I know, what you think. Facial and body language

2.3 Gaze during lying, fatigue, attraction

In psychology, there are many ways to learn more about a person’s inner world, and one of them is observing their gaze. It may seem that ordinary eye movements, gaze direction, blinking frequency – all this can appear trivial. But in fact, these nonverbal cues can reveal a lot about psycho-emotional states, personality traits, and even the presence of certain mental or neurological disorders. During communication, a person unconsciously expresses their state through their eyes. For example, when we are anxious or tense, pupils may dilate, and the gaze may dart from side to side. When very tired, the gaze becomes “dim,” unfocused. If a person feels confident, their eyes calmly look the interlocutor in the face, without sharp movements or avoidance.

Eye contact plays a key role in interpersonal interaction. People with an open, direct gaze are often perceived as confident, sincere, and friendly. Conversely, avoiding eye contact may indicate shyness, anxiety, or even distrust. It is important to remember that such traits do not always indicate pathology – sometimes it is simply a manifestation of individual temperament or cultural norms.

The gaze holds particular significance in diagnosing conditions related to mental or nervous system disorders. For example, people with autism often have difficulty establishing and maintaining eye contact. In schizophrenia, a detached, “empty” gaze may be observed, along with impaired ability to track moving objects. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, the gaze becomes fixed, and blinking occurs less frequently. Modern technologies allow for highly precise study of eye movement. One such method is eye-tracking. This is a way to record and analyze where and how a person looks: what they pay attention to, how long they fixate on an object, and how their focus moves. These data are used not only in clinical psychology but also, for example, in marketing, UX design, and cognitive brain research.

Besides technological solutions, psychodiagnostics actively employs observation of a person’s behavior during conversation, including projective techniques. For instance, when interpreting the Rorschach test, it is important to pay attention to how the person examines the images: how long, in what order, and which details they notice. This can provide additional information about their perception and thinking. Interestingly, some specialists also attempt to use gaze direction to detect signs of lying. It is believed that when trying to recall real events, a person more often looks in one direction (for example, up-left), while during fabrication or deception – in another (up-right). However, such interpretations require caution and cannot be considered absolutely reliable indicators. It is worth noting that gaze cannot be used as the sole criterion in psychological diagnosis. It must be considered in the context of the person’s overall behavior, speech, emotional state, as well as in combination with other diagnostic methods. Furthermore, visual habits can vary greatly depending on culture, age, upbringing, and social norms.

Overall, the gaze is not just a physiological reaction or gesture. It is a kind of “window” into the human psyche through which subtle signals inaccessible to words can be perceived. The ability to recognize these signals makes a psychologist more sensitive and accurate in their work, especially when this knowledge is combined with a scientific approach and professional ethics. Interest in the gaze as a diagnostic tool did not arise by chance. Since ancient times, people have attached special significance to the eyes – it is no coincidence they are called the “mirror of the soul.” Even without scientific knowledge, our ancestors intuitively felt: you can understand what a person feels or thinks by their eyes. Modern psychology has only confirmed this observation and made the gaze the subject of serious scientific research.

Particular attention is paid to the gaze in psychotherapy as well. During sessions, the psychotherapist observes how the client establishes contact, how willingly they look into the eyes, and how they react to certain topics. For example, a person avoiding gaze may unconsciously protect themselves from emotional discomfort, trying not to “let” another person into their inner space. Conversely, an intense, fixed gaze sometimes indicates hidden aggression or an attempt to control the situation.

In work with children, the gaze also plays an important role. Young children who have not established eye contact with parents or adults may exhibit developmental delays or communication problems. This is especially important in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, where the absence or reduced frequency of eye contact is one of the first warning signs.

Sometimes eye movement becomes an indicator of cognitive processes. Research has shown that when a person thinks, recalls, or makes decisions, their eyes “hint” at what is happening in their mind. The direction of the gaze, duration of fixation, even blinking frequency – all of this can reflect the level of mental effort, engagement in a task, degree of doubt, or confidence in the answer.

Of course, cultural differences must not be forgotten. In some Eastern cultures, for example, direct eye contact may be considered disrespectful, especially toward elders. Meanwhile, in Western culture, direct gaze is often interpreted as a sign of honesty and openness. Therefore, it is important to consider the sociocultural context before drawing any conclusions based on eye behavior.

Modern science goes even further: within neuropsychology and cognitive science, the interconnections between eye movement and brain function are studied. Research using functional MRI and eye-tracking allows observation of which areas of the brain activate during particular eye movements. These data are applied not only in diagnostics but also in rehabilitation of patients after strokes, traumatic brain injuries, as well as in working with attention and memory disorders.

