tesla-were-all-vedantists/
i tend to gaze at the sun early in the afternoon, around 2 or 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon. The sun has to be high in the sky, at his most powerful and what i usually do is just focus on it winning the FEAR of getting blind or feeling pain. At first it’s like staring at a giant ball of fire but then MY THIRD EYE takes control of my consciousness/mind and all i see it’s a SILVER SPHERE. If i stare long enough i will able to see that sphere dancing and sending rays ( the rays cannot be described in words!). It’s a beautiful experience and i’m blessed i am able to do it.
People who are fearful, the non-believers and the evil-doers DO NOT DO IT- i repeat – DO NOT DO IT OR YOU’ LL GO BLIND ON THE SPOT!
Science is working hand in hand with the money making/grabbing machine they will spread lies and confusion in order to establish their dominion. Believe in yourself and in God (regardless of your institutionalized faith) and you ‘ll be saved. God bless.
You’re such an asshole! I’m not an evil person just because I’m a skeptic and think before I do. I have self respect and want to preserve my body. I treat my body like a temple because its all I truly have, and I respect it. Every organ in me deserves respect, including my eyes. I think you’re a total fool for believing in pseudo science and placebo affects. If you look above, theres links to actual medical reports of ‘sun gazers’ who have permanently damaged their eyes. You’re a total fool! You can’t see sun rays, thats your eyes transmitting a stress signal to your occipital lobe… you’re convincing yourself that its some mystical beauty of the cosmos, when its really cells undergoing mutations from radiation. Hope you enjoy what you see, because you’re never going to experience it again, and you’re going to pay for it in years to come. I always think about regret before I do something. You should practice that a bit more.
Thank you Issy! I’ve scoured the web for most of the afternoon trying to find just one person who described their experience as I wanted to see if it matched mine. I has my first sun gazing experience the night before last. I saw the sun turn all the colours of the rainbow, all the chakra colours and the rays were pushing it out towards me, it was amazing. Interesting you saw a silver sphere and dancing rays. worth reading through all these comments just to see that.
Can both supporter and critics of the views in this article post links to scientific papers on these issues?
First and aside. Although this website seems to be for scientific people it rather seems like a site of scientism. Even if we were scientists, we would be specialized only in a certain field. A neuroscientist does not know about quantum physics what a physicist specialized in quantum mechanics does. If we believe in science or in what science tells us, it is a belief but not knowledge or direct experience. We like to have stability and turn to whatever we can find to give it to us. If we turn to science, we find security, thinking that science has very accurate methods, it doesn’t lie to us, we get to where we set out for in the first place if we follow it, but first and foremost it tells what we can believe.
However, we cannot comprehend all the actual scientific information that is available. We simply choose to believe what scientists say or what someone says that they said. If the scientist or his spokesperson shout loud enough we believe them. Up until not so long ago I believed there was a lot of iron in spinach but, oops, no, that was just a mistake. Science isn’t something static. What is set and binding today may be a subject to change and only optional tomorrow. Science is a method for understanding the world, it is intrinsically empty of values. If we build an atom bomb for the sake of destruction, it is bad, if we use it to cure cancer (which just now became more graspable), it is good. But science cannot not tell us about what goes beyond that which it can quantify empirically into solid entities like numbers. If we put words into science’s mouth or if we twist it, we can make science tell us stories about the deeper meaning of life. I believe, such stories are ultimately ours in making.
As a conclusion, I state the appeal not to blend science and spiritualism as they are both intrinsically different. Yes, these days scientists analyze meditators and conclude that meditation has positive, measurable effects, even physical ones. But the spiritual practice of meditation in the Buddhist context doesn’t have as its goal to have such an effect that we can measure. Its not about well being but about the ultimate alleviation from suffering. Better leave spiritualism in its context.
But now to the content of this article. Is there a study on the effects of looking into the sun just after sunrise or before sunset? @ 1: I skimmed through the material provided by you. Indeed there are damages by gazing the sun. It is, nevertheless, not stated in the the abstracts of the medical studies what kind of sun-gazing the patients performed while some did view solar-eclipses. Perhaps these people did not confine themselves to the times of sunrise or sunset.
Where is there an objective explanation why the UV radiation shouldn’t be less at those times. I would assume that as long as the UV radiation does not increase proportionally to the other parts of the sunlight, it shouldn’t be too harmful. How bad can a few seconds or even a few minutes be? The stray light during midday might just be more dangerous because of UV radiation which damages our eyes while we aren’t even looking at the sun.
The sungazers I’d like to ask for a link to a study of the NASA stating positive effects of staring at the sun. Was that study done because of the astronauts being exposed to sunlight much more directly as we are on earth? It sounds a bit fishy to try to make a point by pointing towards such an institution and saying things with the essential meaning of “they said so,” not giving even the faintest notion of the content of what “they” said or found out. While there is a notion in Buddhism that meditation (samadhi) is seen as a type of nourishment it seems odd that sungazers claim the sun nourishes them. The whole presentation of sungazing seems all mixed up. Is it something spiritual or is it about improving eyesight?
I got interested in sungazing because of a friend who is mainly does it because of its positive effects on one’s vision. The only reason why I am still looking into this whole thing is because there are people stating benefits. Even if many of these aren’t reliable it cannot be excluded that there are positive effects.
I had heard mention of the idea of sun gazing a long time ago and thought of it as cooky, but I recently heard about it as only being safe during sunrise and sunset. This seems like a much more common practice, but I can’t seem to recall whether I look directly into the sun at these times. Would this practice still carry the same problems of radiation and the like??
A couple questions for the author of the article:
1) Did you write the article with the knowledge that the UV index is essentially/close to nil at sunrise and sunset? 1) If you did, why did you not mention it, say, when you mention, “Another claim made by proponents is that since much of the gazing is done during periods of low light, that it is less dangerous, but this is a dangerous mistake”? 2) If you did not know this about the UV index, do you think that not knowing this informed your other thoughts/conclusions in the article in a biased way, for which you would change those biases to match the possibility of low to no damage at sunrise and sunset.
2) When you say this, “While some fortunate few are lucky enough to have their eyes spared, this does not imply absolute safety for the rest,” are you a) comparing this to some other group who had their eyes damaged by sungazing during the low-peak hour at sunrise and sunset? If so, can you provide the evidence for the damage to sungazers’ eyes? If not, then you can’t really make this claim, right?…because you’d be assuming sungazers’ eyes have been damaged. b) Nothing, as far as I know, provides absolute safety for everyone. c) If there is evidence for sungazers’ eyes being damaged, did you know this prior to writing the article? If so, why didn’t you mention the evidence? And, if not, might it be helpful to not make such claims prior to knowing the evidence?
For transparency and context, I am not a sungazer and I lean to agree with your stance in the article. Just challenging some of your logic for the sake of erudition.