User:Patrickmchugh48

Zanzō: One of those great Japanese words that is described in English as an 'after image'.

It is however hard to translate properly without losing the magic of its meaning, but if you look at the sun quickly and then look away, that image burned into your vision is 'Zanzō'... The description can be simplifed as a visual impression left behind in your retina.

Scientific explanation of this 'After Image'

''Color is light and colored objects absorb and reflect different wavelengths. Light and color are seen by the human eye because of the two types of photoreceptor cells - rods and cones - located in the retina of the eye. Rods are sensitive to light and dark; cones are sensitive to red, green & blue light and responsible for color vision. These photoreceptors convey the color of light to our brain. (Learn more about rods and cones, at BiologyMad.com)

When our eyes are exposed to a hue for a prolonged period, the rods & cones become fatigued. You might notice this if you are reading something on colored paper, and then look away—you often see the inverse, or complement, of the image. This occurrence can be advantageous if you are seeking the opposite, or contrast, of a color. This may be dismaying to a viewer if presented with prolonged exposure to colored screens or reading materials.

Every color has an opposite, and although individual's perceptions do vary, the range of after images seen is consistent. ''

Patrick McHugh [www.online-golf-lesson-and-more.com] and Fred Shoemaker [www.extraordinarygolf.com] use the power of Zanzō to keep golfers in the present when they are playing golf, especially during the art of putting.