Science Is Proving That The Eyes Are Windows To The Soul

What do your eyes say about you?

Mats Larsson’s research^[1][2][3][4] has shown a correlation between eye characteristics and personality. His research supports that eyes are windows to the soul, or personalities. I find the research to be very interesting but I am also cautious of it. Mats Larsson’s research links eye characteristics to genetics, which in turn links genetics to personality.

This can infer that our personalities are totally driven by our genetics, which puts us all in our own little boxes and doesn’t leave room for the possibility of people changing or modifying their personalities.

Mats Larsson and his colleagues at the Orebro University in Sweden^[1] compared the crypts, pigment, dots, and contraction furrows of irises of 428 undergraduate students with their personality traits. Crypts are the threads that radiate out from the pupil. Contraction furrows are the lines curving around the other edge which are formed when the pupils dilate.

“Crypts were significantly associated with five approach-related behaviors, i.e., feelings, tendermindedness, warmth, trust and positive emotions, whereas furrows were associated with impulsiveness.”

Their research revealed that subjects who had more densely packed crypts tended to have have more control over their emotions, exhibited more positive emotions, and were more warmhearted and trusting. Subjects with more contracted furrows tended to be more neurotic and impulsive.

“The results from using a person-oriented analysis suggested that people with different iris configurations tend to develop along different personality trajectories.”

The use of the findings of this research can become very problematic. Since genetics are being linked to personality traits, the characteristics of one’s eye can be used to profile people into different categories. This can lead to marginalizing people solely based on the use of eye scanning technology, without taking into account the actual person.

Dr George Fieldman, principal lecturer in psychology at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, said:

“Security services would have to use such technologies with some caution. You would not want to arrest somebody on the basis of their iris.”

So if there is every a time you are asked to use eye scanning technology be aware that more information other than matching your identity is being collected.