5. Psychic Paralysis of Gaze: The World Beyond Reach
At a glance, it might seem as if the person is just lost in thought, staring fixedly at a point. But delve deeper, and you’ll see a struggle—a desperate attempt to shift their gaze, an endeavor to explore what lies beyond that fixed point. This is the essence of the psychic paralysis of gaze.
For most, our eyes flit about, absorbing everything. Yet, for someone with this symptom, the world becomes a static frame. They might wish to look at the blooming flower to their right or the buzzing bee to their left, but their gaze remains obstinately forward. It’s not a lack of desire but a genuine inability.
Certain regions within our brain, especially areas within the superior colliculus and the parietal cortex, dictate our eye movements. When these areas suffer damage or degeneration, it results in the psychic paralysis of gaze. It’s not the eyes that falter but the brain’s commands that go awry. (5)
