The quote above is well known and understood by nearly everybody, despite culture, age, gender, race or religion. From the beginning of time people, and animals also, were captivated by one particular feature of the body- the eyes.

This is not a shocking phenomenon, and in our daily lives we do not even pause to question it. But let's take an opportunity and ask ourselves 'why?'

Why the eyes?

"The eye is an organ of the body that detects light and allows the being to see."

Where, in that definition, do you see any reason to why looking into another persons' eyes is so captivating, and socially meaningful?

Logically thinking, when speaking to someone, there is no physical need to look into their eyes. It does not help hearing or anything of that sort. Yes, body language is important. When you are connecting with someone/something, you focus your body on them. But you will communicate just as effectively if you look at their throat, or their mouth, after all, that is where the sound is coming from. 

What is it about the eyes that captures us? If not something that can be scientifically explained, we must look further.

My 1st Theory: Remains of animalistic instincts

       According to Iridology,an alternative medicine technique, it is believed that patterns, colors, and other characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a persons' health. Iridologists see the eyes as "windows" into the body's state of health.

Iridologists use iris charts to distinguish between healthy systems and organs in the body and those that are overactive, inflamed, or distressed. Iridologists believe this information demonstrates a patient's susceptibility towards certain illnesses, reflects past medical problems, or predicts later health problems.

Dr. Bernard Jensen, puts it this way: "Nerve fibers in the iris respond to changes in body tissues by manifesting a reflex physiology that corresponds to specific tissue changes and locations." 

Even the color is connected to your health:

A blue iris means that a person is subject to diseases connected to the rise of acidity, such as arthritis, rheumatism, asthma and gastric ulcer.

A brown iris is indicative that a person is subject to indigestion, for instance, gastroenteritis, constipation and diseases of the central nervous system. 

Bluish-brown (green) iris speaks of its owner’s increased acidity and toxicity, which is connected, with disturbed functions of the nervous and digestive systems.  Mixed tones of iris often have a blue basis that, consequently, points to an aptitude for illnesses typical for blue iris.

OK, so what does all of this have to do with my theory?

Instinctively, animals search for healthy mates/companions. In the animal world, being vulnerable for illnesses means being weaker and less chances of survival. Instinctively, animals are able to sense sickness in other animals. Perhaps, and only perhaps, they were able to do this by examining their eyes? Maybe not just for illnesses, but for compatibility also. 

So, as mammals, perhaps people were able to inherit this instinct and ability and continue to use it, though, of course, on a subconscious level.

From this we may conclude, that while communicating, we are not just pointlessly staring at our partner, but our brains are sort of analyzing their state of health, and calculating compatibility. And that can explain that feeling we get of whether we like  a person immediately when we've only just met them, or we feel repelled.

 

My 2nd Theory: social implications

Living in a society we cannot be free of its rules. 

Eye contact has always been a very strong form of nonverbal communication between people. But in different cultures, it implies completely different things. Let's take a look.

USA: Good eye contact signifies that you are interested, confident, and bold, if you neglect to make eye contact with a person, it signifies lack of interest, or self-confidence. 

My 3rd Theory: Reading the Soul

People are very hard to read and to understand, so we search for ways of finding out what a person is all about early on, to determine our compatibility. And you cannot find these things out by asking, so we search for other ways. Can the eyes help us?

"The Japanese are considered tot he experts of reading people by the eyes. The size can say a great deal: small ones belong to unsociable, self-complacent and stubborn, dry eyes speak of vanity, wet ones – of circumspection and eloquence, runny ones - of guilt, deep-set eyes - of boldness, round eyes symbolize the ability of self-strengthening, bulging eyes - anxiety, unbalance and arrogance. Looking at the wideness of the pupils, it’s possible to define weather a person is interested in this or that problem; after all, even at the moment of small emotional excitement adrenaline is thrown into the blood and the expansion of pupils occurs. So, attentive salesmen can define the attitude of buyers and know when it’s good to bargain and when it is not. " (from www.womanknows.com/health-advice/news/451/)

Also, in the study of body language, people have determined that there is a connection between eye movement and lying. 

When asked a question, people may look up to the left, or up to the right. Simply, if a person looks up to the left, they are accessing their part of the brain that is responsible for constructed images, so they may be lying. If they look up to the right, they are accessing their memory, so they are telling the truth. (This is for right-handed people, and it is the opposite for left-handed people.)

So, the eyes hold many secrets, to our body, mind and soul.

No wonder they attract us so much!

References

http://www.womanknows.com/health-advice/news/451/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridology

http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies_eyes.php