Dr. Oliver Sacks on The Mind's Eye

In The Mind's Eye, physician and author Oliver Sacks tells the stories of people who are able to navigate the world and communicate with others despite losing what many of us consider indispensable senses and abilities: the power of speech, the capacity to recognize faces, the sense of three-dimensional space, the ability to read, or the sense of sight.

Dr. Sacks recently visited the American Museum of Natural History to discuss his book and how he too has struggled with several perceptual conditions, from face-blindness to a loss of stereo vision due to ocular cancer.

Dr. Sacks' talk was recorded live on Oct. 17, 2011.

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[SH-fijc]

"I am the woman who mistook the doctor's bag for her handbag..."
I am a man, yet this is so deep an allegory with the Doctor's book...
God bless this man's soul...

[yossariancomplex]

An incredibly interesting man with incredibly interesting stories. He's a joy to listen to.

[therealzilch]

Oliver Sacks was one of our treasures.

[bethechange]

The fact that he asks not to take photos and ppl keep taking photos is like unbelievable

[pisceandreams]

This is the main thing in this World that many don't know about. Everything is about this eye.
So many people think their is something wrong with them, and they suffer from depression and anxiety and lack of LIFE. I'm telling you for a fact that if you stop drinking unfiltered tap water that just doing that will make you feel better.
I have found that everything has to do with what is already inside of us all along. When you come to this realization you will be in such amazement that you will be laughing at this whole thing. It is like the world was an illusion and now you can see everything! But it doesn't just happen overnight. I won't go any deeper for now, , but if anyone wants to talk I am here. Much love to you all!!

[MintyMindedThinks]

16:20 The story of this women gaining stereographic vision and her experience in her first 3D snowfall is why I love the study of the human mind. I love imagining that feeling.

[blueelectricsmoke]

One of the most fascinating people alive in my opinion. I know he' s shy so I'm glad that you were able to have an evening with him (and share it with us).

[mariekatherine]

I discovered Dr. Sacks first book on Migraine on the shelf of my analyst. I ended up reading it before he did. One side of my family gets them, also, there are a number of unusual people coined “eccentric, black sheep, absent-minded professors, autistic, ” and now, “on the spectrum.”” Oliver Sacks may have passed on, fascinating in itself, but his mind outlives him, how long, time shall tell. I can relate to some of the phenomena as I’ve had migraines with visual distortions, very poor depth perception, partial color blindness, synesthesia, and I don’t remember faces very well.

[Hollis_has_questions]

It’s MY favorite museum, too! But I haven’t been there since the mid-‘60s. I recently came upon an online question: What is your favorite amusement park? I answered without hesitation: The American Museum of Natural History. I miss all the books you would have written, Dr. Sacks. (And I too think that smoked salmon is a food group.)

[samala]

Oliver is quite the incredible human being.

[akhilis]

Inspirational talk and good sense of Humour.

[michaelwoodsmccausland]

Oliver Sacks is a Dymndthsky!
Shine Bright!
The mind is an amazing canvas of memories!
MWM

[glistenhorns]

thanks ever so much for posting this treasure

[rhondah]

I know people who have sight in only one eye and they do not have problems such as not being able to judge where someone's hand is or a glass is. My mother has had surgeries on one eye and then another and she says she still has enough depth perception to drive without any problems while one eye is bandaged.

[caramason]

An inspiring, hilarious, and brilliant man 😊❤️😊❤️

[Gaur]

Dr Sacks should seriously have asked the audience to write their questions down for him.

[AtheistKharm]

LOL omg when he admitted to regaining stereo vision from smoking pot I almost died laughing.

[mariekatherine]

I have very poor depth perception, always have, apparently. I can relate to pouring wine in his friend’s lap and missing an outstretched hand. In P.E., I always hated tennis, softball, even ping pong. I’d get ready, then swing at the ball, only to miss so often that I’d look to see the expected hole in the racquet, bat, or paddle. I’m a chronic doodler. My drawings are “flat” without proper perspective. I’ve had them corrected by others, but I see little difference. In fact, I usually prefer my own as that’s how I see the world.

[lionsze]

No photography was mentioned at the beginning.
The speaker already noticed and said no photography himself once and explained why.
And ppl still kept doing it and he had to say it again. Huge distraction to him. So disrespectful.

[scottfine]

Just watched Awakening on Sundance. My gosh, what a sad but absolutely wonderful movie!!