If you look up the term Iridology these days online, you’ll see a barrage of evidence-based literature disregarding it as any kind of real science. It might even be referred to as quackery. Considered part of an alternative practice and a naturopathic approach, many still consider the “reading” of your eyes an important and worthy diagnostic tool.
Iridologists, who are trained in this practice, claim to be able to diagnose certain bodily conditions by mapping the unique striations and patterns found on the human iris. By identifying certain markings and differences they can diagnose health conditions and make recommendations. They cannot treat a condition, but only recommend changes to one’s health, based on what they see.
I’m a firm believer in evidence-based science but still I wondered about this practice and wanted to experience it for myself.
Years ago I was a guest at a wellness resort in St. George, Utah, a beautiful spot, surrounded by red rocks and canyons. At the time there was a resident instructor there who was a certified Iridologist, who had been trained by some important people in this field and held the highest level of mastery.
Although I was skeptical, I scheduled a “reading” with him. I did not fill out any health forms, and did not offer any health information during our session. At the time of this reading I was of a healthy, athletic weight, had clear skin and was active and engaged in my life. I bounced into the session wearing shorts and running shoes, having just come back from a hike.
The Iridologist looked into each of my eyes separately with a bright pen light. He made some notes. He looked again. Apparently each eye reads differently and points to certain conditions in unique ways. Then he looked again with his bright light.
He asked me,… “So, how do you feel?”
My answer, “I feel pretty good”.
He told me he saw something in one of my eyes that pointed to a thyroid condition. I didn’t respond in any way, even though I had been diagnosed with a thyroid condition years earlier and was on treatment for it. He just simply said, “you should have your thyroid tested, you may need some medication”. Later when I had my lab work done, it was indeed off kilter and my medication had to be increased.
Then he told me he saw inflammation on the right side of my body, specifically around my hip area. Now given the fact that I did not walk with a limp or display any pain when moving, I did indeed have arthritis in my right hip and was dealing with it for years prior. It did flare up from time to time and I had been suffering with bouts of bursitis.
Then he told me that he saw increased inflammation around my sinuses. Again, I had suffered with allergies for years and had taken every nasal medication for as long as I could remember. But please note,…there was no sniffling or coughing during this session.
Then he proceeded to talk to me about some changes to make in my life to safeguard against future problems. Things like decreasing dairy in my diet to help ease up on the allergies. Also he asked that I add gentle activity like swimming, to address the right hip issue. And of course, getting that thyroid checked.
In the end, although many would say this was bogus, I was fascinated by what was seen in my eyes. The two-hour session was about the most fascinating thing I had participated in, in some time. I believe our bodies do give us signs when things are going awry, and perhaps that’s why they say that our “eyes are the window to the soul”.…
For more interesting stories on eyes,…take a look back at our very first blog post.