The above cartoon explains how the gandhabba sees while being outside or inside a physical body.
(https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1fEIR5selbqa3cba8nPbxKFGEfp-iXytx)
Note:
1. While being OUTSIDE the physical body, the gandhabba sees using a different mechanism that does not involve light.
- It is possible that the brain converts the image received from the eyes (via the optic nerve) to a type of signal used by the gandhabba while being OUTSIDE.
2. A gandhabba (while being INSIDE the physical body) will also not see if the eyes are damaged, even if the brain works.
3. The point is that while INSIDE the physical body, a gandhabba CAN NOT see on its own. It also cannot hear, smell, etc., if the brain is not functioning.
- That is also true for recalling memories “stored” in the external world (in viññāna dhātu). They also need to come through the brain. Therefore, a gandhabba is totally isolated from the world while INSIDE a physical body. The brain plays a critical role. See “Memory Recall for Gandhabba in a Human Body.” It is a good idea to read this post. It talks about how the brain uses a transmitter and a receiver to exchange information with viññāna dhātu (bullet #4). We will use that in the next step.
- That also happens while we are sleeping. The brain goes into an inactive mode while sleeping. But the gandhabba never goes to sleep. If it does not get a signal from the brain, it cannot experience anything.
There are more steps. Feel free to ask questions from all my comments/explanations above. Try to keep track because this is a complex subject. I have discussed this before, but the information is spread over many posts. Also, I did not go into this much detail.
P.S. It should be “optic nerve” and not “optical nerve.”
