Man can change his pupil size on command • Hacker News Board

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#91

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:15 PM UTC

SamBam wrote: post #85

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When someone asks me to teach them how to play drums, I spin my fingers in opposite directions, and tell them that its their first lesson. Someone told me it was impossible in 7th grade, and I spent the next 3 days fixated on it until I could do it. I match it with drums because every step in drums is about having your body to do things your brain doesn't want it to, especially in the beginning. I like to think of th…

> I spin my fingers in opposite directions Trying to work out why this would be difficult, since it doesn't seem to be, so my first assumption ought to be that I'm doing this wrong. If I point in front of me I can twirl my pointers in a circle such that they go in opposite directions. This seems to be the most intuitive and trivial, because both are actually doing the same movement (inward and outward at the same tim…

[deleted]

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#92

Post by jgilias » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:17 PM UTC

pempem wrote: post #80

meowface wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised that that group apparently also includes me. I had an awful experience during my LASIK procedure. What should've taken a few minutes ended up taking like 40+. It was almost an hour of the doctor and nurses constantly repeating "please keep still", yet from the very start to the very end I was literally making myself as still as possible and from my perspective wasn't moving any part of my body in the sl…

I've only recently started taking control of my breath (despite my parents suggesting I learn it in childhood). It is hard to imagine the impact when you're not doing it. When you start consider that you're going to try for a minute, then three, then five. It is truly insane the amount of change you'll experience.

Can you expand a bit on this? Do you do some kind of an exercise, or just focus on how you're breathing?

Do you know why your parents suggested it?

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#93

Post by wittjeff » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:17 PM UTC

dumbfounder wrote: post #11

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #7

Since we now know that some people can change their heart beat at will, their body temperature or their immune system response, and that it's something you can train, I don't think anybody find that very surprising. But good to know.

I don't think anyone can control their heart muscle directly, but rather through meditation calm themselves and then their heart slows down. And body temperature is not controlled by a muscle so that is probably meditative as well. No comment on the immune system part.

I can, but it isn't 100% control. It's like putting a (voluntary) damper on an (involuntary) pendulum.

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#94

Post by monitron » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:18 PM UTC

msdrigg wrote: post #66

monitron wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it takes time and is not wholly reliable, it sounds like you might be using one of the "indirect methods" they mentioned in the article.

I can change the focal point of my eyes on command to a far away point or a close one, and I have noticed that this reliably makes my pupil get slightly larger or smaller.

That's neat. I wonder if the pupil is actually changing size, or if it's the changing shape of the lens that is making it appear so. If you look into a camera lens as the focus is changed, the inner parts of the camera do appear to change size.

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#95

Post by anon_cow1111 » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:25 PM UTC

hn8788 wrote: post #4

A quick search online brings up multiple articles dating back a few years with examples of the same thing. It's not "an impossible feat". https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160229-the-sea-nomad-ch...

And to confirm, I knew someone in school who could do this, though I was never able to do it myself despite some notable time wasted in front of the mirror.

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#96

Post by drewzero1 » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:27 PM UTC

monitron wrote: post #94

msdrigg wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can change the focal point of my eyes on command to a far away point or a close one, and I have noticed that this reliably makes my pupil get slightly larger or smaller.

That's neat. I wonder if the pupil is actually changing size, or if it's the changing shape of the lens that is making it appear so. If you look into a camera lens as the focus is changed, the inner parts of the camera do appear to change size.

The eye's lens is behind the iris (unlike a camera which is typically the other way around), so the optics shouldn't affect the apparent pupil size.

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#97

Post by shahar2k » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:36 PM UTC

I had a friend's growing up who would do this as a trick... Didn't know it was a big deal!

I can move my nose in 4 ways and both ears independently? Does that count?

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#98

Post by intrepidhero » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:42 PM UTC

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #81

Decabytes wrote: post #63

I've always wondered what the limits of mind over matter were. Like if I practiced every day, Could I learn to move my toes individually or with more dexterity? Could I focus on that random muscle that twitches in my leg and get it to stop, or move it myself?

When someone asks me to teach them how to play drums, I spin my fingers in opposite directions, and tell them that its their first lesson. Someone told me it was impossible in 7th grade, and I spent the next 3 days fixated on it until I could do it. I match it with drums because every step in drums is about having your body to do things your brain doesn't want it to, especially in the beginning. I like to think of th…

When learning to juggle I used a similar exercise: draw a square in the air with one hand, a triangle with the other. Another was to touch my thumb to my fingers in different patterns with each hand. Different people have wildly varying levels of difficulty with these exercises. If you find it too hard/easy just keep modifying until you find some version that is doable but hard and practice that.

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#99

Post by monitron » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:42 PM UTC

drewzero1 wrote: post #96

monitron wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's neat. I wonder if the pupil is actually changing size, or if it's the changing shape of the lens that is making it appear so. If you look into a camera lens as the focus is changed, the inner parts of the camera do appear to change size.

The eye's lens is behind the iris (unlike a camera which is typically the other way around), so the optics shouldn't affect the apparent pupil size.

Whoa. I had no idea. Thanks for informing me! That's so weird. I had always assumed that the curved front surface of the eye was the lens.

Re: Man can change his pupil size on command

#100

Post by capableweb » Wed, Sep 01, 2021, 4:46 PM UTC

hn8788 wrote: post #4

A quick search online brings up multiple articles dating back a few years with examples of the same thing. It's not "an impossible feat". https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160229-the-sea-nomad-ch...

The headline is not acuratly representing the contents of the article. The full quote which is where the "once thought an impossible feat" part comes from:

> That makes D.W. different from other people who have demonstrated the ability to change their pupil size, Strauch told Live Science. What's more, that he can feel the muscles in the pupils directly "is astonishing, as it was thought to be impossible."

What's new isn't controlling the pupils but to "feel the muscles directly". Not sure how that part is verified though.