All this shows that the gaze is not just a physiological function but a complex system closely linked to our psyche. It simultaneously serves as a means of perception, communication, and reflection of internal processes. The ability to “read” the gaze helps a psychologist to understand the client more deeply, especially in cases where words are powerless or do not provide a full picture. In practical psychodiagnostics, observation of the gaze is often combined with other methods: tests, conversation, projective techniques. Such a comprehensive approach allows conclusions to be more reliable and accurate. The main thing is to approach this professionally, avoiding hasty and superficial interpretations. As we can see, a person’s gaze is a subtle but incredibly informative tool that can reveal much about what is happening inside. In the hands of an experienced specialist, it becomes not just a means of observation but a part of deep understanding of the personality and their inner world.

Three Gazes – Three Exposed Parts of the Soul

Lies, Fatigue, Attraction – these are three states in which the gaze ceases to be a diplomat and becomes a betrayer. Or, conversely – a revealer of truth. When we evaluate a person – their speech, posture, style of behavior give us a shell. But the gaze is the place where a person forgets how to lie, even if they control everything else perfectly. It is here that we read not a mask, but the structure of the psyche. Not a pose, but the internal coordinate system. A person who lies is, in a sense, an actor performing on their own stage. But a good actor knows their role and controls their gaze. A liar does not. Their gaze falls out of the plot.

What does lying reveal in the gaze?

Insecurity – when a lie is born out of fear of consequences, the gaze becomes timid, jerky, apologetic. Such a person is not dangerous – they simply lack a firm foundation. Manipulativeness – a liar who believes in their own lie will look straight into the eyes. For a long time, too long. Their gaze is not sincerity, but an attack, an attempt to “push the truth” into the interlocutor. Such a person is capable of psychological pressure, control, and can be emotionally dangerous. Split nature – if truth and lie battle within a person, their gaze becomes dual: one part of the face is calm, the other reveals tension. This is often seen in people living on the border between morality and benefit – capable of both loyalty and betrayal.

A vivid example here might be Benedict Arnold, the American general who betrayed his country. Contemporaries said his gaze “darkened” long before the betrayal. He did not avert his eyes – he fell into them, as if losing connection with himself. Thus, deceit not only distorts the gaze – it carves out part of a person’s honesty, and this is visible. Whether a person can lie easily is a sign of flexibility or moral emptiness. Insecure lying = dependence on others’ opinions, weakness. Cold lying = potential danger, tendency to manipulate. When a person is tired – not only physically but existentially – their gaze drops. They no longer demand, seek, or defend themselves. It is a gaze of surrender, but not necessarily defeat.

Deep fatigue speaks of responsibility. It is not weakness but a trace of struggle. People whose gaze does not fade even in fatigue are bearers of an inner fire, potential leaders, strong-willed natures. And if a person looks lively but their eyes are empty – this is a sign of mental overload, internal reset. Such a person may be on the verge of burnout or psychological collapse. A vivid example – Churchill during the London bombings. In his famous photo, his gaze is tired, framed by a cigar and determination. This is not weakness – it is profound mental strength, squeezed out until only resilience remains. Fatigue reveals not how a person works, but what they hold onto.

Does the gaze fall in fatigue – or hold the line? This is the key to the inner architecture. Eyes that do not lose their light even in exhaustion are a sign of high internal culture, responsibility, and leadership resources. A tired but clear gaze says: the person knows how to suffer – and still move forward. If lying is a gaze that leads away from the truth, and fatigue is a gaze that demands nothing, then attraction is a gaze that has already demanded. A person may think they speak politely, keep their distance. But if there is attraction in the eyes, it cannot be hidden.

The eyes become a magnet: they do not just reflect desire – they already act, even if the body is still motionless. What does attraction say about a person? People who cannot hide attraction are often more sensual, impulsive, “alive,” but less stable. Those who control their gaze but still reveal interest are intellectual predators, people with deep willpower, able to manage themselves. And some hide attraction in irony, half-smiles, slowed-down glances – and these are often the most dangerous: they know how to use emotion as a tool of influence. For a historical example – Salome in Gustave Moreau’s paintings. Her gaze is not flirtation. It is the power of desire that intoxicates and beheads. Or Catherine de’ Medici – a woman whose gaze combined passion and cold-bloodedness. She fell in love, schemed, and executed, never changing the expression in her eyes.

