This week on State of the Human, we’re hearing stories about people whose vision changed, first throwing them in the dark, then revealing something new. When the lights go out, at first we can’t see anything, but eventually our eyes adjust. We slowly begin to see again, but the world looks a little bit different than it did before. This week, we’ve got four stories about people who learn to see in a new way after finding themselves in different kinds of darkness. A young kid has a superpower to see things no one else can see, but then he loses that ability. A mythologist embarks on a retreat in darkness on a mountain in Wales. An art student learns to see the human body in a new way. And an Oxford University student finds himself, unexpectedly, in darkness.
Producers: Xandra Clark and Sophia Paliza
Host: Xandra Clark
Featuring: Martin Lowenthal, Martin Shaw, Lauren YoungSmith, Ala Ebtekar, Tom Skelton, Dougie Walker
Release Date: 19 June 2013
Original music: John Hollywood
Additional music used during host narration: Johnny Ripper, Robin Grey, Gillicuddy
Additional production assistance: Rachel Hamburg, Darlene Franklin, Lemiece Zarka, Natacha Ruck, Christy Hartman, Charlie Mintz, Victoria Hurst, Josh Hoyt, Nina Foushee, and Jonah Willihnganz.
Warning: This episode contains strong language, and may not be suitable for all audiences
Image via wikimedia
Story 1: The Third Eye
A skeptic has forgotten to see the world he saw as a child, but his mystic mother encourages him to remember.
Featuring: Guru Matt
Editors: Lemiece Zarka and Sophia Paliza
Warning: This story contains strong language, and may not be suitable for all audiences
Image courtesy of Xandra Clark
Story 2: Vivid Darkness
Two different Martins choose to temporarily forgo light and embrace the darkness. Each follows his own path into the dark and finds something there.
Featuring: Martin Lowenthal, Martin Shaw
Producer: Sophia Paliza
Original music: John Hollywood
Additional music: Johnny Ripper, Balmorhea, Lee Rosevere, Zachary Cale & Mighty Moon & Ethan Schmid
Image via wikimedia
Story 3: Seeing Inside Out
A few years ago, surrealist artist Lauren YoungSmith hit a plateau in her drawing skills. To overcome it, she had to learn to see human bodies differently – from the inside out.
Featuring: Lauren YoungSmith, Ala Ebtekar
Producers: Darlene Franklin and Rachel Hamburg
Original music: John Hollywood
Additional music: Broken Gadget
Image courtesy of Lauren YoungSmith
Story 4: Blind-Sighted
When an Oxford University student starts losing his sight, he walks onto the stage.
Featuring: Tom Skelton, Dougie Walker
Producer: Xandra Clark
Original music: John Hollywood
Additional music: Ergo Phizmiz & Margita Zalite, Nic Bommarito, Chuck Johnson
Image courtesy of Urška Mali