Prof. Muni Mahendra Kumar
Upto now we have discussed about the perception of colour through optical equipment. The cutaneous perception of colour corroborates our view that colour is not mere mind spinning. According to some recent scientific reports, it is found that some people can identify colours with the help of their fingers in stark darkness.[1]
Different scientists have explained this phenomenon slightly differently. Dr. R. P. Yotz of Bernard College, New York, has put forth the hypothesis that the rate of absorption of coloured radiations by the successive layers of the skin is different; differing from this view Dr. W. L. Macass of Washington University thinks that emissivity of the surfaces of different objects affect our skin differently. Dr. Macass proposes that the surfaces or different colours have different emissivity. Thus, according to him, the “cutaneous emissivity sensitivity” is responsible for the identification of colour by hand or in darkness.
In any case, the following two facts become clear in the light of the above phenomenon:
- The difference in emissivity by different coloured surfaces suggests that there exists some objective property in the object which is responsible for the difference in emission.
- Light acts merely as a medium to perceive the colour of an object; in absence of light, the object does not become colourless.
Thus we may summarize the above discussion on the phenomenon of colour by saying that the colour is an objective property or matter, on the basis of both the scientific view and the Jain view.
One such case was reported by British newspapers in November 1962, according to which a Russian girl Rosa Kuleschova belonging to Nisnitagil city of Rural Province used to identify colours with her fingers. The scientific investigations were made by Dr. Isac Goldbers. Another instance was reported by Dr. R. P. Yotz of Bernard College, New York in 1964. According to him, one Mrs. Staneley could identify the colours in stark darkness. Dr. Yotz performed several experiments on Mrs. Staneley, in one of which she with the help of her hand, successfully identified the colours of various papers placed in a light-proof box. In one case reported by Dr. Karl Konnig of Scotland a blind boy could see by his skin, in another interesting case reported by Dr. Guissepi Cailigerus of University of Rome, a Yogi could perceive things with the help of his skin. (The description given here is based on an article published in Navnīta (Hindi)-Digest), July, 1967, pp. 28-31.