Attraction shows the level of instinctual energy and how a person manages it. The ability to hold a gaze when attracted is a sign of strength. The ability to release it is a sign of freedom. A gaze in lying reveals the structure of morality. A gaze in fatigue shows the depth of psychological endurance. A gaze in attraction exposes the style of desire, willpower, and passion potential. It is precisely in these “borderline” states that we see the real person, without decor – because filters drop away in extremes. Want to understand character? Don’t look when they say the right words. Look when they lied. When they are exhausted. When they wanted – then the main thing will be revealed: not who they seem to be, but who they can become.

2.4. Diagnosis by Eye Movement (Neurolinguistics and Eastern Approaches)

Since time immemorial, people have tried to read each other without words. In noisy cities and quiet villages, in the palaces of sages and among wandering healers, one question troubled minds: what does a person hide behind the expression of their eyes? It is no coincidence that the saying goes: “The eyes cannot lie.” This expression is not just a poetic image but the result of millennia of observation. Indeed, even when a person tries to control their speech, facial expressions, gestures – their gaze continues to live its own, sometimes honest, life. In Chinese medicine and philosophy, the eyes have always been considered a reflection of the state of “shén” – the spirit, life energy. If the eyes are clear, shining – it means the spirit is strong, and the person is in balance. If the gaze is cloudy, tired, or “wandering” – this is a sign of exhaustion, emotional disturbance, and sometimes illness.

Masters of Chinese diagnostics did not ask many questions. They simply watched. By the color of the iris, the droop of the eyelids, the direction of the gaze, and its mobility, they determined what was happening inside the body and mind of the patient. In Japan, samurai taught young warriors not just to observe an opponent, but to read their intentions through their eyes. It was believed that the eyes reveal the movement of “ki” – internal energy, and, therefore, the first hint of an attack.

If the East read the soul through the eyes, the West decided to approach the matter pragmatically and systematically. In the 1970s, a science emerged that loudly proclaimed: “Eye movement can reveal how a person thinks!” Thus, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) was born.

One of the most famous theses of NLP is that the direction of the eyes indicates which representational systems are active at the moment of speech. Roughly speaking, if a person looks up – they visualize; to the side – they hear internal voices; down – they feel or analyze internal dialogues. Moreover, even the sides were differentiated: right – constructing, left – remembering.

For example: imagine you ask a friend, “What was your room like in childhood?”

If he looks up-left – most likely he is recalling. And if up-right – perhaps imagining (or inventing).

Of course, this is a simplified scheme. Researchers over time began to notice that it’s not so straightforward: eye movement is influenced by many factors – from left-handedness to stress level. But despite criticism, the idea remained in culture: even today many watch for the “looking up” as a possible hint of lying. In 1983, an investigator in London said: during an interrogation, the suspect answered confidently, but his eyes each time the question “Where were you at that time?” was asked, moved up and to the right. “He was constructing an answer,” thought the investigator. Later it turned out – the man was indeed lying.

Was this NLP in action or just intuition? Nobody knows. But since then neuro-linguistics began to be studied in police work, business, and even education. Today, with the development of technology, we can see what previously escaped the eye. Eye-tracking – a technology that records eye movements with incredible precision – is used in advertising, UX design, psychology. Thanks to it, we know how the gaze travels across the screen, what it lingers on, what causes interest, and what causes rejection.

In neuropsychology, eye-tracking is even used to study the behavior of children with autism, the reactions of patients with dementia, and the mechanisms of attention. What was once considered “reading by the eyes” is now becoming an exact science, armed with sensors and algorithms. But despite technology and scientific theories, the art of “reading” a person by their eyes remains an art. One wise man once said: “To see the truth in another’s eyes – you must first clear your own.”

And indeed, no device, no technique can replace a careful, respectful human gaze. Because the eyes are not just a source of information. They are a living dialogue without words, requiring not only knowledge but also intuition, empathy, and soulful sensitivity. Diagnosis by eye movement is a bridge between ancient intuition and modern science. The East teaches us to see the spirit behind the gaze, the West – to recognize thinking patterns. And the truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle – in the ability to notice and feel.

An old psychology professor once said to me:

– Don’t look at the words, look into the eyes. They will tell you everything, even if the tongue is silent.

He smiled, took off his glasses, and looked at me with such clarity as if he wanted to read my soul. Back then, I didn’t yet understand how right he was.

Years passed. I sat in university halls, lectured on the psyche and behavior, saw dozens, hundreds, thousands of eyes. And I became more and more convinced: the eyes are not the mirror of the soul, but an open book, in which much more is written than we realize.

