Iridology (Iris Analysis)

Written & Edited by: Dr. Andersen

It has been said that, “The eye is the window to the soul.” The idea being that an individual’s physical, mental, & emotional states are perceptible just by looking into their eyes. 

History of Iridology (Iris Analysis)

The practice of Iridology has ancient roots in Chinese, East Indian, & Egyptian cultures. It was taught as recently as 1985 at Harvard Medical School, before it was dropped from the curriculum in favor of more “modern” classes such as pharmacy & radiology. In its present sense, it was developed by Dr. Ignatz von Peczely, a Hungarian Doctor… As the story goes, young Ignatz accidentally broke the leg of a pet owl he kept in his backyard and noticed a black mark appeared in the owl’s eye. Over time, he nurtured the owl back to health and let it go. However, the owl had developed a liking for the boy and stayed around, allowing Ignatz to appreciate the mark gradually changing from dark to white as the bone healed. This was the birth of modern Iridology around 1861. Dr. von Peczaly went on to develop an “Iris Chart” in 1880 after completing his studies at the Vienna Medical College in 1867. 

In 1860, Nils Liljequist, a young Swedish boy, became sick following vaccination with doses of iodine & quinine. He too noticed changes in his otherwise blue eyes as darkened “drug spots” appeared where there had been none previously. In 1870 he wrote a paper describing these changes, which eventually led to the publication of his “Iris Chart” in 1893. It should come as no surprise that the charts of Liljequist & von Peczaly are practically identical.

Much of the American medical research into the science of Iridology originated with the work of Dr. Henry Edward Lane & his student, Dr. Henry Lindlahr. Dr. Lane carried out surgical & autopsy correlations with iris markings at the Kosmos Sanitarian in Evanston, Illinois. In his book, “Iridology - The Diagnosis from the Eye”, published in 1904, he stated that, “thousands were examined before just one marking could be considered corroborated.”

Dr. Bernard Jensen, a student of Dr. Lindlahr, developed the current “Iris Chart” in 1950 with Dr. John R. Arnold, founder of the World Iridology Fellowship. Dr. Arnold went on to delineate the term “Iridiagnosis” from “Iris Analysis”, which more accurately reflects the practice as analyzing ‘conditions within’ rather than diagnosing specific diseases.

Iris Analysis in Naturopathic Medicine

With that, we begin our brief discussion of Iris Analysis… And as with any conversation making mention of the diagnosis or treatment of disease, I want to expressly eliminate all confusion surrounding the limitations of this modality up front. It is with no intention that the practice or science of Iridology makes any claim or effort to diagnose a “disease” or “disease state”, or treat upon its sole findings any condition observed through the iris which resides within the body, mind, or spirit. The analysis of the iris is simply one tool, as part of a larger physical exam assessment kit, used to detect & evaluate impaired organ/system function or other disturbances in the physical, mental, or emotional bodies, & help determine a patient’s overall level of health & vitality. It is never to be used as a stand-alone tool for diagnosis &/or treatment. 

As stated above Iris Analysis does not diagnose disease, it can only reveal where there’s a problem & how severe the problem is. An Iridologist first assesses one’s current state by identifying, & more specifically confirming, any acquired or inherited traumas, weaknesses, &/or other internal conditions, deficiencies, & inflammations or dysfunctional processes occurring within the body. Then, by observing changes in the iris through time, we are able to monitor the status of any given state, evaluate the effectiveness of our chosen treatment plan, & see the imbalance through to its eventual resolution. Now let’s break that down a bit.

The Iris is made up of thousands of nerve bundles known as trabeculae. These nerves relay information from various organs & systems in the body through the oculomotor nerve via neural reflex arcs between respective regions in the iris and their corresponding body parts. So, when the nervous system receives signals from the body, it responds by imprinting this information in the iris. This is why a broken left leg bone will initially leave a darkened mark (recent trauma) near the six o’clock position in the left iris, that turns whitish as it heals, & eventually shows only a minor variation from its original state once the bone is completely mended. If, however, the bone is reset under anesthesia, the mark in the iris will fail to return to its original state after healing has taken place. This is because the nervous system was effectively blocked from neurological communication & hence prevented from transmitting its “memory” of the entire healing process into the eye. 

Finally, Iridology cannot identify infections or the microorganisms that cause them, but it can reveal the conditions which are conducive to their development & occupation. And although you cannot literally read someone’s mind by looking into their eyes, Rayid Iridology techniques provide a figurative insight, or mental/emotional picture if you will, by revealing personality profiles, constitutional traits, & specific challenges faced by any given individual in their journey through existence. 

In Conclusion

In conclusion, Iris Analysis, as it is more concisely called, contributes to building a comprehensive picture of an individual's physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual state of health at any given point in time. If recorded at regular intervals, changes can be observed in the iris that reflect a person’s general health, vitality, & overall well-being. The practice therefore plays an important role in making recommendations to support integrated body & mind balance, managing patient response to treatment, & forming an anticipated timeline for eventual recovery & regeneration.