Page 68 - Darwin's Dilemma: The Soul

Darwin’s Dilemma: The Soul

Optic nerve
Rod cells
Cone cells
Color is perceived first in the retinal layer in the eye. The three main types of cone
cells in the retina react to different wavelengths. Millions of different shades of col-
or emerge as the result of the cone cells being stimulated in different proportions.
These colors, converted into electrical signals in the cone cells, are transmitted to the
optic nerve. As a result, the brightly colored world we see is formed. In fact, howev-
er, there is no color in any part of the brain. The colored world is merely what we per-
ceive.
Are there any colors in this region?
This special visual center of the brain is completely dark, like
all the other parts of the brain. There is no light there, and no col-
ors. There is no red, green or yellow in this part of the brain. There
is no white. There is no reflection of bright flower gardens or daz-
zling sunlight, no blue sky or verdant trees. The inside of the skull
is pitch black. We imagine that light enters it directly through our
eyes. But in fact, there is not the slightest trace of light anywhere
behind the eyes.
The formation of colors stems from objects’ light-reflective
properties. Since there is no light in the outside world, there can be
no question of the existence of any color. Therefore, where is the
colorful world we regard as “outside” our eyes? This world cannot
reach us directly from the outside, nor does it form inside our
brains. The colorful world is something we perceive. It assumes
this form because we interpret it as such.
Peter Russell from the Cambridge University

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