The eye is not just a sensory organ. It is simultaneously a receiver and a transmitter. It sees, remembers, reacts, and – what is especially important – reveals what is hidden beneath the layer of logic and speech constructions.

Every person has their own “language of the eyes,” but there are common patterns by which much can be understood: Someone looks straight and steadily – it means they are confident and open. Often these are leaders, proactive, decisive personalities.

Someone hides their gaze, looks sideways or down – anxious, doubtful, possibly afraid of being misunderstood. These are introverts, closed off or vulnerable people.

Sometimes the gaze is fleeting – such people are internally tense, find it difficult to fix attention. And sometimes the gaze is piercing, as if it “bites” into the interlocutor: before you is an analyst, a strategist, possibly a controller. There is a warm soft gaze, with a slight smile in the eyes, as if the person embraces you without words. These people are easy to be with; they give a sense of security.

Eye Movements and the “Map of Thinking”

But the essence is not only hidden in the direction of the gaze. Eye movement is like a route along which our thought wanders. In the 1970s, when neuro-linguists began observing how a person recalls or imagines, they noticed a strange regularity: the eyes move along certain trajectories depending on the type of thinking. And here was born a technique, almost alchemical in nature:

when a person recalls a visual image, they more often look up-left (for right-handers). When they imagine a picture that did not exist – up-right.

During auditory memories, the gaze goes sideways, towards the ears – “I hear how it was.”

Down – where feelings reside.

Gaze down-left – internal dialogue, analysis.

Down-right – bodily sensations, emotions.

You ask a friend:

– Imagine what your school classroom looked like.

He looks up-left – you smile: “So, he remembers.”

You ask:

– And what would the school look like if it were built in the style of a castle?

He looks up-right – and maybe you notice a slight smile of fantasy.

Such analysis is not a lie detector, but a tool to understand how a person’s thinking is arranged: is he more visual, auditory, or kinesthetic? Is he inclined to analyze or to dream? Does he have constructive imagination or does he live by facts?

Gaze and Character: How Eyes Paint a Psychological Portrait

Sometimes it seems to me that eyes are brushes, and character is the canvas. With one stroke – and you already see whether you are facing a dreamer-artist or a pragmatic realist.

A quick, jerky gaze, constantly moving around the room, may indicate an anxious nature, hyperexcitability, or even hidden insecurity.

Rare blinking, as if the person “freezes” in their gaze, is often a sign of deep concentration. Frequent blinking, on the contrary, may indicate anxiety, nervousness, or even lying.

Lowered eyes, especially when talking about oneself, indicate vulnerability, shame, embarrassment.

Constant tension in the eye muscles – inner mobilization, the person is “on guard” even at rest.

Now imagine: you sit opposite a person, they say not a word, but their eyes wander around the room, slightly squinted, gaze tense. You already feel: they are on alert. And conversely – another person looks openly, calmly, their eyes “breathe” – you relax beside them.

This is psychodiagnostics of the gaze – when you don’t guess, but see.

Eye-Tracking: When Technology Learned to Read the Gaze

But if earlier all these observations were a matter of intuition, today science has come to the rescue. Eye-tracking is a technology that precisely records every pupil movement, every fixation, pause, and shift of the gaze. Roughly speaking, eye-tracking is a soul recorder through the eyes.

It shows which objects attract attention, how long a person looks at them, how they move their gaze in space.

In psychology, it is used to study concentration, interests, attention, fatigue. In UX design – to understand what in the interface is convenient and what irritates. In medicine – to diagnose autism, dementia, stroke consequences. In education, it is used to understand how a learner perceives the text, where they “get stuck” and where they “skim.”

Once, an ancient doctor squinted his eyes to better see the sparkle of the patient’s pupil. Today – a neuropsychologist leans over him with a laptop and sensors, analyzing how long he looks at each image in a cognitive test.

I recall one session. A young woman sat opposite me. She smiled. Her words were confident, her voice even. But her eyes darted about. Not chaotically – no. They rapidly hid in the corner every time the conversation touched on her parents. The same route, like a laid path – down-right, down-right. “Bodily memories,” I thought. Pain. She didn’t speak about it. But her eyes told everything. Since then, I increasingly think that a person does not just look with their eyes – they remember, feel, defend, and open up.

We live in a world where technology penetrates deeper into human nature. We can measure the gaze to the millimeter, build heat maps of fixations, even create behavior models based on eye movements. But one thing remains unchanged: attention to the person.