‘A Glance into Space’ (1896)

Summary

It was Easter Day when the mezereon was in bloom in Haga Park. Mezereon which has a lilac's flower and scent, but is no lilac.

We were to see the sun dance, as the legend has it, on this day of resurrection. When I raised my eyes to the day star I saw at first only a brilliant clarity, a cloud of white fire, and I immediately refrained from this dangerous spectacle.

Many Easter Days have passed since then, and at length it happened that I wanted to look at the sun, in order to trace its spots. Because it was the vernal equinox, it was located in the celestial equator. Raising my eyes I saw at first nothing but a large white cloud of fire, which little by little converged to form a golden yellow disk, which rotated within another disk that was now silver white, now iron black.

It was then that the thought struck me: is the sun round because it looks round to us? And what is light? Something outside me or within, subjective perceptions?

Light is a force, not an element, and should of course be invisible, since forces are not otherwise visible.

Might the sun be the omnipresent primeval light, which my imperfect eye can only apprehend as that round, yellow spot on the retina?

And what is light when darkness is not its opposite, which may easily be confirmed by going into a dark room and pressing upon one's eyeballs. This is the very experiment that I have carried out, repeated and controlled.