As discussed in Component A and referred to in Component B, the apparition of the Virgin Mary by Juan Diego what quite miraculous to millions of believers. Could anything be more miraculous than the vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
While researching Our Lady of Guadalupe for the first parts of this project I came across the photograph (enlarged as it may be) and found even more miracles worthy of deliberation. www.sancta.org/eyes.html
In 1929, Alfonso Marcue, the official photographer of the Basilica saw what he believed to be the image of a bearded man in the reflection of eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He informed the authorities of the Basilica and they insisted that he keep this quiet. In 1951, twenty years later, Jose Carlos Salinas Chavez, rediscovered the image while examining a photo of the Virgin's face. He found the image on the left eye as well as the right eye. In the years to follow, many professionals had the opportunity to inspect the eyes of the Virgin, including many physicians. The physicians and ophthalmologists concluded that the images were located exactly how they would be according to the Samson-Purkinjie effect (the characteristics of all live human eyes) and the distortion of the images was in agreement with the curvature of the cornea.
Since then, it has been noted that images of the "Bishop Zumarraga", "the translator", "Juan Diego showing the tilma", and "the family" are apparent in the eyes of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
In this overblown and somewhat distorted photograph, I see nothing but blurred images. If the images were not enhanced or circled, I would notice nothing at all. After reading the story and information about the images, I can force myself to see what believers see, somewhat. But, does that mean that they are really what people believe them to be? Or is it like lying on the grass in the summer and looking up at the clouds and imagining that each cloud looks like something?
I have seen people on Johnny Carson (am I dating myself?), David Letterman, etc., producing potatoes and squash that look like famous people. They are true believers in what they see, but I guess my vision has never been as imaginative as that of some people. What do you see?
Do you suppose that if you take any photograph and magnify a zillion times you can find interesting figures in it? Lets try. Just for the sake of argument, I enlarged the photograph from the website and located two pictures in it. I found Rudolph and Frankenstein (I placed black boxes around them). So, what do the images really mean?
Once again, I am not a disbeliever, just skeptical and inquisitive.
I believe that this photograph represents the strong beliefs and desperation of people to prove that there is indeed a higher power. Why else would so many years of research been done on trying to find something that may not actually exist? I myself do not need to see a picture to believe that my Savior exists.
I chose this artwork for its intriguing quality. I felt it deserved questioning and analyzing. I don't think that even though a billion people may believe in something, I have to believe in it unless it is proven to me. Obviously, it is not very easy to prove something to me. I can be forced to visually see what others see, and I can be told what others believe, but unless I have positive proof and supported facts, I cling to my right of cynicism. However, I would never stand in the way of someone believing as they do. After all, our society has granted us the freedom of thought.
In conclusion, I think that the people who believe in the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the images represented in the photographs really do receive a sense of proof of a miraculous event and firm up their desire for proof of the Almighty. I also hope that by analyzing this photo, I have given my readers permission (of some sort) to question what they do not know for sure.